Chapitre 27

"Let me finish," said Zelos, as if he had expected the resistance. "Astor is the son, so a real descendant of Udyr. The werewolves will recognize him. Before his unjust banishment, he was a general in the army, one of the best. But he's also wolfless. People will identify with him. He's the best choice to bring stability and peace back to the pack. Silverblood is tired of fighting anyway."

"But in the eyes of many wolves, Astor is still a traitor. How are we supposed to put a traitor back in the right light?" Eros asked, stroking his black hair.

“In which we denounce the true traitor. beta talon. He killed his alpha to take power. We present Astor as the savior of the pack."

The crackling fire filled the room.

"Where's Astor now?" Eros asked.

"He's keeping low, somewhere in the villages with Dana, his mate. I'll have Davin send for him immediately. He is the true heir of Silverblood. Let's let him prove himself."

Erous nodded.

"That sounds great!" Lia said. "If he and his mate become Alpha and Luna here, then we can go back north."

"That sounds too good to be true," Eros replied.

"That's it too," said Zelos. "How do we make sure that something like this doesn't happen again? A temporary peace will be of little use to us. We need a long-term plan."

"What do you imagine?" asked Eros.

“A council from the alphas of this world. From north, south, west and east. Ice Claw, Mountain Shadow, Silver Crown, and Silver Blood. An alliance of peace."

Thoughts raced behind Eros' blue eyes.

“That would be... That would be a start. If all packs joined the alliance, then they could defend each other... Nobody would dare to attack anymore. Fenrir will agree, as will Astor. What about Lenkin of Silver Crown? And riverclaw? Who will be the new alpha there?"

"Lenkin will make the alliance if it benefits his pack. For example, when trade between the mountains and the north resumes. As for Riverclaw... there's hardly a werewolf left there. Most died in the war..."

A flash of inspiration electrified my body.

"What if you let the people take the river?" I asked.

"The people?"

Eros didn't look convinced.

But I didn't want to let go.

"Yes, if a human would become Alpha there. If there are hardly any werewolves left anyway... The pack would have to be rebuilt and restored to its former glory," I said.

"Yes," Lia replied. "Demetrius tells me that when he was young, many of the people there were fishermen... before the great shift."

Zelos and Eros stared at each other.

"That would be something for a council of alphas to discuss," said the lycan.

I smiled.

Maybe everything could still be alright.

"And that's what Demetrius wrote!"

Lia showed me the book collection in the palace library. It really was a magical place with bookshelves reaching up to the high ceilings that could only be reached by ladders.

"He told me that when peace finally returned, he would take me on as an apprentice."

"That sounds great. Theo would certainly like to get to know him, too," I answered, walking alongside her through the aisles.

She pushed some of the books back into place on the shelves.

"Yes, I think so, too. He should come up north with me. There is so much to see! Just the forest and the mountains, and the endless sea and the northern lights... and not to forget the pack. And the nomads too, of course... I'm still waiting for a message that they've found Sonni..."

We arrived in front of the library's corner sofa and flopped into the cushions in front of the huge fireplace. Already lying on the huge carpet, Kerberos stretched out on all fours and three heads. Our chatter didn't disturb his nap one bit.

"Who is Sonni?" I asked.

Lia pushed her blond strands out of her face and stared into the flames.

"A Slayer... I know, I know... But she's good . I know it. She had to watch as her father was killed. And then she fled far north, actually straight into the arms of the nomads. But apparently she's quicker than I thought. I have a bet with Ilja that they won't find Sonni before next year."

"But that will start in a few days," I replied and Lia smiled.

"That's why I'm so sure I'm going to win," she said, grinning. She eyed me, the grin fading by the second. "But what's the matter with you ? You're so quiet. I'm not used to it. .."

"I do not know. Somehow I can't keep up. Everything just happens too fast for me... With the packs, with Zelos and with everything. Everything just keeps spinning and I don't know what to do," I replied, the flood of words mixed with fresh tears. "I'm just glad that at least we're seeing each other again... Everything is just uncertain... "

"Please don't cry," Lia said, putting on her puppy dog look. She spread her arms and the inviting gesture put an end to the tears. "If you cry, I have to cry too."

