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A rotting bear lay in the center, its corpse being torn apart by every animal of the forest. Above, vultures perched in the trees, waiting. Watching. I could visibly see Lu shudder.

“Father knew the House of Bruin would fall,” I said softly. “And he chose to ignore it. I won’t make that mistake. The prophecies always come true.” I tapped the page. “Always.”

For the first time, something uncertain flickered across Lu’s face. Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

Finally, he exhaled and raked a hand through his hair. “Fine,” he muttered. “One day. That’s all you get.”

I nodded, but my gut twisted. Because we both knew the truth. One day. Then he was going after Mic—with or without me.

We met in secret the following night. It had taken every ounce of self-restraint for Lucius to remain by my side while we arranged the meeting, but he stayed true to his word.

I’d let my magic run rampant, swaying the minds of the Raven’s Hand and the rebel leaders of Dunharrow—manipulating them in ways I wasn’t proud of. But after Johan’s attack, many had begun to question their loyalty to the cause, and I couldn’t allow those thoughts to take root.

I had envisioned myself as a better leader. But with Michaela missing and our brothers condemned, desperation had carved away my morals.

The waxing moon was high in the sky by the time we reached the ruins of the temple.

One of the few places left that avoided the eye of the Crown’s army.

This fallen monument to the Divine had been all but forgotten.

Stone columns loomed around us like broken sentinels, half-eaten by time.

The air was thick with damp earth, forgotten prayers, and whispers of the Divine, who had long since turned their backs on Dunharrow.

I stood at the head of the gathering, arms crossed.

A dull throb pulsed behind my eyes, making it hard to focus on the faces before of me.

Luca and Lucius stood beside me. Fallon lounged on the shattered altar, annoyance stamped across her face.

The temple was filled wall to wall with the resistance we’d managed to amass since our escape from Mathenholm.

Fiona had taken up the mantle that Sawyer had left behind, standing strong as the voice of the rebellion. She mirrored my stance, arms crossed and chin high. They had risked it all to stand by my side, and many of them lost everything, and still, she stood by me.

Luca glanced over, brow furrowed. “You alright?”

“Fine,” I said, a little too quickly. “Too much magic spent getting us here, and not enough time to recover.”

He didn’t look convinced. But he didn’t press. I couldn’t afford weakness—not while she was still out there. I could rest when Johan was dead.

Amos wandered between the rows of warriors, the click of his staff echoing through the chamber. “Yes, yes, I’ll tell them,” he mumbled up at the dilapidated ceiling before taking a swig from his flask.

He cleared his throat. “Need I remind you this is sacred ground, and these are desperate times. The decisions made here tonight may very well seal our fates for good. We’ve been gathered here not by our own whims, but by Divine will.

So don’t fuck it up.” He slammed the staff against the stone, then bowed to both parties and stepped aside.

“Thank you, Amos.” My voice rang clear. “And thank you all for risking so much to be here. But time is not on our side.”I paced before them, the weight of every life at stake settled in my chest. “The execution is set for the next full moon. That gives us seven days. If we wait, we’ll be dragging their bodies from the gallows instead of saving them. ”

Lucius exhaled sharply. “We don’t even know how many guards the bastard has inside. We walk in blind, we die. Isn’t that what you said, Nico?”

The muscles in my jaw ticked as I ground my teeth. The last thing we needed was to show a divided front, but he was determined to fight me every step of the way.

“Then we don’t walk in blind,” Fallon countered, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Some servants are still loyal. They stayed behind when he took the throne, waiting for this moment. If we can get a message inside, they’ll help us.”

Fiona pulled a blade from her belt, twirling it in her hands as she assessed me with dark eyes. “And how do you plan to get it past the castle walls? Last I checked, Johan isn’t in the habit of allowing traitors to slip messages through his own castle.”

“It’s not his castle!” I barked.

The room went still and wary gazes darted amongst them. A soft rustle of wings broke the tension. From the shadows, a small, willowy male stepped forward. “I’ll take the message,” he said, chin held high.

“This is Rook,” Fallon explained, hopping down from the altar. “He’s a finch shifter—and a page at Mathenholm. He delivers messages within the castle itself and abroad to the other noble houses.”

