Page 15 of Moonlit Desires

"The curse was never meant to destroy us," Lyra continues, knowledge flowing through her as if whispered by her mother's ghost. "It was meant to transform us. To force us into isolation, to break the balance between the Courts." The silver threads tighten around Lysander, immobilizing him. "But balance can be restored. Bridges rebuilt. Even between Moon and Storm."

Lysander's eyes widened. "You can't mean—"

"Peace," Lyra says simply. "An end to centuries of vendetta. That is my purpose. Not just to break the curse, but to heal what was broken."

The chamber door bursts open. Kael staggers in, bloodied but unbowed, supporting Thorne who has partially reverted to human form, his features caught between wolf and man. They take in the scene—Maya unconscious in Ashen's arms, Riven standing guard, Lysander bound in silver threads, and Lyra transformed by moonlight.

"It's happening," Kael breathes, something like wonder breaking through his warrior's stoicism. "The prophecy—she's fulfilling it already."

Lyra turns to him, the silver light softening as she extends her awareness to include her guardians. She can see the bonds between them now—threads of loyalty and protection that have sustained them through centuries of waiting. With a thought, she strengthens those bonds, weaving her own threads of gratitude and determination into the pattern.

"We need to go," she says. "The tide is rising, and Caelum will send reinforcements."

Kael nods. "The other servants are... incapacitated. The path remains clear for now."

Lyra turns back to Lysander, who watches her with a mixture of fear and fascination. "I'm taking Maya home. Tell your master that I'm coming for the Moon Court next. Not as an enemy, but as its rightful heir. The curse ends with me."

She releases him from the silver bindings, but before he can recover, Riven's shadows engulf him. When they recede, he is unconscious on the floor.

"Insurance," Riven says with a satisfied smile. "He'll wake in an hour, message intact, but we'll be long gone."

Thorne, still partially transformed, approaches Maya with concern in his golden eyes. "Is she...?"

"She'll live," Ashen confirms. "The storm magic left no permanent damage. She'll remember little of her captivity."

Lyra's silver glow gradually recedes, pulling back beneath her skin until only the pendant remains illuminated. She feels different—more substantial somehow, as if she's finally occupying the full volume of her body.

"I can't go back to my life, can I?" she asks, already knowing the answer.

Kael shakes his head. "No. Caelum knows who you are now. And what you can do. The Moon Court needs you. More than ever."

Lyra looks at Maya's unconscious form, at the friend who suffered because of a destiny Lyra never chose. "I still have one day left," she says. "One day to say goodbye. To make arrangements."

"It's not safe," Thorne growls.

"Nowhere is safe now," Lyra counters. "But I won't leave like this—running in the night, leaving chaos behind me. I owe Lythven that much. I owe Maya that much."

The four guardians exchange glances, a silent communication born of centuries together.

"One day," Kael concedes. "We'll guard you every moment. And then we journey to the Moon Court."

Lyra touches the pendant, feeling the connection to a mother she never knew, to a heritage she's only beginning tounderstand. The mark on her back has settled into a steady warmth, no longer alien but a part of her.

"I spent my whole life wondering who I was," she says softly. "Running from dreams I didn't understand. Hiding the parts of myself that didn't fit into this world."

She looks at each of her guardians in turn—Kael with his warrior's honor, Riven with her dangerous grace, Thorne with his primal loyalty, Ashen with his prophet's burden. Strangers days ago, now bound to her by more than duty.

"I'm ready to stop running," she says. "Whatever comes next—curse, court, or crown—I'll face it."

Outside the lighthouse window, the moon rises full and bright over the troubled waters. For the first time in her life, Lyra looks at it not with fear, but with recognition. The silver light catches in her eyes, turning them luminous with promise.

She is Lyra Ashwind, daughter of Ella Moonshadow, heir to the Moon Court. And her story is only beginning.

Chapter three

The moon court

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