Chapter 64: The rise of the crescent
*~Lilith’s POV~*
I had set a timer on myself..,one that would awaken me the moment that child was born.
But I wasn’t expecting it to be so soon.
I rose from the graveyard where I had buried myself, cloaked in soil and silence, and immediately reached for the Dreamer. The child had arrived.
I needed to get to the High House. Now.
But... why so soon? I expected months—at least. Not this sudden.
Something’s wrong. The child must remain intact, untouched, whole, for me to complete the ritual. To lay my hands on it. To awaken my crescents.
It should be there. In the High House. The exact place the prophecy promised.
So I moved. And when I arrived at the gates of the High House... my jaw dropped.
This wasn’t the scene I expected.
No celebration. No music. No roaring joy of a Luna giving birth.
Only death. The front doors were wide open...careless, ominous. As if chaos had walked right in and taken residence. I stepped inside.
And froze.
The floor was littered with wolves. Some bloodied. Some groaning. Others lying too still. From upstairs and downstairs, I could feel the vibrating tension of hundreds of wolves shifting, growling, surrounding hazel..
She stood in the center of it all, dagger in hand. Her stance? Like a goddess of war. Her aura? Like nothing I had felt in decades.
I immediately looked to her stomach. Flat. No signs of recent birth. What?
Where is the child?
My eyes darted to Cayden, crumpled on the floor, held back by his parents. Caspian, too, was on his feet, watching Hazel with something between heartbreak and terror.
What the hell happened here? And then—it hit me.
Her power had awakened.
That would explain the immense strengthfrom her. The storm in her gaze. And the dominance she holds.
But how?
What could’ve triggered her crescent?
She was mid-step, about to attack rage shimmering in every part of her being...when I moved without thought.
I fired the arrow. It struck her straight in the chest.
She stumbled.
Collapsed to her knees.
And Caspian ran to her, cradling her body in his arms. His voice shook as he tried to wake her.
Cayden’s head whipped toward me, eyes wide.
I stepped forward, pulled off my wide-brimmed hat, and watched the recognition dawn on every face in that room.
"Hazel?" Cayden whispered.
into the High House, cloak still
I said calmly. "It’s time
rich emotional flow—while keeping all the tension and mystery intact. This version
me, growling, their bodies tense..sensing the
didn’t come to fight. Not yet. Raising my hands, I took a slow step
threat," I
it was enough. They moved back slightly, parting
the past crashed down around us
Claus. Anna.
me...just as I
just in case. Just in case Hazel turned out like me. And I
my fingers. A
and then
she breathed. "Oh
hit her like a
said, my voice low, calm. "I didn’t come here for
The bruises on him told me
her. Are you playing some sick game? Wearing her face like it’s
face," I replied. "This is my body. And if you’d all give me five minutes, I’d explain. But first, I want
us..who are
my voice soft but firm. "Well... I’m simply
body, snapped his head toward
said through clenched teeth. "You’re
"The baby... it’s already gone?"
"What?"
his voice almost cracking, "has been
impossible. I timed it perfectly. I awakened the moment the child was
Who took it? Who took my
now surrounding me again. They didn’t understand. But they were about
"Versa."
screech echoed inside every wolf’s mind. They dropped to
said sweetly, "if you let
in horror. "Stop it...please! Stop hurting
desperately. I
Silence fell.
then I spoke, my voice steady and grave. Correct content is
"I am Hazel’s mother."
still. For a heartbeat, no one
has to be a joke right? Dahlia didn’t
tell your children who am I..." Anna didn’t speak. She just...
shy on me now. Go ahead, tell your
shook. "Boys... I swear, I forgot.
you’ve seen Hazel every day," Caspian said. "You had to have noticed the
didn’t know," Claus whispered. "I
I said. "You didn’t fail. I wiped your memories. Just in case. But now
My voice hardened.
don’t care if you trust me. But that baby...Hazel’s baby must be found.
"What
room, pulled my grimoire from beneath my cloak, and slammed it down onto the
we
"Because if we don’t..."
My eyes were
won’t live to experience
he stepped forward, still holding Hazel’s unconscious body tightly
What are you even saying?" he barked. "You can’t just show up out of nowhere and tell us you’re Hazel’s mother! Where have you been all
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VMHy6JqCTe69mw3Fk6jZXmzrbgALyj2su0ziEBCtsTGfXGHGax0tF0ZvkIvF5cpJdXocrYIey0Iv0vl+NrFkP4iW4K0vccyNv/+FKHGhXBcaiBjAbvF2qJYSKX/2F8HLyoEC1ubXcTSoHbld9ij8nyAlOzDGyeySxI0GN32PUgqMGf+a6oqCn3N2/HIuAWRE4mipNp8/sNQsRDt14vIqpO+WG+QAJ8aWCyZoVoWKrIu6Rxu5mcUCzliuQsS2argbvxm58LKYX+f9gSKPNHd0IJaWTLBrYZ5e651pkWn8frwuCdQ3xy+xOaJtZsGPdqPw1sARm5dkBr6m1+M1hlIQrrszOggFm9exNpCeO2gQE1qtCeW033Z51L7GO2AqZ+CrWNbjvMYmm1SV2aQiBMt6DtlOOUNft29a7hUr+dnob025V5438owyBlzjcUU79stYq2iT9U4YIaJXkKTF3W2b4iFoS7GpYAZI4LT1UsRhYIMQIUuXtGQXtsexQfvLIJZ8LBlbtTC752nIkIT43RHJ4u6DJ9g6W0q+YWWKkzNV3CjUyzny/qDMPkmsfpwYaeGAeaMqp7z9GBKec3QH2aqYZi99cUw5KMgGoopEcTF3RFIItcKhWW9V/ys+/WOGwVYD/3oxY5Cdmg4026aXzm0wf/SULdLjh16hiMi1Eb13rbHwIJERb+raPyvxYSM0
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