Chapter 194

AURORA

The turmoil in my head…

I stayed on the edge of the bed, drawing my legs close up against me… the weight of Holden’s words still heavy upon me. Why did every door, every open door in life, always have to come with some type of price?

I held the pearl pendant that lay against my chest; it had a cool surface. The thought of having to deal with Holden felt like a touch of acid in my stomach. There had to be another way, yet every avenue was covered in the shadow of the Nameless.

My thoughts went back to Dane. He would always know what to do… he did. I closed my eyes and reached for the bond between us, that fragile connection that was my lifeline during dark times.

“Dane, can you hear me?”

Silence.

I balled my fists, harder yet, and pushed every piece of energy I had into that bond. Sweat trickled, beading on my forehead, and again and again, I hollered to him: “Dane, please… I need you. Just answer me.”

Still, nothing. It felt weak and distant, something that was slipping ever more out of my grasp.

Frustration settled in my stomach. I was tired, my strength reducing, the breaths reducing. The room spun slightly as, voice shaking, I tried once more.

“Dane,” I whispered, hands shaking. “Please… I just can’t do this without you.”

The pearl pendant at my neck began to warm against my skin, and that was miraculous enough to freeze me in place. I looked down at the thing in wonder as its glow intensified.

“What in…”

The words wouldn’t get out before the light enveloped me, bright and overpowering. The room was gone, replaced by a huge sea of light–colored silver bursting. The air glimmered, thick with power, and then she materialized.

The Moon Goddess.

Her form was ethereal, slipping from a shining, silver figure to a softer, maternal presence. Her eyes settled on me, piercing yet kind.

“Aurora,” she said, her voice coming from all directions at once, it seemed.

I fell to my knees as the overwhelming presence made my heart shift. “Goddess,” I managed to say, my voice shaking.

“You are in distress,” she said, drifting closer. “Your bond with Dane is weakened but not broken.”

“I’ll try calling for him,” I said, almost in a panic. “But it’s like he doesn’t exist anymore. And I don’t know what to do.”

Her expression softened then, and she knelt before me, her hand hovering above the pendant. “The Nameless’s power clouds many things, but the bond you share is strong. Trust it.”

Her words put a sliver of hope in me, but as she continued, her gaze darkened. “Aurora, you must prepare yourself. A great disaster is at hand. The Nameless is cunning and will strike when least expected.”

“What disaster?” I asked, trembling.

She didn’t say it directly, but her eyes moved to the pendant. “This shall guide you when the time comes. Believe in yourself, Aurora. Your choices will decide the course of all.”

With that said, before I could ask more, the light that outlined her figure started to disappear, and she melted into the silver mist.

“Wait!” I called out, reaching for her, but was brought back into the room.

I gasped, clutching the pendant as the vision faded. The pounding of my heart against my chest, the warning of the goddess echoed through my brain over and over again.

The day came by weirdly, with a lot of tension. The pack was in a high state of readiness, with movements sharp and purposeful as reports came in about an attack. I stood at the heart of the command room, scanning across the reports that littered the table.

There was something not quite right. The attacks were scattered and disorganized, far from the way the Nameless normally acted.

“This doesn’t make sense,” I muttered, pacing the room.

Trajan was standing beside him, his arms crossed. “It doesn’t have to make sense, Aurora. It’s happening. We need to act.”

I shook my head, a burn of frustration rising beneath my skin. “No. It’s too convenient. He’s trying to spread us thin. Can’t you see that?”

“Convenient or not, we can’t ignore it,” Trajan shot back.

“Patience,” I insisted firmly. “We need to assess this carefully. If we rush in, we’re walking straight into a trap.”

But the pack was itchy, their confidence in me already shaken after all that had taken place. Rumblings went through the room, hesitation palpable in their eyes.

“She hesitates again,” a low whisper.

“We cannot wait any more,” another added.

Trajan strode forward, his movement unyielding. “I will lead the attack,” he said. “If you won’t take action, I will.”

“No, Trajan…” I started, but he was already running.

The assault group shipped out in a matter of minutes, their outlines disappearing into the woods. I remained behind; my gut filled with suspicions.

Hours passed silently, like an eternity, while everything gradually heightened in tension. I began moving up and down in the command room, my mind racing.

And then that report came in.

“Trajan’s team has been ambushed,” a scout informed me, his voice tight with fear.

My blood ran cold. “Where?”

He pointed to the map, his hand shaking. “Here. The old ruins by the western border.”

I grabbed my gear and headed for the door, determination fueling my steps.

“You can’t go alone,” Piper said, stepping in my path.

“I don’t have any choice,” I said, pushing past her.

When I at last came upon the ruins, chaos was in total dominance. The air was so heavy with the stench of blood and fear, one could smell it. Trajan’s team was scattered – fighting desperately against the Nameless.

I scanned the ground for Trajan as my heart pounded in my chest. Then I saw him locked in combat with a huge shadow creature.

“Trajan!” I shouted, my voice filled with the clatter of clashing swords. The second thing I heard was how that monster tore its sharp claws into his side and made Trajan stumble through sluggish movement.

“Trajan!” I shouted, rushing towards him. Before reaching him, a surge in shadows covered him tightly among them; the darkness wrapped itself to such an end that all life was strangled off of him, his gaze met mine.

“Aurora, run away!” he yelled.

“No!” I screamed, reaching for him.

The shadows dragged him back, his form disappearing into the dark.

“Trajan!” I shrieked, but it was too late. He was gone.

The sounds of the battle faded around me, replaced by the hollow ache of loss.

I fell to my knees, holding the pendant as tears streamed from my face.

“Moon goddess, what should I do now?” I whispered, my voice cracking.