Chapter 16 #2
When it’s over, and the last shovel of dirt has been thrown, people approach to offer their condolences. Daciana accepts them gracefully, but I see the strain around her eyes.
“Your other brothers,” an older man says. “Have you heard anything?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing. None of the neighbors have seen them.”
“They might be…” Artisem trails off, clearly uncomfortable.
“Dead and buried elsewhere,” Daciana finishes flatly. “I know. It seems the most likely scenario.”
But I hear the hope in her voice, the desperate wish that Marcus and Stefan are still alive somewhere.
The next day, Daciana goes through her parents’ belongings. I stay close, helping her sort through clothes and books and small mementos. Each item seems to cut her a little deeper, but she persists with quiet determination.
In the bottom of her mother’s closet, beneath layers of folded blankets, she finds a box.
“What is it?” I ask.
She opens it, revealing a blanket—old, faded, but lovingly preserved. Beneath it is a small necklace, the metal tarnished with age.
“A baby blanket,” she murmurs, running her fingers over the worn fabric. “But it’s so old. And there’s no smell on it at all.”
I take it from her, bringing it to my nose. She’s right; there is no scent, which is strange for something this old. But when I reach out with my magic, I feel something.
“There is a trace of you,” I say. “Your magic. Very faint, but it’s there.”
“Mine?” She looks bewildered. “But I’ve never seen this before.”
I examine the necklace next. It’s a pendant, circular, with an intricate design etched into the metal. The style is familiar. I’ve seen similar pieces before.
“This looks like a sigil,” I tell her. “A house mark or family crest.”
“What family?”
“I don’t know. But someone went to great lengths to hide these.” I hand them back to her. “Keep them safe. They might be important.”
She tucks them into her pack, along with a few other items she has decided to take. A journal of her mother’s, one of her younger brother’s favorite toy soldiers, her father’s pocket watch.
“There’s nothing more for us here,” she says, looking around the empty house. “We should head back to the palace.”
I nod, though part of me wants to stay, to keep searching for answers. But I made her a promise, and I intend to keep it.
As we prepare to leave, I glance back at the house one last time. Somewhere out there is a killer. Possibly someone with magic like mine, possibly a witch. Someone powerful enough to erase memories and bury bodies and vanish without a trace.
We’ll find them. Eventually.
But not today. Today, I keep my promise to Daciana and let the dead rest.
The portal deposits us in the palace courtyard, and I see Astra rushing toward us before we’ve even fully stepped through. She reaches Daciana in seconds, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“I’m so sorry,” Astra whispers, her voice breaking. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Daciana clings to her, and I see her shoulders shake. Selene appears beside them, wrapping her arms around both women. The three of them stand there, holding each other tightly, and I feel my chest constrict.
Astra looks up at me over Daciana’s shoulder, her eyes questioning. “Can we keep her tonight? She needs us.”
Everything in me rebels against the idea.
My mate should be with me. I should be the one comforting her, holding her through the grief.
But when I look at Daciana’s face, pressed against Astra’s shoulder, I see how desperately she’s holding on to them both.
This is what Daciana needs right now. Not me, not my promises of revenge. She needs her friends.
“Of course,” I say.
Daciana doesn’t protest. Doesn’t even look at me. That stings more than I expect, but I push the feeling aside. This isn’t about me.
Lucian stands a few feet away with Seth, both of them watching their own mates comfort Daciana. The King catches my eye and nods toward the palace entrance. I understand the gesture immediately.
We have business to discuss.
I follow Lucian through the corridors, Leon and Seth falling into step behind me. The silence is heavy, weighted with everything we need to address. By the time we reach Lucian’s study, my jaw is tight with tension.
The room smells of old books and expensive brandy. Seth closes the door behind us while Lucian moves to the sideboard and pours drinks for all of us. I take mine but don’t sip it yet.
“Well?” Lucian asks, settling behind his massive desk.
“We may be looking for a hybrid shifter,” I say without preamble. “Or a witch.”
Leon straightens. “A witch? Working with necromancy?”
“It is possible.” I move to the window and stare out at the darkening sky. “The neighbors’ memories of that night were wiped clean. Only strong magic can accomplish that. Necromancers can’t do that kind of spell.”
“Neither can hybrid shifters,” Lucian says. “Not unless they’ve been raised by their witch parent. It’s a law the Umbra Council passed decades ago. Any hybrid child must have their magic sealed unless the witch parent actively chooses to raise them in magical practice.”
I turn to face him. “So, we’re looking for either a very rare hybrid or an actual witch?”
Lucian nods grimly. “It would seem so.”
“I’ll do some research into the hybrid shifters we know of,” Leon offers. “See if any match the profile.”
Lucian looks at him. “Did anyone report seeing strangers enter the pack territory?”
Leon shakes his head. “Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary.”
“They wouldn’t have,” I cut in before Leon can say more. “Whoever our enemy is knows how to mask themselves. They’re skilled, careful, and they don’t make mistakes.”
Lucian rakes one hand through his hair, and I notice how exhausted he looks. “We have another problem.”
Of course we do. “What now?”
“The Council has called a meeting tomorrow. Both you and Daciana have to be there.”
Fury floods through me, hot and immediate. “My mate is grieving. I’m not going to have her worry about politics right now.”
“Kieran—”
“No.” I set my glass down hard enough that the crystal rings. “She just buried most of her family. Both her parents, two of her brothers. She doesn’t need to deal with the Umbra Council right now.”