Usually she was the one of us to get emotional, but today was different, here in the white palace, countless miles from home and in the dead of winter.

I sniffled and tried to catch the feelings again. My nose must be bright red. Lia smiled tentatively.

"But you and Zelos are so cute together. I don't know if you've noticed, but he's always looking at you, even when you're not looking. This is so cute."

Her words lifted the corners of my own mouth into a sad smile.

"I love him too, it's not that. Only... you also want to go back north, to your new home, where you belong, together with Eros," I answered. "But Zelos and I... we don't belong here. The white palace is beautiful, but I don't want to live here. And he was imprisoned in Berg Schatten for decades, hardly a place where he can be happy. Where are we supposed to go?"

"Why don't you talk to him about it," Lia answered. "I think you'll find a solution together."

I laughed and wiped away the last remnants of snot and tears.

"You really surprise me, Lia. The North has grown you up in the right measure."

"Did you just call me old?" she asked, lifting her chin. "Although I've heard that the northern air and little sun slow aging."

I smiled.

"I guess we'll see about that in a few years," I replied, and her uproarious laughter echoed through the library.

"Well, I'm curious to see what kind of plan our companions are concocting at the moment. It can't mean anything good that they're taking so long," Lia said, looking over her shoulder at the door.

It was closed, but I knew Roan and Davin were on guard outside.

I sighed.

"Whenever Zelos plans something, I get half a heart attack."

"For real? That bad?" Lia asked.

"Yeah, worse than you. He risked his life more than once..."

"Right, what was it in the legends? The lycan isn't immune to silver and vervain," she said, clicking her tongue.

I nodded.

Lia frowned.

"Do you think there will be another riot? Almost exactly ten years have passed since the turnaround. Usually there was always a big festival here in the palace. I'm curious to see how the wolves will react if their ten-year anniversary now means the crowning of a new alpha," she said. "And the formation of a council and the incorporation of all humans into the laws of the pack?"

"We'd be naïve if we didn't prepare for it," I replied. "According to the lunar calendar, this evening falls exactly on a full moon."

"As if the moon goddess herself had wanted it that way..."

The door swung open.

We jerked around only to see Eros and Zelos side by side, black and white hair, blue and red eyes, pale as marble and golden as desert sand. They couldn't be more different and yet they approached us as one.

Lia sat down on the sofa.

"Why do you look so serious?" she asked.

"We have a plan," Eros replied.

"On the day of the full moon, Astor will not only become the new alpha", Zelos said, not letting go of his gaze, "but he will also execute Talon and thus herald a new age."

"Excuse me?" I asked, while Lia had to regain her composure.

"You heard me right," said Zelos. "Astor will execute his uncle and that will be the end of an era."

His ruby eyes remained hard, leaving no room for discussion.

"But... why?" I asked.

"The pack must accept him as his successor. Talon's guilt needs to be clear. That he is responsible for the war, the dead," Eros replied. "Alpha Udyr's name must be cleared so that his son can succeed him."

"Hold on, hold on, hold on," Lia said with her hands up. "Do I understand that correctly: on the day of last year, which by the way is the full moon, you want to execute Talon, make Astor the alpha and then celebrate? Isn't that a bit a lot of?"

I nodded in agreement, but she wasn't done yet.

"That's in a few days! Who is going to prepare that?"

I slapped my hand against my forehead. If that was your biggest concern...

"Won't there be a riot?" I asked.

"Not as long as I hold back," Zelos replied with a serious expression. "The only thing the wolves are afraid of is being ruled by me."

A cold laugh escaped his lips that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Anyway," said Eros, "in a few days the palace will be packed with all sorts of guests. All the alphas will want to be there when a council is formed. This may be our only chance for long-term peace.. ."

The northern alpha's blue eyes were stormy, like Zelos's. Lia clapped her hands together, startling even Kerberos from his sleep.

"Is Johnson coming over too? He still has a promise to fulfill," she said, eyes full of joy. "He can't stay away forever..."

Erous nodded.

"He and Demetrius are already on their way. And also some of the nomads will arrive. Pollux is holding the fort at home," he said.

Lia squeaked excitedly.

