Chapter 67
Her words pass through me like mist, in my haze of think, really think about what she’s telling me.
Outlawed. Heretics. Treason.
f trying to do everything I possibly can to save my child. But I force myself to slow down and
And if his mind is made up to kill this child and spare it a life of pain, then he has given up hope of healing our baby, and he will do what he sees
EL.
I can’t afford to hesitate here.
“I have to do what I know is the right thing. Maya,” I tell the witch. “Even if it is heretical or treasonous.”
“Are yo
you sure? Because there will be no going back once started.” She looks at me with stony concern.
“I don’t have any choice left, I tell her. “My due date is no longer my cut–off, Ethan will never let us even reach that date. I need an answer now?”
Maya sighs and sits down, then she spreads her hands open to me. An old tattered scroll appears in her palms
“There is something powerful,” she admits. “Something some would even call pure. But it’s dangerous to you and your baby. This scroll is from a period long before shifters existed, within the text is something that it describes as a “process of purification
“That doesn’t sound like dark magic”
“That’s because it isn’t.”
I ask her. “If it’s not dark magic, why is it so dangerous? Why would it be outlawed in wolf kingdoms?”
Maya looks me in the eye as she answers.
“Because it’s Sun magic,” she says calmly.
I take in a deep breath. I didn’t need all my recently restored memories to know how bad of an idea that was. As it stands, the full force of everything I’ve recently remembered hits me 100.
Using Sun magic is basically suicide to creatures of the Moon.
“It’s a ritual, similar in nature to the Moon rituals, though not nearly as time gated “Maya goes on to explain. “And the only reason I’ve kept this from you and Ethan is because of how dangerous these types of rituals are to your kind. It calls on the blessings of the Sun to purify and remove magical ailments.”
Words like “taboo‘ ring in my cars.
“I see you understand how dangerous of a thing this is,” Maya says, probably going by the look on my face. “The Sun hates the Moon. But more than that, anything related to the Moon, too.”
Which would be me. A werewolf. And my baby, probably a future Alpha werewolf
“What are the chances of the ritual working on me and the baby?” I ask, pressing my lips into a grim line.
“Very low,” Maya says, pressing on the word “very” like she wants me to hear the seriousness I’m her tone. “Nine out of ten times, the Sun will refuse the blessing and purification entirely.”
Ten percent chance. That’s already better than I thought. That just leaves us right
ht where we are right now.
“And that is the best case scenario if things don’t work out, that you’ll just be ignored” Maya continues.
“And what is the worst case scenario?”
Maya doesn’t answer immediately.
“Your wolves could be completely destroyed. You’d become human, but you’ll be sickly and 1 frail after having something so integral ripped from you.” she says again…or the Sun will just kill both you and the baby.”
“So slow death, or quick death?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
I take a deep breath. Death is going to happen either way, I might as well do everything in my power to save him.
“Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.
Chapter 67
“Then you need this.” Maya says as she places the tattered scroll in my hands
I open the scroll without thinking about it. I had thought and made my decision already. Now is the time for acting.
It’s a map to a shrine. And the instructions for the ritual.
It’s not complicated. Well, it probably would have been if this was the first ritual that I was taking part in. As it stands this isn’t my first. At least this one doesn’t require a special Moon that only appears in the sky every fifty years.
The Sun is always the same, always constant. It never waxes, never wanes. It always shines somewhere. The scroll refers to it by the name of Sol,
I shudder. The wolf in me reacts. 1 know she doesn’t like this. Probably doesn’t agree with it, either. Will she ever come out again, if I put her through this? I can’t think of that right now.
And besides, if that is the cost to save my baby then so be it. I lived without a wolf for over five years. I can do it again. At least this time it would be my choice.
“I can find this place.” I tell her. I have no idea how because I’m sure that Ethan is definitely not going to just lend me a guide. But I know in my bones that I will find it. “The map is clear enough. I’ll need an off–road vehicle though.”
The location indicates its through a rather thick patch of wilderness and rough terrain.
“I have one, but I’m coming with you,” Maya says.
“I can’t ask that of you. Maya”
“Well you can’t do it without me. This is not like your Harvest Moon ritual, or any other Moon ritual, You need me to navigate you through this.”
She begins taking a few items off her shelves and packing it in a bag.
“Plus you need to be in labor for this to work, so I’m sure you’ll need a midwife” she smiles, “and I have experience.”
“Ethan
During the past month, I learned to give Ariella space when she’s going through a crisis she doesn’t like to be bombarded while she figures out her thoughts and emotions.
Giving her that space made our relationship grow stronger.
But this time. This time is different. This is something drastic, the life of our son that I told her I would trade in exchange for hers.
It is not an easy thought. It tears me apart to even consider. But I have to consider it. The choice is save her, or lose both of them.
I should have walked after her. I should have comforted her. But instead I wait for her in our room. The sun has set and she is not back.
–
1 begin to worry. She never stays gone this long, she grows tired and comes to bed early,
I ring Kyle.
“Alpha!” he answers.
“Ariella has not returned, have the guards and servants search the palace, the grounds, and every inch of town.”
“As you command.”
He hangs up.
1 begin searching in the library, the kitchens. Maya’s study that I loaned her. I search everywhere I know she would be. But there is no sign of her.
I bump into Cassandra. There is worry on her face.
I’ve searched everywhere along the grounds as well. Nothing. None of the servants have seen her either since she left this afternoon,” she tells me.
There is a sickening pit in my stomach.
“I’m going to search in town, spread the word and have others join in.”
Cassandra nods, typing on her phone to get the message out. She diappears down a corridor.
I head to the entrance and Kyle joins
He end
田