Chapter Twenty Five!
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Chapter Twenty Five
A scream ripped through the quiet of the Stormborn camp.
I didn’t think I ran.
My feet pounded the frost–hardened earth, barely registering the startled murmurs from wolves nearby. The tent that housed Ayla came into view, its flap thrown wide, light spilling into the darkened night.
Nia knelt by the furs, her hands trembling.
“Ayla!” I gasped, dropping to my knees beside them.
My daughter writhed, tiny fists clenched, her face contorted in pain. Her moonmark–normally a faint silver shimmer beneath her collarbone–was blazing. Pulsing. Glowing with an eerie, unnatural light.
“She woke up screaming,” Nia choked. “We couldn’t calm her. Marwen tried sedatives, charms, but nothing’s working–“>
Marwen appeared behind her, face pale, hands stained with herb–dust and desperation. “This isn’t illness. It’s magic. Dark, invasive. Something’s trying to claim her.“}
My blood turned to ice.
“No,” I whispered. “No one touches my child.“}
Keiran burst into the tent a moment later, sword strapped across his back, his gaze sweeping the scene with sharp efficiency before landing on Ayla. His expression shifted–pure rage barely restrained beneath a mask of control.
“Who did this?” he demanded.
“We don’t know yet,” I said, gathering Ayla into my arms. Her body was hot, unnaturally so, like fire flickering beneath her skin. “But we’re going to find out.”
Marwen moved to check Ayla’s pulse again, but I pulled her closer. “I need the Seer.“}
The camp’s ancient oracle, the last of the Hollowed Eyes, had kept to the far edge of Stormborn since the Trial. She didn’t speak often. But when she did, it was truth.
Keiran didn’t hesitate. “I’ll bring her.”>
Minutes later, the Seer entered the tent–her blind eyes milky, but her steps steady. She smelled of dust and nightshade. I held Ayla close as the Seer approached, falling to my knees before her.
“Please,” I whispered. “Tell me what this is.“}
The Seer crouched, placing one gnarled hand over Ayla’s moonmark. She said nothing for several heartbeats. Then, a whisper escaped her lips–so quiet I barely caught it.
“They have seen her,” she said. “They know what she is. And now… they reach.“>
My throat closed.}
“The cult,” Keiran growled. “The Veilborn.”
The Seer nodded once, slowly. “They seek the child’s light. They mean to take her mark–twist it into darkness. If they succeed… the prophecy dies with her.”
My chest constricted. I felt like I was drowning.
Ayla whimpered again, eyes fluttering. I cradled her closer, shielding her with my body as if I could block the dark magic with will alone.
“How do we stop it?” I asked, voice shaking.
“You can’t stop what’s already begun,” the Seer said. “But you can break it–if you find the anchor. The source.”
“Their stronghold,” Keiran muttered, pacing like a caged beast. “Wherever they’re performing this ritual from.”
The Seer’s eyes rolled back. She inhaled sharply, then spoke again, voice suddenly harsh and clipped, as though it didn’t belong to her.
“Beneath the mountain where blood runs in stone,
The Veil is thinnest, and dark seeds are sown.
Find the cradle carved by flame and ash-
Or the light will fall to shadow’s lash.”
Silence fell like a shroud.
I clutched Ayla tighter, her small frame too still now, save for the faint, flickering glow of the moonmark. She was losing this battle. I
could feel it.
“We find them,” I said. “We go tonight.”
Garrick entered then, limping but alert. “What’s happening?“!
Keiran answered for me. “The Veilborn are trying to steal Ayla’s mark. The Seer gave us a riddle–it points to their base.”
Garrick glanced between us, his gaze resting on Ayla with a flicker of pain. Then, he turned to me.
“You’ll need a guide,” he said. “Someone who knows the Veilborn paths.“”
Keiran stepped forward. “I’ll take her.”
“No,” Garrick started, but Keiran’s voice cut through.
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“I know their rituals. Their terrain. I’ve fought in the lava crags of Emberdeep, which is likely where that riddle points.” He looked at me then, softer. “I won’t let her face this alone.“N
My jaw clenched. I didn’t want to leave Ayla behind. But the Seer had spoken–the only way to save her was to strike at the source.
“She’ll be safe here?” I asked, glancing at Garrick and Marwen.N
“She won’t be alone for a second,” Garrick promised.N
I turned back to Keiran. “We move in an hour.“N
“I’ll ready our gear.“N
As he exited, I leaned over and pressed a kiss to Ayla’s brow, whispering against her fevered skin, “You hold on, baby. Just a little longer. Mama’s coming back.“N
Trose, straightened my spine, and turned toward the war tent. My people needed orders. Stormborn needed leadership. But right now- right now I was a mother with a sword and a reason to burn the world down.M
Let the blood moon rise.N
Because I would meet it with fire.