Kerberos glared at her as he stretched his three heads and yawned. I stroked him to calm him down from this rude awakening.

"Oh my god!" she cried, grabbing my arm. "Come on! We have so much to do!"

She pulled me off the sofa and I just stumbled after her. I cast a quick glance over my shoulder at Zelos.

"See you later!" I called before the door opened and Lia pulled me out into the corridor. "Now wait a minute, where are we going?"

Luckily for me, Kerberos joined us and tramped alongside us at a leisurely pace.

“Well explore the palace! I haven't had time for that yet and there was always someone paying attention ," she said, slowing down. "Eros gets really paranoid sometimes..."

"He's just worried about you. Legitimately," I replied.

"Oh papperlapapp. I killed the primeval wolf. I don't need a minder."

Kerberos grumbled and she looked at the giant dog.

"Fine, you're fine," she said.

We continued through the labyrinth of corridors. We followed the pictures on the walls and down the stairs.

Everything here had been built by human hands. Every statue, every flourish on the railings, the crimson carpet, the chandeliers overhead...

"Look there," Lia said, pointing to a dark staircase. But some guards were talking in front of the entrance. One of them looked familiar. "Ilya!"

At his name, the red-haired nomad spun around to face us. A smile broke out from under his beard when he saw us and Kerberos. He spread his arms.

"My little queen, I think you're going to lose the bet. My men will arrive today," he said.

"We will see. Have you heard about the plans?" she asked.

Ilya narrowed his eyes.

"Of what plans?"

"Well, you should ask Eros and Zelos. They're upstairs in the library. But there will probably be a big spectacle here," she said.

Ilya stroked his rust-red beard.

"All right. But don't do anything stupid while I'm gone," he said, looking at Kerberos. "You'll take care of those two, won't you?"

The giant dog barked like a soldier taking an order. i grinned The nomad disappeared with a wave. We were left alone with the warriors before the mysterious passage down. But that hardly intimidated Lia.

"Where do these stairs lead to?" she asked.

The wolves looked at each other before one of them answered.

"Into the dungeon."

I shook myself. In every pack I've had nothing but bad experiences with prisons...Most of the time, anyway.

"We'd like to take a closer look," Lia said, chin up. I tugged on her sleeve.

"Let's go," I replied and she studied my expression.

"Oh come on Lizzy. After all this time? Are not you curious. Don't you want to see Talon one more time before he's executed?"

"Actually, I want to avoid that at all costs," I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

"He tried to kill you."

And that wasn't even the worst thing he'd done. He had blackmailed Delta Ivan with his family to get Zelos. A dark curiosity gnawed at my heart, a curiosity I had so often resisted.

"Come on, just for a moment," Lia said. "We must know our enemy and we can leave at any time."

Was Delta Ivan's family okay?

Had Talon had her killed?

I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Fine..."

Lia buried her fingers in my arm, trying to hide her excitement. She turned back to the guards.

"We want to see the prisoner."

"Alpha Eros knows you are here."

"Eros is my mate. I am the Luna of the North and I want to enter this dungeon. Or should I get him first?"

Without a word, the guards stepped aside, giving way to the flickering darkness of Silverblood's dungeon.

I took the first step.

"If this keeps up, I've seen every single prison in every pack," I murmured and Lia laughed.

Her footsteps echoed behind me.

"Probably not many people can say that," she said. The torches on the walls did little to counteract the chill of the descent.

We followed the gray stone walls all the way down. The musty smell made it difficult to breathe. In the distance, a few drops of water splattered against the stone like a clock in slow motion.

Lia and Kerberos came to a halt beside me. Silver cells surrounded us. But my gaze was already at the end of the corridor on the figure hanging in chains on the wall. His head pointed towards the stone floor and the blond hair hid his normally proud eyes.

I took a step closer.

The head came up and the bright green eyes flashed at me, causing my heart to skip a beat.

"Ah, the lycan's mate..."

His voice sounded rough as sandpaper like he hadn't had a drink in ages. Lia gripped my arm tighter. Together we stopped in front of the ex-Beta's cell.

"You lost, Talon," I said firmly.

