Page 213 of Moonlit Fate

“Seren and Eldan will be returning shortly,” he announced, bowing low, his formal demeanor adding an air of importanceto his words. His face held a spark of something I couldn’t quite place—hope, perhaps, or excitement.

“Did they find anything?” I asked.

“That, I cannot say for certain,” he replied, adjusting the cuffs of his ethereal attire. “However, their approach is hastened, which suggests some importance in their discovery.”

“Thank you.” I pushed off the bed, sending scrolls tumbling to the floor. “I suppose I better tidy some of this up before they arrive.”

“No need, Miss Aria.” Lorian nodded, a smile ghosting across his lips. “I shall see to it that everything is tidied and ready.”

“Thank you, Lorian.” I moved past him, the sea of paper parting under my determined steps. It was time to face whatever news awaited, with the hope that it might finally turn the tide in our favor.

The door burst open, and Seren and Eldan rushed inside. Their breath came in short, ragged gasps, their eyes wide with the kind of news that had the ability to save or shatter worlds.

“Listen,” Seren said, hands on her knees as she caught her breath. “We’ve found something.”

I sat up straighter. “What is it?”

“Remember when you felt Atticus’s pain?” Seren asked.

“Yes,” I answered, recalling the sharp, unexpected agony. It wasn’t something I would forget anytime soon. “We’ve always felt each other’s emotions but never physical pain.”

“That connection. It’s deeper than we thought.” Seren paced, her scholar’s mind piecing the puzzle together right before us. “From what I’ve just read, you can do more than feel each other. The tie allows you to share power, amplify it.”

“Share power?” I echoed, skeptical but desperate for any sliver of hope.

“More than that,” she insisted. “Once you’re mated, there’s an untapped well of power unique to you two. The prophecy,the ritual… It would make you the most powerful beings in our realm—even more powerful than Caius.”

I blinked at her. If she was right, this could change everything.

“Explain it to me again,” I demanded with both skepticism and a hunger for the possibility Seren dangled before us. “How does this well of power work?”

Seren leaned forward, her eyes alight with fervor. “It’s like two rivers joining to form an ocean, Aria. Your link with Atticus isn’t just a trickle of shared sentiment. It’s a floodgate. Once you complete the mating ceremony, that gate opens.”

“An ocean...” I murmured, trying to envision the magnitude of such power.

“Exactly,” she said. “In that ocean lies a wellspring of magic, pure and untapped. You’ll be able to draw from it, amplify your own abilities beyond anything we’ve seen.”

The edges of hope nibbled at my doubt. “You’re sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” Seren said with unwavering certainty.

Lorian, who had been standing silent until now, cleared his throat gently, drawing our attention. “If I may,” he interjected. “I have performed the mating ceremony before in Miss Thea’s stead when she wasn’t available. It would be an honor to do so again for you.”

I looked at him, noting the earnestness in his expression. His offer was more than just assistance; it was a lifeline extended with a hand that remembered the touch of love and ritual.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling the shift within me from despair to something that felt like resolve. “We may very well take you up on that.” I turned to Eldan. “Find Ilaric. Tell him to bring Atticus’s chosen family. We’re raiding Crimson Fang tonight.”

Eldan nodded, his face set in grim determination. He didn’t waste a moment, turning on his heel.

“Graveyard,” I added, my voice echoing slightly in the vast chamber. “Tell them to meet us there. It’s time we end this.”

With no more words left to say, I moved back to the bed, the old frame creaking. The room felt hollow. I closed my eyes, focusing inward on the pulsating tie that connected Atticus and me. The deep, unseen thread united us beyond mere emotions.

I probed the bond gently, seeking entry into that shared space where his magic lay intertwined with mine. I tugged softly at the essence of his power. Then, almost imperceptibly, something within the link yielded to my touch.

There was a chill around my feet, and when I opened my eyes, shadows had begun to coalesce around my feet, slithering across the floorboards like spilled ink. Something I associated with Atticus, and here they were. I directed them to move. This would all be for naught if they didn’t comply.

Nothing.

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