It’s well past midnight, but I don’t have an ounce of sleep in me. The Hunt Display ended hours ago, yet I still see Kade’s fear right in front of my eyes—the way he warned me not to stir rebellion when he saw how the pack members admired my strength.
He was afraid of me.I never thought I’d see such a day.
My feet carry me to the balcony where the moon shines bright against the night sky. It isn’t long before Rowan’s raven flutters to me, appearing out of nowhere as a darker blotch in the sky. It perches on the balcony rail and watches me intently.
“You haven’t brought anything?” I ask, feeling disappointed.
The raven croaks, “Kah-kah.” It opens its wings wide before withdrawing them, showing me it has nothing.
A sigh escapes my lips. “I only want a word,” I whisper to no one. “I want to know that he’s alive. That he’s safe.”
The bird only tilts its head.
Nyx stirs.‘He hears you. One way or another.’
Border patrol has tightened. I overheard a Gamma say they almost caught a rogue from Nightfell, but he tricked them andfled. The news unnerved me because now Kade knows rogues have been trespassing on the borders. The High Council’s game is playing out just as they thought it would. And Rowan’s move started it all when he first approached me.
The High Council wants to get rid of Nightfell without getting its hands dirty. And they probably want to get rid of me because they think I’m High Luna.
‘Youare,’ Nyx emphasises, making me inhale sharply.
“I don’t even know what it means for me,” I say to the moon.
A firm knock drags me out of my thoughts. I ignore it once, thinking it’s my imagination. But it comes again.
If the person wants to attack or hurt me, they won’t come knocking.“Enter,” I say cautiously, my hand drifting closer to the pointed staff propped against the wall.
Jax steps in, closing the door behind him. “Luna.”
I step away from the balcony. “At this hour?”
He sets a bundle on my desk. “These are fresh ledgers—forged by Izel. They are dated years ago. I brought them here before they could end up in the Alpha’s vault.”
I look at the bundle. “You risked much bringing them to me, brother.”
“I serve the pack. And I serve its Luna,” he says without flinching, then clasps his hands behind his back, awaiting my command.
My throat goes dry. I haven’t been in the position of giving commands for years, and now it all feels strange.
Gathering my nerves, I untie the cloth. The ledgers are thick, stained with ink. I open the first one. Grain tallies. Wages. Nothing unusual. But then I pause as something strange catches my eyes.
Symbols scatter the margin.
I point. “What is this?”
Jax steps forward and studies the shapes. “I knew something strange was going on,” he says, a crease forming between his brows.
“Can you read it?”
“No.”
Nyx presses forward.‘Witchcraft.’
I swallow.
Jax notices. “You think it’s a spell?”
A shudder goes through me. How did he come to that conclusion?
