Chapitre 30

I didn't want us to break up like this... Goodbye, Elizabeth ...

I cried my heart out.

My knees pressed into the carpet. Zelos was gone, leaving me with the cold of the room and a blood red sun rising over the icy city. It chased away the protective night and made the roofs sparkle like broken glass.

Somewhere down there was Tommy.

Hidden in one of the houses, guarded by a crazed she-wolf and missed by no one but me. Everyone else thought Davin had taken him on an adventure . The guard probably hadn't expected anything like that. Was Davin still alive?

I've known him for as long as...

I didn't want us to break up like this... Goodbye, Elizabeth ...

Zelo's voice and the stony look burned into my heart with every minute. He was connected to me in a way that hurt.

I hurt him with my words. Then how was I supposed to hurt him with a dagger? My stomach turned dizzy at the thought of his blood on my hands and clothes. His eyes closing...

Dead.

I shuddered at the shiver that ran down my spine.

What should I do?

The silver knife was hidden under Tommy's bed. If anyone found it-

A whimper snapped me out of my desperation. Kerberos padded toward me, heads bowed and ears flattened. Still, he towered over me by quite a bit. He nudged me and licked my hand with his snout. The other sniffed at me.

I buried my head in his jet black fur as if I could hide from reality here. Kerberos was warm and soft and gave me a small moment of calm. I take a deep breath.

I couldn't stay here and do nothing.

If I didn't do anything, Tommy would die.

In a few hours was the execution of the devil himself. He had goaded Leo and Mayra. He held the last threads to be cut today.

Talon.

He wanted me to do to Zelos what Delta Ivan wanted to do to me. Only a lot worse. We were companions. Talon wanted to see my reaction, no, first of all he didn't want to die. He wanted to stay here at all costs, clinging to life, even if it meant the demise of his own pack.

I lifted my head from Kerberos.

He wanted to see the fragile peace fail, shatter against his palace. And I was just one pawn among many, one he could control. He wanted me to put on a spectacle at his execution that would allow him to survive the day.

That the Lycan was no longer a threat to him.

He would not enter into negotiations. He had nothing left to lose and the only faith he had was to put back into himself.

He was the monster, not Zelos.

The giant dog looked at me with three pairs of eyes.

"Thank you," I whispered, wiping my tears away.

I was awake like I hadn't been in ages.

If only I had a mental connection like the wolves. Then I could tell Zelos exactly what was going on. He always knew what to do. He would never panic like that and make stupid decisions like that. Everything was well thought out and planned for him.

Only I wasn't planned.

Only I was his weakness.

Only I could betray him.

Only I could kill him.

I narrowed my eyes as if that would block out the horrific images forming in my head. I'd rather endure hundreds of days of icy stare than just one surprise of betrayal.

And then?

Everything would crumble under the murder.

I would be a murderess .

I put my hands over my mouth to hold back the sobs.

A murderess .

A murderess of her mate.

"Elizabeth?"

The dull voice floated under the door.

Was it time?

Panic bubbled up inside me and sent my heart racing to new heights.

I wiped my face with my sleeve in an attempt to look presentable. Dana waited patiently as I got up and crept towards the door with Kerberos faithful at my side.

I pushed them open a crack and the tension fell from the werewolf's face.

"How do you look?" she asked. "What happened?"

She looked beautiful, with curled lashes and big eyes. Her glossy brown hair had regained a bit of length and she wore an animal skin on her shoulders, noble enough for the queen she would become today.

She was ready, unlike me.

In her hands she held two boxes that hid the rest of the robe.

"Sorry," I said, stroking under my eyes again, which must be bright red. "Come in."

As soon as the door closed behind us, Dana dropped the boxes on the bed and looked at me.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" she asked, walking towards me.

Because either my little brother or my companion is about to die.

I squinted to rebuild the dam the tears had broken.

I didn't want us to break up like this... Goodbye ...

"Elizabeth," Dana said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and blinked away the blurry glow. She frowned and sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

"Not that important," I croaked in a tearful voice. I took a deep breath. "Zelos and I had a fight."

Dana only looked half convinced.

"What's in the box?" I asked to distract her.

"Oh, I brought you a dress. You and Zelos will sit at the side of the new council. You can see everything from there," she said, lifting the lid.

Pearly white fabric shone out at me. Dana picked it out. The light skirt fell towards the floor and a V-neckline gathered to a tight waist. The thin fabric ruffled slightly on the sleeves, but was thin again on the wrists.

The perfect place to hide a dagger.

Goosebumps gripped my shoulders.

"It's beautiful," I whispered.

