CHAPTER 38
A CUP OF MOON NECTAR was set before Fia, a soft thud sounding as the ceramic mug touched the table.
Lenore took her seat soon after, now clean and comfortably dressed in her new clothes—a black square-neck gown with a blue ribbon under her chest. A nervous smile crossed her face when she looked up at Fia, watching her attentively as the old woman lifted her mug to her lips.
Lenore fiddled with the fabric of her dress as Fia took a sip.
“How is it?” Lenore asked.
“It’s moon nectar, wolfling. I’ll be liking this stuff till the day I die.” Fia leaned back in her armchair and rested her elbow on the armrest, a faint tremor running through her hand. “And you brought a good brew of it. Now stop staring at me like I’m one decision away from kicking you out.”
“Sorry. I’m a little nervous,” Lenore admitted.
“You’re sitting cozy in my home. Do you really need more validation?”
“A little bit.”
Fia couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll allow you to call me Grandma. That clear enough for you?”
Stunned as Lenore was, her eyes shone brightly. She quickly nodded. “It is,” she said. Warmth settled in her chest. Her eyes flitted to the side, and she added softly, “Grandma.”
“It’s no wonder you and Edmund haven’t made things official. You’re both so damn shy.” Fia shook her head, then took a long sip from her cup. Gwyneth and Cade snickered in the background. Lenore stayed silent, too flustered to answer.
Fia slammed down her mug, just as a coughing fit overtook her.
Gwyneth immediately stood up, but stopped in her tracks as Fia lifted a hand.
Her coughs were sharp and heavy, a guttural warning of their severity.
Lenore watched helplessly, unable to do anything but worry—a feeling shared by the others.
“Grandma—” Cade started. He was immediately silenced when Fia slammed a fist against the armrest. Her coughs had slowed until it was only the sound of her catching her breath. Lenore rose and quietly refilled her mug—this time with hot water from a kettle.
“Please drink,” she whispered. “It’ll at least soothe your throat.”
Fia grunted. Once steady, she took her mug and drank down the steaming liquid. She looked up, lips tight to hold control over the exhaustion wearing her down. “Now tell me what brought you here?”
Lenore hesitated. The fireplace did little to thaw her cold insides. She wished Pip’s warmth was still with her.
Hands held tight, she spoke. “Please believe me when I say all of this.” With a steadying breath, the words she had held back spilled out, sharing everything that had transpired since the moment she arrived.
“... And that’s everything up to this point.
With no plan, or any idea of what to do,” Lenore concluded.
“I wanted to reach out to you actually—to learn more about the Lucyn, since I know you have history with them. But it looks like the One Above already had that in mind when I was led here tonight.”
The fire crackled in the silence that followed, hissing and burning with an intensity that mirrored everyone’s expressions.
“So we’ve really been infiltrated by a Lucyn?” Cade broke the silence. In his palm he held the umbral heart’s vial, grimacing at its unnatural movement. His head pulled back slightly when it pulsed hard against the glass barrier. “And this thing has been covering their tracks?”
“Yes. It was also on the same werewolf that attacked me when I turned,” Lenore said. “One of the knights in Arkhaven questioned me about it.”
“Whoever attacked you back then definitely wasn’t one of ours.” Cade leaned over in his seat, rolling the vial back and forth in his hand. “So the bad news is, this likely isn’t just a problem our pack is dealing with. It’s probably widespread at this point.”
Gwyneth cracked her knuckles, as if already prepared for battle. “We can get rid of anyone here that’s turned into one. Maybe Edmund will get to witness the tail end of it, hah!”
“He made a scouting party to keep Arisa at bay, eh?” Fia chuckled quietly. “Not bad.”
Lenore nodded. “He really was quick on his feet,” she said softly. She smiled to herself, not realizing that the others exchanged smirking glances. Her thoughts lingered on the hope that he was safe, and that he would come home soon.
“The timing couldn’t be better,” Gwyneth said, her voice snapping Lenore back to the present. “They won’t know it’s coming.”
“Other than a couple Lenore mentioned, we don’t even know who else might be one.
” Cade frowned at his sister. “More importantly, a Lucyn can’t magically make someone else their fated mate.
They lost the ability to discern that.” He grew thoughtful as he contemplated aloud.
