Page 2 of Warrior Princess (Blood Weaver Trilogy #3)

1

RONAN

M y skull pounded as my eyelids fluttered open and I was instantly assaulted by a glaring light that made me squint. The sun blazed fiercely above me, not a single cloud daring to obscure its wrath. With a groan of discomfort, I shifted to my side. As I moved, my fingers brushed against my neck where I discovered a dart embedded in my skin.

“What the hell?” I muttered, plucking the dart out as I pushed myself upright, just in time to notice Silas sitting solemnly at the base of the hill outside the bustling market area—a hill I had just been on with Leila.

Frantically, I scanned my surroundings for any sign of her, but she was conspicuously absent. “Leila?” My voice was barely a whisper. I attempted to stand, only to stumble as my knees buckled under me, sending me crashing to the ground once more.

“She’s gone, Ro,” Silas murmured, his gaze fixed on the grass underfoot, avoiding my desperate eyes.

“Where’d she go? Did she return to Valoria? Who shot me?” I rattled off a bunch of questions as panic rose in my throat.

He shook his head, his voice barely audible. “No, Ro. I mean she’s gone .”

Confusion and pain mingled as my headache intensified. “But where?” I screamed, my voice tinged with hysteria.

“She’s dead!” Silas erupted angrily, his hands clawing at the grass, tearing it from the earth and hurling it across the hillside.

Stunned, I recoiled from his harsh words and fell, landing hard on the ground. “Wh-What?” I stuttered incredulously.

He exhaled a heavy sigh. “Your father… His men shot you with a tranquilizing dart to get you out of the way so he could take her to the cave where the demon fox rests. The ceremony is already over.”

“No,” I whispered in disbelief, my mind reeling. “That can’t be! My father promised it wouldn’t be until tomorrow—today—” My words trailed off and I shook my head, trying to dispel the fog of confusion.

“She would have been too powerful tonight. The ceremony had to be completed last night,” he explained grimly. “You knew it, and so did he. He didn’t want you to interfere. He’s already at the ritual hall with the demon fox.”

Ignoring the throbbing in my head, I staggered to my feet and started running down the hill toward the ritual hall.

“Ronan, wait!” Silas called after me, his voice laced with desperation.

“Why didn’t you stop him?” I yelled over my shoulder without slowing my pace.

“I couldn’t!” he shouted back, his voice strained with regret. “I only found out after it was done, and I only found you here this morning.”

“No.” A spark of realization ignited my fear. “He's going to steal the wish from me!” My voice rose sharply, laced with alarm.

“It's too late, Ro! He's already inside, consulting with the elders. The decision is final.”

His words hit me like a cold wave, dashing any remaining hope. “No!” My shout echoed through the air, a desperate plea as tears threatened to blur my vision. “No,” I whispered again, my voice breaking. “She can’t be dead.”

Bursting through the bustling marketplace, I ignored the familiar greetings from clan members. My heart thundered against my ribcage, every beat a loud drum in my ears as panic constricted my throat and the urge to scream built within me.

I reached the ritual hall and shoved aside the heavy, ornate cloth that served as a door before storming in. The room was dimly lit and the air was redolent with spicy incense. Half a dozen solemn elders were seated in a semi-circle, their eyes fixed on the center where my father stood beside an imposing figure—the demon fox.

When the demon fox turned to face me, I froze. His long, wavy hair cascaded down his back, ending at his waist, and his eyes glowed a fierce crimson. Tattoos, symbols of our people, adorned his skin, but it was the bushy white tail that flicked behind him that truly caught me off guard.

His gaze was intense as he took in my disheveled, frantic appearance.

“Ronan, now is not the time,” my father scolded, waving a dismissive hand towards one of the warriors at the door to remove me.

“Wait,” the demon fox intervened, his voice deep and resonant. He raised a hand, halting the warrior’s advance. “Who is this?”

My father cleared his throat, a hint of embarrassment coloring his tone. “Apologies, Shiro. This is my son, Ronan. He won’t cause any more interruptions, I promise.”

Shiro, the demon fox, shook his head slowly, his fiery eyes locking with mine as a spark of recognition—or was it empathy?—flickered within. “No. Let him stay,” he commanded, a subtle authority underlying his words. His gaze held mine unblinking, as if he saw right through to the core of my turmoil.

