Chapter 6 - Shadows in the Council
Three days had passed since the trial at the amphitheater, yet the political earthquake it triggered was only beginning to shake the neighboring territories.
Inside the war room, large parchment maps of the continent were laid across the oak table. Small wooden markers indicated pack boundaries, trade routes, and military outposts. Kieran stood at the head of the table, studying a report marked with the seal of the Eastern Blood Pack.
"Rothschild is waking up in the dungeons," Kieran said without looking up. "He’s refusing to speak, but we intercepted a raven sent from his quarters last night. It was addressed to the Shadow Syndicate."
Ara, standing near the window wrapped in a dark velvet cloak, turned her head. "The Shadow Syndicate? I heard Priestess Mara mention them once. They were the ones who orchestrated the Great Purge twenty-three years ago."
"Exactly," Kieran replied, his jaw tightening. "They aren't just a rogue faction; they are an underground network of corrupted Alpha bloodlines dedicated to wiping out true royal lineages so they can control the Council of Elders from the shadows. Rothschild wasn't acting alone. He has conspirators in at least three neighboring packs."
The heavy oak doors creaked open, and Priestess Mara stepped into the room, leaning heavily on her gnarled wooden staff. Her expression was grave.
"You don't have to look for them, Alpha," Mara said softly, stepping up to the map. She pointed her staff at a dark, forested valley marked near the northern border. "They are already coming. When the throne ignited, it sent a magical beacon across the continent. Every surviving loyalist—and every enemy of your mother—knows exactly where Princess Ara is."
Ara felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach. "How much time do we have?"
"Not enough," Mara answered bluntly. "The eastern mountain pass has already been breached. Vanguard troops bearing the sigil of the Syndicate have crossed into Silver Crest territory. They are coming for the bloodline."
Kieran slammed his hand onto the table, rattling the wooden markers. "Vance! Gather the elite guard and secure the outer perimeter. No one enters or leaves this fortress alive."
May you like
Before Kieran could finish his order, a deafening explosion shook the ground beneath them. Plaster rained down from the ceiling as a plume of thick, black smoke billowed up from the lower courtyard.
The war had begun.