Luca let out a low whistle. “Risky. If they catch you, I’m not sure?—”

“They won’t,” Rook cut him off with a calm confidence. “I’ve been delivering execution announcements to the houses. I’m expected back to the castle. They’ll never suspect me.”

I nodded. “Then it’s settled. Rook takes the message tonight.

If we keep pace, we’ll reach the city in five days.

At Aetherfall, we split into two groups.

The bulk of our forces will enter the castle walls with the supply carts.

The bastard’s throwing a feast to celebrate the executions.

His gluttony will be the key to getting within the walls. ”

“And then what?” Lucius snarked. “You lead us into the perfect trap so we can be picked off one by one?”

I glared at him over my shoulder, a low growl rumbling in my chest. My patience with him was wearing precariously thin.

If he ruined this for us, there would be no holding my beast back from taking it out on his hide.

“We need a distraction. Something to draw attention away from those entering the courtyard.”

I pulled a map of Mathenholm from my pocket and laid it on the altar.

“On the morning of the execution, when the main courtyard is filling with onlookers, two smaller groups will hit the tunnels. One entrance is on the eastern wall, the other along the northern plains. Johan knows that’s how we escaped last time, so they’ll be guarded.

Your job is to engage, allow them to raise the alarm.

I’ll send you with enough solrics to get the attention of every guard.

Luca, I’m sending you to lead in on the eastern side and Fiona, you’ll be in the north.

Set fires in the tunnels then retreat, and make sure they see you do it.

Circle back and wait in the shadows. We’ll need cover when we make our retreat. ”

“Starting fires within the tunnels is one thing,” Luca said, rubbing his beard. “But if the flames spread, there may be no stopping it. Then getting out will be a whole new problem.”

“We won’t be alone,” Fallon reminded him. “The servants will open the secret passageways and hidden stairwells for us. Mathenholm was built with more than one escape route.”

“And what of Johan?” Fiona asked. “Are we leaving him on his stolen throne? If we do, he’ll only come back at us threefold.”

“He believes he has the high ground. This was his plan all along. Draw me out to finish this once and for all. He won’t run. But I won’t risk the lives of my brothers—or my fated—or any of you who’ve stood with us. Once they’re out, I’ll go back for him. This needs to end.”

The words tasted bitter, but I let them settle in my chest like an oath. This wasn’t just about reclaiming a throne. This was for my brothers. For Michaela. For everyone who had bled for Hiraeth while a false king wore the crown. I would deliver vengeance and freedom, even if it cost me my life.

“So,” Luca said, ticking the plan off on his fingers, “we sneak in as peasants, smuggle weapons under loaves of bread, set half the damn castle on fire, all while picking off guards in the chaos?”

Fiona flicked her dagger back into its sheath. “Now that,” she said with a smirk, “sounds like my kind of rebellion. Levi’s spirit isn’t too far. I’ll bring him sweet vengeance so he can rest in peace.”

The wind howled through the ruins—a ghostly promise. I could feel the Divine’s presence. I only wished I knew whether I was making the right choice.

In a week, Mathenholm would burn. And the usurper king would learn what it meant to fear the fallen.

I hung back as the last hope we had drifted into the night, readying themselves to put my plan into action.

I’d won them over, but at what cost? My gift had flowed out of me, pushing minds toward choices they might not have made on their own.

But I couldn’t risk it. Not when Michaela’s life hung in the balance.

The ruins fell quiet again. Only the three of us remained. Luca and Lucius stood nearby, waiting to see if there was some other foolproof plan that I hadn’t shared with the others. But these reckless decisions were all that I had to offer them.

Lucius broke the silence. “You know this plan—it’s not going to?—”

“Don’t say it,” I snapped, my nerves frayed. I dropped to my knees, hitting the stone floors with the weight of the realm on my shoulders.

I pulled the Book of Astrium from my satchel. The tome was heavy in a way that had nothing to do with the parchment within. “Please, Divine… do not forsake us,” I whispered. “Why bind me to her if you only meant to tear us apart? I don’t think my soul could survive it. Show me the right path.”

I let the book fall open to the page that had ensnared my life. I traced Michaela’s face, the lines worn smooth by repetition. “Do you ever wonder if we’re living it right now?” I asked. “If we’re already on the path written in these pages and don’t even realize it?”