Dying.
He’s dying, and I’m there, my hands glowing silver-blue but failing, failing,failing.The healing light sputters against whatever has wounded him, unable to stem the tide of his life flowing into the snow. His breath forms ice crystals as he falls forward, those extraordinary eyes finding mine in his final moment.
Behind him, behind us both, shadows move—twisted things that shouldn’t exist, bodies caught between forms in ways that make my healer’s instincts scream. And behind them, a figure in white, face gaunt, eyes burning with fevered brilliance.
The man with silver eyes speaks a single word as his heart stops: “Lyra.”
My own name pulls me back to reality with violent force. I’m on my knees in the storage room, supplies scattered around me, my whole body shaking. The vision’s intensity is unlike anything I’ve experienced—not a possible future butthefuture, as certain as sunrise.
I don’t know this man. But somehow, some way, his death is tied to mine. And judging by the weight of certainty pressing on my chest, it’s coming soon.
“Lyra?” Tempest’s voice from the doorway. “Elena needs you in the council chamber. Emergency session.”
I force myself to stand, brushing off my healer’s robes with trembling hands. “Of course. I’ll be right there.”
The council chamber buzzes with tension when I arrive. Representatives from multiple factions fill the curved stone benches—Shadow Wolves, Storm Eagles, Haven’s Heart officials, and others I recognize from integration meetings. At the center of the room, Kael Stormwright commands attention with his natural authority, his massive golden wings folded against his back. Elena stands beside him, one hand resting on her tablet. On the screen, I catch a glimpse of her and Kael’s living room, where a Storm Eagle is gently bouncing the couple’s six-month-old twins.
Zara Stormwright, Kael’s sister, catches my eye from across the room. Her bronze-gold wings shift slightly in a greeting and something more. Zara has always seen too much, just like Tempest. Sometimes I think she knows about my gift, though she’s never said anything directly.
“Thank you all for coming,” Kael begins, his voice carrying easily through the chamber. “We have a situation that requires immediate attention.”
The Shadow Wolf delegate, one of Zane’s lieutenants, leans forward. “The northern trade route?”
“Six traders missing in two weeks,” Elena confirms, pulling up a holographic map that hovers above the council table. Red markers indicate last known positions. “The route was established six weeks ago to reach Mountain Cat territories. They have resources we need like rare minerals, ice-aligned magical components. The trade has been mutually beneficial.”
“Until now,” the Haven’s Heart liaison interjects. “Our people are saying the Mountain Cats have broken treaty, that they’re attacking traders.”
“The Mountain Cats deny any involvement,” Kael says firmly. “Their Alpha, Keira Frostmane, has been nothing but honorable in our dealings.”
Murmurs ripple through the chamber. The integration is still fragile, trust hard-won and easily shattered. Accusations like these could unravel months of progress.
“So what do you propose?” asks an elder from the Storm Eagles. “We can’t ignore missing traders.”
Kael and Elena exchange a look, the kind of wordless communication that comes from a true mate bond. Elena nods slightly, and Kael continues.
“We propose a joint investigation. The Mountain Cats have agreed to provide one of their best trackers to help find the real cause of these disappearances. To ensure neutrality and provide medical support, we’ll assign one of our integration-trained healers to accompany them.”
My stomach drops before Elena even looks at me.
“Lyra,” she says, her voice warm but firm. “You’re uniquely qualified for this. You’ve trained in both traditional and integrated healing, you have field experience from the outer settlements, and you’re politically neutral—not tied to any particular faction’s agenda.”
Every instinct screams at me to refuse. He has to be the Mountain Cat tracker. If I go on this mission, I’m walking straight toward the vision, toward his death and possibly my own.
But how can I explain that without revealing everything?
“The Mountain Cats are...” I search for an objection that doesn’t sound like cowardice. “They’re notoriously solitary. They might not welcome an outsider.”
“That’s why we need someone with your diplomatic skills,” Kael says. “You’ve worked with every faction that’s come through the clinic. You know how to adapt, how to build trust.”
Zara speaks up, her voice carrying subtle weight. “Sometimes the paths we resist most are the ones we’re meant to walk. Trust your instincts, Lyra. All of them.”
The words are carefully chosen, and her gaze holds mine for a moment longer than necessary. She knows. Somehow, she knows I’m seeing something more than what’s being discussed.
“When would I leave?” I ask, accepting the inevitable.
“The Mountain Cat tracker arrives tomorrow,” Elena says. “You’ll depart immediately after—time is crucial if we want to find those traders alive.”
The meeting continues with logistics and details, but I barely hear them. Tomorrow. In less than a day, I’ll meet the man from my vision. The man whose death I’ve already seen, whose blood will stain the snow despite everything I try to do to save him.