"Come on then, we don't have that much time anymore," Dana said and steered me into the bathroom. "Zelos will come to his senses. I only saw him storming out of the palace after the meeting with the alphas. He must have his wolf to react a little before the execution..."

"He's not here in the castle?" I asked, freezing.

My reflection looked like a red-haired corpse.

I was pale as the snow except for my eyes.

"No, but he'll be back in time... I think so anyway. And we shouldn't be late either. Here we go."

Every moment was lost in the running time. Neither my heart nor the clock gave me a breather, both kept beating every second, nervous, anxious and unstoppable.

"Do you see? We did a good job," Dana said.

She was right. The dress fit perfectly. But reality stifled any semblance of joy.

"Moon to Elizabeth," Dana said, waving her hand in front of my face. "I'll see how far Ephilia is now. I'm afraid I need to light her up a bit more. You can go to the great hall. Roan will show you your place. Astor, Eros and the other Alphas are already waiting. Zelos should come then too."

"All right," I said, a little absently. "Thanks, Dana. For everything."

She tried a cautious smile.

"Do not agree. I'll see you downstairs."

She nodded to me before disappearing out the door, leaving Kerberos and me in silence. Outside the windows, the sky was overcast and the gray clouds blocked the sun's path. The gray cloak cast its shadow on the city below.

Like a mechanical watch, I took one step at a time. The giant dog accompanied me through the corridor, which was bustling with people. I followed the red carpet until I was in front of the room my brother had slept in that night.

The door creaked open and it lay deserted in front of me. Kerberos gave me a questioning look, but I put a finger to my lips.

"Shh..."

The dog lowered its heads, causing its yellow eyes to look up at me from below. I carefully lifted the airy skirt of the dress and got on my knees in front of the bed. I groped around on the carpet.

My stomach clenched at the cool metal beneath my fingers. I closed my eyes.

I'd like to ram it right into Talon's heart.

I shook my head.

Instead it was intended for Zelos.

I pulled out the blade.

I didn't want us to break up like this... Goodbye, Elizabeth ...

Zelo's voice mocked me in my thoughts.

Like saying goodbye to me...

I wasn't ready for one of my loved ones to die. Maybe I could get him in the shoulder and in the chaos it wouldn't be noticed...

"Lizzy?" someone asked behind my back.

Without thinking twice, I slipped the dagger under my left sleeve so I could pull it out with my right hand at any time. The metal burned into my skin, colder than ice. The handle clamped right on my wrist while the puffy fabric around my arms hid the rest.

Lia stood behind me.

Her dress was a muted pink and, like me, she had a few plaits in her loose hair.

"I'm coming," I murmured numbly.

With every movement, I felt the metal immobilizing my forearm like a splint. With Kerberos and Lia by my side, we made our way down the corridor toward the throne room.

The aisles were filled with guards, guests of honor and servants. Thanks to the giant dog, we got to the stairs without any problems.

"When this day is over I'm going to stuff myself so full of food with relief that Eros has to roll me," Lia said, grinning. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmm?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"You really should get more sleep," she replied, shaking her head. "Let's hope Astor cuts it short."

My heart fought back with a loud pounding. The slower this all went by, the more time I had to think about what to do.

Maybe if I whispered it to Zelos just beforehand?

We descended the stairs, at the end of which the gates of the palace stood open to the blizzard. The gray clouds barely let in the sun. Crowds of wolves and humans poured past the guards and into the palace.

Roan awaited us at the foot of the steps, towering over them all like a beacon. He indicated a bow before clearing our way through the crowd. Kerberos alone would have been enough, because everyone gave the giant dog a wide berth. He snorted contentedly.

"Why is it such a bad mood here?" Lia asked, probably meaning the tense mumbling that followed us through the corridors.

"Who knows what's going to happen today," I muttered, clenching my hands into fists, the blade digging into my skin.

More guards met us at the entrance to the throne room, which was lit by the chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. At the end, a semicircle of chairs and two thrones awaited us, with Astor and Dana standing next to them as if not daring to sit on them.

The window front behind them outlined the gray clouds, with a few rays of the sun piercing through. The landscape beyond was snow white and frozen in time.

Zelos was nowhere in sight.

Instead, Fenrir and Lilli, Lenkin and Lyza, and Alpha Eros, who was fixated on Lia. They all formed the new council. We strode through the rows, past Theo and Demetrius deep in conversation.

We climbed the stone stairs. As Lia walked toward her companion, Roan gestured to two places a little to the side of the Council.

"Have a seat," he said, and I walked past him with Kerberos and settled into one of the carved wooden chairs.

I could barely bend my left hand without the heated dagger almost cutting into my flesh. From here I had the perfect view of the entrance, the spectators and the council.