“You can’t avoid it.” Lucian’s voice is firm. “Unofficially, everyone knows you two have mated. But officially, it hasn’t been announced. The Council wants answers.”
“Then give them answers,” I snap. “Tell them it’s none of their business.”
Seth steps forward. “We’ll be there to back you up if something happens.”
I force myself to breathe, to think. “What’s the matter to be discussed?”
Lucian looks even more exhausted, if that’s possible. “Celeste is still maintaining that she was attacked by Daciana. She’s bringing forward a new witness every day.”
Cold fury settles in my gut. “Then I’ll take my mate and leave. If the King can’t even control his own subjects…”
“Kieran.” Lucian’s face flushes red, his own anger rising.
Leon is between us in an instant, his hands raised. “There’s no need to fight. Both of you, stop.”
“Lucian’s hands are tied, Kieran,” Seth says. “You don’t understand how necessary politics are here. He’s trying to help you.”
I know they’re right. I know Lucian is doing what he can. But the thought of Daciana having to face the Council tomorrow, having to defend herself while she’s still raw with grief, makes me want to burn the whole palace down.
“I apologize,” I say stiffly. “Daciana and I will be in the throne room tomorrow for the meeting.”
Lucian nods, the tension draining from his shoulders. “Thank you.”
Tonight, I can’t sleep.
I toss and turn in the empty bed, acutely aware of Daciana’s absence. The sheets smell like her, which only makes it worse. I’m used to her warmth beside me, her steady breathing, the way she curls into my side in the middle of the night.
I give up and climb out of bed. The baby blanket and pendant Daciana found are sitting on the dresser. I pick them up and bring them to the desk by the window.
The blanket is old, faded. But when I touch it with my magic, I feel that trace of Daciana again. It is so faint that I almost missed it the first time. Why would her mother hide a baby blanket with Daciana’s magic on it?
The pendant is even more interesting. I hold it up to the lamplight, studying the intricate design etched into the metal. It’s definitely a family’s mark. But whose?
I need answers.
“Artisem!” I call out loudly, knowing he’s probably asleep in his quarters down the hall.
It takes about five minutes before he appears in the doorway, hair disheveled and shirt hastily thrown on. He’s rubbing sleep from his eyes but looks alert enough.
“What is it?” he asks, stifling a yawn.
“This pendant.” I hold it out to him. “Find out which family this mark belongs to. I don’t care how long it takes or what you have to do. I need to know.”
He takes it without complaint, examining it briefly in the lamplight. “I’ll start first thing in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
He nods and leaves, and I’m alone with my thoughts again.
The sky is just beginning to lighten when I hear the door open.
I turn to look; Daciana stands in the doorway, her hair loose around her shoulders, her eyes tired but clear.
I’m on my feet instantly, moving toward her.
I cross the room in three strides and pull her into my arms, kissing her fiercely.
“Are you okay?” I cup her face in my hands, searching her features. “Did you sleep? Do you need anything? Are you—”
She cuts me off with a kiss, her hands gripping my shirt. When she pulls back, there’s a hint of a smile on her lips. “I’m happy to be back by your side.”
Relief floods through me. “I missed you.”
“I know.” She touches my face. “You look terrible. Have you gotten any rest at all?”
“Not really.” I pull her toward the bed. “I had a hard time sleeping without you here.”
We climb under the covers together, and she fits herself against my side like she belongs there. Because she does. She presses a kiss to my cheek and rests her head on my chest.
“We have a Council meeting to attend in a few hours,” I say into her hair.
She stiffens. “I heard.”
“I’m sorry. If I could spare you this—”
“I know.” Her fingers trace patterns on my chest. “It’s alright.”
We lie there in silence for a while. Dawn light creeps through the windows, painting the room in shades of gold and amber. I should tell her about Celeste, about the witnesses, about what we might face today. But I can’t bring myself to break this moment of peace.
“Everything will be okay, right, Kieran?” she murmurs, her voice soft and uncertain.
I tighten my arms around her. “Yes. I intend to make it so.” It’s a promise. One I’ll keep no matter what it costs me.
She relaxes against me, her breathing becoming more even. I think she might be falling asleep when she suddenly speaks again.
“What were you working on when I came in?”
“The pendant and blanket you found.” I brush my fingers through her hair. “I asked Artisem to start researching the sigil. It may lead us somewhere.”
“My mother hid those things for a reason.”
“Yes.” I press a kiss to the top of her head. “And we will find out what it is.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Kieran?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you. For yesterday. For not…” She trails off, but I know what she means.
For not dying in order to get her revenge. For keeping my promise.
“I told you,” I say. “You won’t lose me. I mean it.”
She turns her head to look up at me, her eyes shining in the early morning light. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her lips. “More than you know.”
She smiles, really smiles, and some of the grief lifts from her features. It will come back, I know. Grief doesn’t disappear overnight. But for now, in this moment, she’s here with me, and she’s smiling.
“Sleep,” I tell her. “We have a few hours yet.”
“Stay with me?”
“Always.”
She closes her eyes, her hand resting over my heart. I watch her face soften as sleep claims her, the rhythm of her breathing steady against my side.
The Council meeting looms ahead of us. Celeste and her lies, the witnesses she has gathered, the politics and posturing. I should be worried. Should be planning what to say, how to defend Daciana.
But right now, with my mate in my arms, I can’t bring myself to care about any of it.
Let them come. Let them try to take her from me. They’ll learn quickly that I’m not merely the alpha they think I am.
I’m far more dangerous.