Chapter 8 The Path of Blood and Shadow

Selene stood quietly as Alaric tied a strip of cloth over her palm, where the spear had cut her. Her blood was dry now, but her body still felt cold. Not from the wound from what followed it.

The moon had turned black. The sky had spoken. And nothing would ever be the same again.

Alaric hadn't said much since the moon's voice echoed across the sky. He had ordered the warriors back into the camp and told them to wait. Selene noticed his hands shaking, just a little, when he thought no one was watching.

Now, he was quiet.

Caius stood nearby, arms crossed, watching her. He hadn't spoken either, but his eyes followed her like he was expecting her to fall apart. She wouldn't give him the pleasure.

Selene looked up at Alaric. "I need to go," she said again. "I have to know if it's true. If she's alive."

Alaric didn't meet her eyes. He stared at the trees ahead.

"You saw what happened," she continued. "The Moon confirmed it. My blood did something. There are answers waiting for me."

"Or it was a trap," Alaric said sharply.

She didn't flinch.

"And if it is," she said, "then I will face it. But I have to see with my own eyes."

Caius finally spoke. "Let me go with her."

Alaric shot him a look. "She's not ready."

Selene stepped between them. "You trained me. You called me strong. You marked me. So let me be strong."

Alaric sighed, turning away. For a moment, he didn't answer. Then, he nodded once. "Fine. But Caius goes with you. Stay close. Stay quiet. If something goes wrong, don't try to be a hero. Just get out."

Selene nodded.

Caius grinned. "Great. A walk through enemy lands. Just how I like to spend my evenings."

They left at dusk. The forest was quiet, but the wind felt different. Like it carried secrets.

Selene and Caius moved fast but silent, avoiding main paths. The Crescent Moon Pack wouldn't be asleep tonight. Not after what they heard.

Selene felt the bond pulling her again. Not to Darius this was something else. Deeper. Older. Like her feet already knew the way. Her hand still stung, and she kept touching the place where her blood had hit the earth. The memory of the flower blooming there would not leave her mind.

After an hour, they passed a stream Selene remembered from childhood. She stopped for a moment, crouched beside it. The water reflected the dark moon above.

"You okay?" Caius asked.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Just feels strange. Being this close to it all again."

He nodded and looked around. "This place gives me the creeps. All these trees look like they're watching us."

Selene smiled faintly. "Maybe they are."

A little further in, the trees began to thin, and the forest opened into a clearing. In the center was a fallen log, broken and burnt. Selene stopped. Her breath caught.

"This used to be our meeting place," she said. "Before the lie. Before everything."

Caius walked ahead and checked the area. "Clear. For now."

Selene walked to the log, touching the blackened wood. A memory flashed. Her mother sitting there, brushing Selene's hair. A soft voice. A song she hadn't heard in years.

"Do you believe it?" she asked quietly. "That she might be alive?"

Caius shrugged. "I believe that Alpha Gregor lies. And if he said she was dead, there's a good chance she's breathing."

Selene looked down. "If I find her, if she's really alive... I don't know what I'll feel. Joy. Anger. Maybe both."

"Maybe you don't have to know yet," Caius said. "Just be ready."

They moved again. This time slower. The deeper they went, the more the air changed. The wind whispered. The trees leaned closer. Even Caius noticed.

"I think your moon magic is following us," he muttered.

Selene didn't reply. Her heart was racing. She could feel something pulling her now. Her mother? The Moon? She didn't know.

Back at Crescent Moon, panic had replaced celebration. The fire pit was cold. No music. No laughter. Just silence.

Lucian paced back and forth. Darius stood beside the elder Mirra. No one had spoken since the moon turned black.

"What do we do now?" one warrior asked.

Lucian turned sharply. "We fight. We find her and end this before it gets worse."

"She was never weak," Darius said quietly. "We should have never let her go."

Lucian hissed. "You want to go after her and kiss her feet? Be my guest. But when she brings war here, don't say I didn't warn you."

Mirra stepped forward. "The prophecy says she will not come to destroy. She comes to uncover. And when the truth rises, the strong will fall."

Lucian pointed at her. "Enough! All of you, prepare. Triple the guards. Check the dungeon. No one leaves. Not without my order."

As the meeting broke up, Darius stayed behind. He stared at the black sky, wondering if Selene could feel the same pull he did.

The next morning, Selene and Caius reached the edge of Crescent Moon. They crouched behind thick bushes as two guards walked past the main gate.

Selene's heart pounded. She could smell the land. She could almost hear her mother's voice.

"This is it," she whispered.

Caius nodded. "If she's in there, we will find her. We get her out. We don't stop."

Selene looked at the sky. The moon was still dark.

"Let's hope she's ready for me," she said. "Because I'm not leaving without her."

The wind blew lightly, lifting the ends of her cloak. Deep in the forest, something moved. Not an animal. Not a hunter. But something old. Something waiting.

Selene felt it like the trees were breathing her in. Like the ground remembered her name. Whatever came next, she knew one thing: the Crescent Moon Pack was not ready for what she had become.

Caius smirked beside her. "Let's show them why they should have killed you when they had the chance."