But where was Zelos?

Cold sweat formed on my hands.

How should I initiate him?

Kerberos gave me a pitying look and I ran my fingers through his fur to calm him down. He watched the room attentively in all directions. The guards didn't let any of the spectators get too far forward. Even the corridor that divided them was kept free of nomads.

As soon as Zelos showed up here, I would tell him the truth.

He knew what to do.

If we acted quickly, the traitors couldn't get as far as Mayra and Tommy...

Every minute that I sat here alone passed excruciatingly slowly. My gaze stayed on the entrance, hoping that the white hair would catch a glimpse in the chandelier light.

With each passing moment, my shoulders continued to freeze, making it difficult to stay relaxed. The room filled up to the walls at the back. Everyone stared intently ahead or talked.

But where was Zelos?

My mouth was so dry that even swallowing didn't work. I looked at Lia, who was sitting closest to me. Her blond locks were turned towards me as she spoke to Alpha Eros.

Suddenly it became quiet in the hall.

I rubbed my hands together, feeling the metal against my veins. I had to be careful. The puffy fabric might hide the blade well, but if I cut myself...

The spectators bowed their heads.

Astor stepped forward into the center of the circle of Alphas and Lunas. Next to me, Kerberos whimpered briefly as if he missed Zelos as much as I did. Our fight seemed ages ago, forgotten beneath the layers of fear and despair and sweat.

Dana stepped to her mate's side and they looked down at the crowd.

"Welcome! Welcome to everyone who has set out into the heart of our world, into the palace where it all began ten years ago. Today is not only the anniversary of the great change, no, the world is changing again! From all the packs the leaders have come together to herald a new age in the face of the full moon and the new year!"

Dana stepped forward.

"We welcome Luna Lilli and Alpha Fenrir to Mountainshade..."

The she-wolf's voice and the applause of the crowd blurred in the background. The doors to the hall were open, but the guards were the only ones left in the corridor. Maybe I could sneak out and look for Zelos.

Why wasn't he here?

What would happen to Tommy if I didn't comply with Leo's demands, when his supporters made it to them before I could alert anyone?

Thoughts swirled, rousing my heart further.

"And in a sign of peace, we welcome Alpha Eros and Luna Ephilia from Iceclaw for the first time, who have come all the way from the north!" Dana exclaimed, snapping me back to reality.

Astor eyed each and every wolf that roamed his halls.

"But before we look any further into the future, we have to admit what happened in this place," he said, and the room fell dead silent.

Astor nodded to the guards.

A murmur rumbled through the room and heads turned toward the entrance. I clutched the handle of my chair in search of ruby eyes.

In vain.

Ilya led the squad, which headed straight for the Council. All guards wore leather gloves. Chains rustled behind the nomad and the whispering grew at the sight of the prisoner.

Talon.

Matt's hair hung down towards the floor, even under the chandeliers. Arms and legs were tied. They tackled the steps so that he stopped right in front of his nephew. Because of his hunched posture, he was shorter.

He lifted his head and blinked at the few rays of sunshine that shone through the window.

"My son," Talon whispered, reaching out to touch Astor.

In a blurry movement he grabbed the chains. Even Dana flinched at the contact with silver.

"Don't call me that," Astor replied, contempt flickering in his eyes.

Suddenly Talon went to his knees.

His emerald eyes begged him from below. Astor rounded his uncle and turned back to the onlookers.

"The murder of a Luna is unforgivable in the eyes of the moon goddess. Many years ago the Hunters did exactly that and we punished them for it," Astor said. "So does killing an Alpha! Udyr wasn't just a leader, he was the founder of Silverblood, a role model, a connector and a father!"

Astor's voice thundered through the room, leaving the crowds speechless.

Unobtrusively, Talon lifted his head and turned it slightly to the side. The strands fell from his eyes and they dug into me, motionless. My heart continued to swell with each beat, suffocating my breath.

A silent threat.

He wanted me to stop the execution at all costs.

For Tommy.

"Udyr was murdered, along with peace and unity. The killer made himself Alpha and drove me out as a traitor. I am the true descendant of Alpha Udyr!" Astor cried. "And Talon must now stand trial before this world's court."

Maybe it was good that Zelos wasn't here. Nothing could happen to him like that.

Just Tommy...

"Are there any last words before you die?" Astor asked, sending an icy shiver down my spine.

No ...

I sat on the edge of the chair. In three steps I would be with them. My heart thundered louder.

Talon was still on his knees, but turned to face the crowd.

"Chaos," he said, "will always win."

He turned to me and smiled.

A disgusting, insane, desperate grin.

I jumped out of the chair, hand on the hilt of the dagger.