“It sounds like Arisa’s more than just a Lucyn.
She’s possibly using magic herself, which explains why she wanted all that mithrial blood. ”
Lenore looked at Fia. “Your condition... did it start after the Upper Moon Feast?”
A beat of silence followed before Fia muttered, “Damn it.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes squeezed shut.
“Beren said Auden got worse after he gave him a dose of umbral thistle. He thinks Arisa had already given him a small dose—that it’s what started the sickness before she brought Beren into it,” Lenore said, squeezing her thumb into her palm.
“He mentioned a part of Auden was still fighting back against her influence. I think sickness is a physical manifestation of that.”
“That explains why my head’s crawling with thoughts that aren’t mine.” Fia leaned her cheek on one hand. “ It pisses me off. I had my suspicions the moment I started feeling this way, but I didn’t wanna believe it. Not now.”
“What? What is it?” Gwyneth asked. She stood up, too restless to stay still. “About Arisa?”
“Nah. That the Lucyn were near.” Firelight crackled wildly in Fia’s blue irises.
“Some of them had the same aura that makes your bones turn cold with dread. As if you were fighting the darkness itself. It’s real stupid saying it out loud, but I can’t think of another way to explain it any better.
” She huffed under her breath. “I’ve been getting a few bouts of the same feeling. ”
“This is a problem that needs to be exterminated right now,” Gwyneth growled. “Killing a Lucyn will be a perfect test of strength.”
“Wolf, can you stop thinking with your fangs?” Cade rolled his eyes, then gestured at Fia.
His expression darkened. “Arisa managed to fool everyone that she’s our Caernith’s fated mate.
Look at Grandma, too. She already ate one of those jellies at the Upper Moon feast. It’s more than just killing them off—we need a cure before Grandma dies. ”
Fia scowled. “I’m still more than able to throw you and every other Lucyn across the room, brat.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that we’re basically screwed,” Cade said. “Even if the werewolves that ate the jelly at the feast don’t get sick, there’s still something in them already—something wrong.”
“Seriously, Cade? Why are you acting like this?” Gwyneth snapped. “Arisa doesn’t even need to give you anything—your mental is already in the dumps!”
“I said we’re screwed, not that I won’t fight!” Cade looked tempted to throw the vial at her.
“And for all of this to happen before the Lunar Ball,” Fia said. She sighed heavily. “Look, we can’t start fighting among ourselves.”
“I can’t believe Charie and Beren did nothing this whole time!” Gwyneth grabbed one of the couch pillows, squeezing it vehemently on its sides. “Once I see them, I will string them up as dragon bait!”
“No, don’t,” Lenore said, her voice soft but firm. Her eyebrows pulled upwards. “They weren’t in their right minds. Beren—you should’ve seen what was coming out of him when I threw a vial of grace in his jaws. And Charie, she was—”
“She’s the reason our grandma is like this! Both of them are—they let the pack fall to this state,” Gwyneth huffed, fangs flashing. “They don’t deserve to be forgiven. I can’t look past that.”
“Gwyneth…” Lenore got up slowly, despite Cade silently gesturing for her to stand down to avoid his sister’s ire.
She approached her gently. “That’s what made them sink deeper into their guilt.
They couldn’t forgive themselves either.
All they saw, I think, was a dark path ahead.
” Her eyes lowered. “That’s what isolated them. ”
Gwyneth’s glare stayed just as sharp, but she didn’t respond.
“Enough,” Fia growled. Her hand slashed the air, effectively turning their attention towards her.
“They’re the least of our problems now. There’s no point in trying to go after anyone—if Arisa’s influencing them, then we might end up fighting the entire Duskryn and other ranks. You might end up fighting me.”
As the others turned grave at Fia’s words, she continued.
“In all my years, I’ve never seen the Lucyn this organized—and with powers that can infiltrate our minds.
This is bigger than our pack.” She looked up at the skylight, staring out into the vast night sky.
“We have to warn every werewolf out there before the Lunar Ball—before Arisa comes back. A fighting chance for everyone.”
“What’re you saying, Grandma?” Cade’s brows creased. “How can we do that?”
The weight of her stare intensified. She sat taller, face set hard. In that moment, her former glory crowned her—a warrior ready to give her speech.
“The white raven,” she said. “That’s how we’ll do it.”