Elara's POV
The silver wolf tears into Mother's soldiers with savage fury.
I watch from the ground, chains burning my wrists, Mother's spell still draining my life force.
But the wolf MY wolf fights like a demon unleashed.
It's impossible. I'm wolfless. I've always been wolfless.
Yet there it stands. Silver fur glowing with golden light. Eyes burning with my rage. My pain. My will to survive.
What is that thing? Mother screams, backing away.
The wolf's answer is a snarl that shakes the trees.
It lunges at Mother. She throws up a magic shield at the last second. The wolf crashes into it, the impact sending shockwaves through the clearing.
Kill it! Mother orders her remaining soldiers. Kill it now!
They attack. Swords slash. Magic blasts.
But the wolf is too fast. Too strong. It moves like lightning, tearing through them.
And with each enemy it kills, I feel stronger.
The spell draining me weakens. The chains burn less. My vision clears.
We're connected. The wolf and me. Two parts of one whole.
Then I understand.
I was never wolfless. My wolf was just buried deep. Hidden. Waiting for the moment I needed it most.
And that moment is now.
I close my eyes and reach for the wolf with everything I have left.
Come back, I call silently. We need to be whole.
The wolf's head snaps toward me. Our eyes meet across the clearing.
Recognition.
The wolf charges not at Mother, but at me.
No! Mother shouts, realizing what's happening.
But she's too late.
The wolf leaps. Its form explodes into pure light. That light slams into my chest, merging with me.
Power floods through my body.
The chains shatter. The spell breaks. Mother's magic tears away from me, snapping back into her like a whip.
She screams, stumbling backward.
I rise to my feet.
Not as broken Princess Elara. Not as powerless street healer Ara.
As something new. Something whole.
My hands glow with golden-red fire. My eyes burn with silver light. Magic crackles around me like lightning.
Impossible, Mother breathes. You're wolfless. You've always been
Wrong. My voice echoes with power. You were always wrong about me.
I raise my hand. Fire explodes from my palm, a wall of flame surrounding Mother and her remaining soldiers.
They're trapped.
And I'm done running.
Cassian bursts into the clearing with Darius and twenty soldiers. They stop short, staring at me.
At the fire I'm controlling. At the silver light in my eyes. At the power radiating from my body.
Elara? Cassian's voice is uncertain.
I'm okay. I lower my hand slightly, but keep the fire burning around Mother. More than okay.
He approaches slowly, like I'm a wild animal. What happened to you?
I found what I was always meant to be. I look at Mother, cowering behind my flames. And now she's going to pay for everything.
Please, Mother gasps. Elara, I'm your mother
You stopped being my mother when you murdered Damian. My hands clench. When you framed me. When you sentenced me to death. When you spent five years trying to kill me.
I can explain
No more lies. I step closer to the fire. You're going to stand trial. You're going to confess everything. And then you're going to rot in a cell for the rest of your life.
Mother's face twists with rage. You think you've won? You think power makes you better than me?
No. It makes me strong enough to stop you.
She laughs bitterly. Kill me then. If you're so strong. If you're so righteous. Do it.
I stare at her. This woman who gave me life. Who raised me.Who destroyed everything I loved.
I could kill her. My power burns hot enough. One thought and she'd be ash.
But that would make me just like her.
No, I say quietly. You don't deserve a quick death. You deserve to live with what you've done.
I lower my hand. The fire dies.
Cassian's soldiers rush in, grabbing Mother and her men. They chain them with the same magic-suppressing bonds Mother used on me.
Justice.
Mother glares at me as they drag her away. This isn't over, daughter. It will never be over.
Yes, I say. It is.
She's taken away, screaming threats until her voice fades.
Then it's just me and Cassian in the clearing.
He walks toward me slowly. Are you really okay?
I don't know. I look at my hands, still glowing faintly. I'm different now. Changed.
You're still you. He stops an arm's length away. Still the woman who risked everything to save a child. Who healed me when she should have let me die who walked into a trap to save Lowtown?