My father appeared visibly agitated, his eyes darting anxiously between Shiro and me, his carefully laid plans unraveling before him. “He has no business here—” he began, but Shiro swiftly cut him off.

“I think he has every right to be here. Do you agree, Ronan?” Shiro’s gaze pierced the tension in the room, directly addressing me.

I swallowed, feeling the dryness in my throat tighten. “Yes. I do.”

“Very well,” Shiro replied, his gaze finally shifting from mine to address my father once again. “Chief Aryan, you have summoned me with the blood of the moon goddess. Where is she now?”

My father's brow furrowed in discomfort. “We left her in the cave... Her body will be returned to Valoria,” he explained, nervously clearing his throat. “Valoria might declare war over this, so we must prepare.”

Shiro tilted his head thoughtfully. “Is that so? And you hope to use your single wish to defeat them?”

A sly grin spread across my father’s face. “Yes,” he said with a surge of confidence. “But our true aim is to defeat Keldara. They have enslaved our people for over a century. It's time we liberated them.”

Shiro turned his probing gaze back to me. “Do you agree?” he inquired. “Is this your wish?”

My father's eyes locked onto mine, sending a piercing glare that conveyed his expectations clearly—he wanted me to publicly support his plan to sacrifice Leila's life for the greater good of the Crimson Clan. The room held its breath as the elders' expectant eyes drilled into me, echoing the same demand.

“Ro,” Silas whispered urgently from behind me. “Ro, he’s waiting.”

Facing Shiro again, I steeled my resolve. “No,” I declared firmly. “That is not my wish.”

Shiro's lips twitched into a smirk. “And what is your wish?”

“Bring her back,” I asserted without hesitation. “Bring Leila back to life.”

“Ronan!” My father’s shout echoed across the hall as the elders rose, their voices a cacophony of dissent. He stormed across the room and seized my shirt. “Don't you dare!” he hissed, his teeth clenched in fury. “Our people's lives are at stake!”

I shoved his hands away, stepping back to put distance between us. “So is Leila's! You promised—”

“Only you would believe such a blatant lie,” he retorted bitterly. “Even Princess Lyanna knew I was deceiving her. She went to her death aware she wouldn't return. She made peace with it. Don't let her sacrifice be in vain.”

I shook my head, my resolve unwavering. “No. I don't care. I promised to protect her, and that's exactly what I intend to do.”

“Ronan—” my father began, his voice strained with desperation, but Shiro interrupted him with a clear, authoritative throat-clearing.

“Chief Aryan, I dislike being misled. I was under the impression that this wish was unclaimed, given that Princess Lyanna willingly sacrificed herself. But now, here stands your son, pleading to save the life of the woman he loves. Is my understanding correct?” Shiro's voice was calm but carried an undercurrent of displeasure.

Color crept into my father's cheeks, a flush of embarrassment spreading as he turned to face Shiro, his discomfort palpable. “Well, you see—” he stammered, searching for an explanation.

“Can you tell me the prophecy? What exactly does it state?” Shiro's demand sounded casual, yet his eyes narrowed, suggesting he expected a specific response.

Reluctantly, my father recited the prophecy, his voice bitter. “The first female blood weaver will sacrifice her life to the demon fox. The wish will go to her lover from the Crimson Clan.”

Shiro nodded, his expression unchanging. “And there is only one wish I will ever grant,” he declared, turning his gaze towards me, piercing and direct. “And that is for the life of the descendant of the moon goddess. No other wish shall be granted.”

Relief washed over me so suddenly that my knees buckled. I staggered backward, the weight of the tension lifting all at once. Silas caught me just before I could collapse, his grip steady and reassuring.

“Tell me, Ronan,” Shiro continued, his voice softening slightly. “Does this Princess Lyanna love you in return?”

I nodded emphatically, my voice firm. “Yes. She does.”

Shiro's lips curled into a sad smile, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes that I couldn't quite read. “Good,” he murmured gently. “Very good. Let us bring her back.” With that, he turned and started towards the exit of the ritual hall.

I followed without hesitation, my steps quick and determined, leaving behind a scene of disarray: my father standing dumbfounded and the elders in an uproar, their protests fading into the background.