The prisoner croaked with laughter, making the chains around his wrists tremble. The constant hissing of the silver mixed the stench of burned skin into the air.

"You think you won?" he asked, madness dancing in his eyes. "If I go down, I'll take the whole world with me."

The words hissed from the walls.

"You can't scare me anymore," I said. "Astor will bring justice."

For a moment his eye twitched with hatred and his nostrils flared.

"Rejoice, feel safe. The humans will burn," he said, and a grin bared his fangs. "And your mate will die. Remember my words. Zelos will die..."

My breath caught in my throat. The open threat made my heart race.

"You can't scare her, you brute," Lia said. "The pack will know what you did and punish you for it."

Talon broke back into his mad laugh, which sounded like fingernails scratching glass.

"Did you hear that, Solana. Those two girls want to tell me about punishment," he said, looking into the cell next to him. "Sounds a bit like you... When you had fighting spirit."

Nothing stirred in the cell next door.

I narrowed my eyes.

The torchlight outlined a figure crouched, knees drawn up, against the wall in the corner. Black hair hid her face and in the dark clothes she almost merged with the stone around her. The arms were as thin and pale as a living skeleton.

She slowly raised her head.

The shadows around her cheeks were deep. Her eyelids were half closed. Even Beta Talon's laughter, echoing off the walls, didn't move her face. She stared at me.

Solana .

A human.

A girl.

"Shut up!" I yelled, but the hiss of the silver chains was matched by the captive's glee.

"Remember my words," he croaked. "Zelos will die and the world will be thrown back into chaos."

***

The light of the torches shone in his eyes.

Goosebumps crawled over my skin and into my stomach. Despite the bars and chains, Talon seemed relaxed against the stone wall, undisturbed by the cold.

"Good Solana will soon be celebrating an anniversary as well, namely her tenth year here in this dungeon... Aren't you happy?" the Beta sneered, but the girl in the cell didn't move a muscle.

Talon laughed.

"Your... your father left you behind. He murdered my sister like an animal and then snuck back to his own family. The coward fled and gave his own daughter into the hands of the wolves. Somehow he forgot you here. Right, Lana ?"

For a moment something twitched through the girl's eyes, a sign of life.

Solana.

Lana.

Her pet name trailed off in the darkness of the dungeon, replaced by croaks of laughter. I took three steps forward and clutched the bars, making the Beta stop laughing as he stared at my hands, wrapped unharmed around the silver.

"Shut up!" I growled. "You can't hurt anyone anymore, we'll-"

A rumble that echoed along the dungeon walls interrupted my anger. Lia grabbed my arm.

"I guess that's our signal," she said. "We should get out of there. Come on."

She pulled me away from the cells, away from Talon and Solana, the hunter girl.

"I thought Eros knew about this," I said.

"I never said that," she replied, pointing to a stone pillar that supported the palace above us on its shoulders. "There."

Voices grew and echoed around us as we pressed against the cool stone.

"I told her not to do anything stupid..."

That had to be Ilya.

Actually, we could also stand in the middle of the dungeon corridor, because the noses of the wolves had already picked up our scent. Footsteps pounded the ground and drew nearer.

"Ephilia, you don't have to hide. I may have won the bet, but that's nothing to be ashamed of," said Ilya and Lia's eyebrows shot up. Nevertheless, she remained rooted to the pillar and torch.

I sighed.

As if in slow motion, I pushed my head around only to see countless nomads.

"Let go of me!"

The woman's voice echoed through the prison. Raven hair glistened in the firelight as two nomads held her arms. But that only fueled her fighting spirit further and she squirmed like a fish on land.

That had to be Sunny.

"This little Slayer has slipped through the hands of my men a number of times, but we've got her now."

Ilya laughed into his beard.

"If anything happens to my crossbow, I swear...!"

The sound of her voice was lost in the dark dungeon. Something pulled through the brown eyes. Your movements died. As if in a trance, she stared at the cells at the end of the corridor.

"Lana?"

Something stirred in the cell as the name echoed on the stone walls. Disbelief shimmered in the captive's brown eyes.

"Sonni?" she asked, her voice breaking into a thousand pieces. She coughed her lungs out. Sonni stared open-mouthed at the cell. Her world seemed to collapse as she took a step closer.

