Lyra turned away before she could hear more. Her chest tightened, not just from his words—but from what the mark had stolen from her. Something in her soul felt emptied, like a wound she had sewn shut herself, only to feel the stitches tearing open again.
She didn’t follow them after that. She went home in silence.
By dawn, Kael had already brought Elowen back to Luminara territory.
That same night, the wind carried an unfamiliar scent—blood, ash, and ancient moon magic. Deep in the cursed woods beyond Solari’s borders, Kael had gone alone. His goal: the Scarlet Dawn Crystal, a relic sealed centuries ago. Elowen desired it. And Kael obeyed.
It was one of the things she had foolishly mentioned during the exhibit—how she would only bind herself to a man who could retrieve it.
Cyrus had tried to reason with him again. “That stone belongs to Luminara, Kael. It was locked away by the elders for a reason. You’re risking everything just to feed some she-wolf’s vanity.”
“I’ll bring it back,” Kael replied, eyes glowing with restrained resolve. “Even if I bleed for it.”