About that. My chest tightens. Sera lied. There's no medicine. Mother destroyed the cure days ago. Lowtown is going to
No, they're not. Darius steps forward. While you were fighting, our healers found something in Sera's belongings. A journal. It has the formula for the cure. We can make more.
Relief floods through me so powerfully I almost collapse.
They'll live? I whisper.
Because of you, Cassian says. Because you didn't give up.
Tears burn my eyes. Happy tears this time. We need to get back. Start making the medicine
An explosion rocks the forest.
We all spin toward the palace.
Black smoke rises into the sky. Not from one place. From everywhere.
What is that? I breathe.
A soldier runs into the clearing, face pale with terror. General! The palace is under attack!
By who? Mother's in chains
Not Mother. The soldier swallows hard. It's the Empire. The real Empire army. Thousands of them. They're saying He stops, looking at me. They're saying General Thornwyld betrayed them by protecting Princess Elara. They've come to take the city by force.
My blood turns to ice.
Cassian's face goes deadly calm. How many?
Five thousand soldiers. Three hundred mages. War machines. The soldier's voice shakes. They'll burn the city to the ground unless we surrender.
Surrender isn't an option. Cassian turns to Darius. Get everyone inside the palace walls. Civilians first. Prepare for siege.
Sir, we only have eight hundred soldiers. We're outnumbered six to one
I don't care about the numbers. Cassian's voice is steel. We hold the city or we die trying.
He starts running toward the palace. His soldiers follow.
But I stand frozen.
This is my fault. The Empire is here because of me. Because Cassian protected me instead of following orders.
More people will die because of me.
Unless...
Cassian, wait! I call.
He stops, looking back.
What if I surrender? My voice shakes but I force the words out. What if I turn myself over to them? Would they leave the city alone?
No. He's back at my side instantly. Absolutely not.
But
They'll kill you and take the city anyway. His hands grip my shoulders. The Empire doesn't negotiate. They conquer. That's all they know.
Then what do we do?
His gray eyes meet mine. We fight. Together.
I'm not a soldier.
You're more than a soldier. He looks at my glowing hands. You're the most powerful person in this kingdom right now. And we need that power.
Fear grips my chest. I don't know how to control it. I could hurt our own people
Then learn. Fast. He starts pulling me toward the palace. Because the Empire will be at our gates in less than an hour.
We run through the forest. Behind us, the sounds of war grow louder.
Drums. War horns. The march of thousands of boots.
We burst from the trees onto the palace grounds.
And I see them.
An army stretching to the horizon. Black armor. War banners. Siege weapons rolling into position.
At the front, on a massive black horse, sits a man in golden armor. Even from this distance, I can feel his power. His presence.
Who is that? I whisper.
Cassian's face goes grim. Commander Vex. The Empire's most brutal general. I trained under him. He pauses. He taught me everything I know about war.
And now he's coming to destroy you.
Because of you, Cassian says. Not cruelly. Just stating fact. He's here to punish me for choosing you over the Empire.
Guilt crushes my chest. I'm sorry. I never meant
Don't. He faces me fully. I chose you. I'd choose you again. Every time.
Before I can respond, Commander Vex's voice booms across the field. Magically amplified. Impossible to ignore.
GENERAL CASSIAN THORNWYLD. YOU ARE CHARGED WITH TREASON AGAINST THE EMPIRE. SURRENDER THE TRAITOR PRINCESS ELARA ASHENNE, AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE SPARED.
Silence.
Everyone looks at Cassian.
Waiting.
He could hand me over. Save himself. Save his soldiers.
Instead, he draws his sword and raises it high.
THE EMPIRE CAN GO TO HELL, he roars back. THIS CITY IS MINE. AND ANYONE WHO WANTS IT WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ME.
A cheer rises from his soldiers.
Commander Vex's response is cold and final.
SO BE IT. WHEN WE BREACH THOSE WALLS, WE WILL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU. AND THE PRINCESS WILL WATCH HER CHAMPION DIE BEFORE SHE JOINS HIM.
The war drums begin.
The Empire army starts marching.
And I realize with horrible clarity: everyone in this city is about to die.
Because of me.