"Is it really you?" she whispered. The facial features were reflected in the identical visage. Only the color was more vivid on Sonni's cheeks.

Lana's cracked lips lifted in a smile while fresh tears lit her eyes. Same eyes as Sonnis. The Slayer charged toward the cell. Solana half-pulled herself to her feet, and through the bars the sisters embraced.

The nomads had to suppress the twitching while the people touched the silver without pain.

"Where else should I be?" Lana whispered with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Dad said you were dead," Sonni replied. "It all happened so quickly..."

A sob shook her body.

"He's... They're all dead!"

Lia carefully came to a halt next to me and watched the reunion with pain.

"I'm still here," Lana said before a coughing fit ran through her body. "I'm still here, and I won't give up..."

"What should we do?" I asked.

"We'll get her out of there and we need a doctor," Lia replied firmly as we watched the sisters reunite.

Ilya stroked his beard.

"I'll discuss this with Eros. You won't be able to just walk around here in the palace. Someone has to guard her."

" We are going to talk to Eros," she replied. "Meanwhile, they'll need food and a warm blanket until we get back. It's cold down here. And don't let her slip through your fingers again. Our bet." valid until the turn of the year."

Lia grabbed my arm and we took one last look at the hunter sisters before beginning the climb back into the palace. At the top, in addition to a cozy warmth, two guards awaited us.

"Eros and Zelos are definitely still in the library," I said when Lia looked around. She nodded and together we made our way to the entrance hall. The red carpet under our feet gave a little with every step, quite the opposite To the stone in the dungeon Up here everything was filled with the warm glow of the chandeliers.

Servants hurried through the corridors. They had probably heard about the upcoming festival, which they had to prepare within a few days. We ignored the open doors of the entrance hall through which the whistling winter wind came.

We tackled the steps

"So that's how we're greeted, yes?"

Terrified, Lia let go of my hand. We spun around and stared at the commotion at the entrance. An old man stepped forward, barely taller than a dwarf. His hair was as white as the snow that still lay on his coat and the lined cheeks were twisted into a sullen grin.

"Demetrius!"

Lia flew back down the steps and hugged the old man. I followed her down and with every second that her hug lasted, Demetrius grew more impatient. He patted her back.

"Yes / Yes. Never thought I'd see the capital again..." he murmured into his beard. "Hey Johnson, did I promise too much?"

A large wolf with sandy hair came to a halt beside the two. Lia's attention swung to him and a big smile blossomed on her face.

"How nice of you to be here too," she said, nodding to him. But his attention wasn't on her, it was on the corridor we'd just come from.

"What's that smell?" he asked, sniffing the air. Lia slapped his upper arm.

"Is that how you greet your Luna, Mr. Beta? Lunch isn't served yet," she said, but Johnson only glanced at her before simply following the trail, which neither Lia nor I could pick up.

"Can you believe that?" she asked, looking at Demetrius.

He just shrugged.

"I stopped asking myself that a long time ago. Actually since you've been up north," he replied thoughtfully.

"Be careful what you say to your future apprentice..."

My gaze lingered on Beta Johnson. I left the brawlers behind. Instead, I followed the wolf from the north back into the passage we had just come from.

What smell was he chasing?

All of the servants made a path for the Beta of the Iceclaw Pack and bowed. I kept my safe distance in case he wanted to stop and snap at me. But he paid no attention to anyone, his attention was only on the trail he was chasing.

Then he stopped.

Ilja and the other nomads came towards us.

"Let go, you monsters!"

Sonni's voice echoed down the corridor. Her raven hair stuck out in all directions as she cursed the entire palace.

Beside her, Solana silently let the werewolves carry her, disinterested as if she'd seen it a thousand times before.

Her sister, on the other hand, still had a fighting spirit. Sonni rowed her whole body against the two nomads who held her in an icy grip.

"Well just wait till I get my armb-!"

The words choked.

Her eyes landed on Johnson.

For a moment they became crystal clear and their lips parted a little, but not with curses but with speechlessness.

The tension crackled between them.

Johnson clenched his fists and the moment passed as quickly as it came.

" No ..."