Chapter 5 - The Dungeon's Secrets
They threw me into a damp, windowless cell beneath the southern fortress of Alpha Corvin.
The cold stone bit into my skin, but inside me, a fire was raging. The seal had been broken, and for the first time in my life, I could feel the invisible threads of energy flowing through the earth, the stone, and the air.
The heavy iron door creaked open, and Alpha Corvin walked in. He looked just as arrogant as I remembered—broad-shouldered, wearing furs, a cruel sneer fixed on his face.
"Look at you," Corvin laughed, walking over and grabbing my chin forcefully. "Dressed in velvet, but still just a rat from my village. Did you really think you could play Queen?"
I glared at him, refusing to show fear. "You lied to me. You lied to the whole clan."
"Of course I did!" Corvin laughed, releasing my face with a shove. "Your mother was a high priestess of the Sun-Moon order. When she died, she bound her power into you and locked it with that red cord. I kept you around as an insurance policy, waiting for the blood moon. But I miscalculated—I thought selling you to old King Walter would keep him distracted while I gathered my armies."
"He will kill you," I said coldly. "He knows what I am now."
"Walter is an old, broken man!" Corvin snapped, his eyes flashing with rage. "He lost his spirit when his first wife died. He is weak! Tonight, under the full moon, I will drain your blood and take the Eclipse mark for myself. By sunrise, I will march on his capital and sit on his throne!"
Corvin turned and slammed the cell door shut, leaving me in pitch darkness.
I sat on the cold floor, closing my eyes. I didn't cry. I didn't pray for help.
Instead, I focused on the glowing warmth in my chest. I visualized the golden threads of light wrapping around my heart, stretching outward, searching for the one person whose soul had touched mine.
Walter, I called out in my mind, pushing my energy through the bond that had formed between us on our wedding night. I am here. In the southern keep.
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Miles away, through the dark wilderness, I felt a sudden, powerful surge of energy respond to my call.
Hold on, my Queen, Walter's voice echoed in my head, dark, fierce, and relentless. I am coming.
