carried across 97

97 At A Bloody Cost 

Sera 

“You completely owned him today. It was actually terrifying to watch.” 

I splashed a handful of freezing water directly onto my face. The icy shock hit my skin, dragging me back into the present moment. I gripped the thick porcelain edges of the washbasin with both hands. I kept my head down, letting the water drip from my chin and soak into the collar of my sleep tunic. 

Mina was sitting cross-legged in the center of my large wooden bed. She was tossing a small, dried apple in the air and catching it flawlessly with one hand. 

“Owned who?” I asked. I forced my voice to sound perfectly calm. 

“Kael,” Mina said. 

My heart completely stopped. 

“I watched the entire thing,” Mina continued, completely oblivious to the sudden, violent spike of panic in my blood. “You called him out. You literally just said ‘Elder Kael,’ and he stepped right forward. He called you Luna. He took your orders without a single complaint. He actually hauled those heavy Valdris chests away.” 

I reached blindly for the rough linen towel resting on the table. I pressed the cloth against my wet face. 

If I closed my eyes right now, I wouldn’t see the Great Hall. I would see the actual Kael. I would see his broken body lying on the stone floor of the council room. I would see the jagged, white piece of bone sticking directly out of his torn throat. I would see his wide, terrified eyes staring up at me, completely helpless, while I told Fenris we had to execute him. 

I could still smell the horrific stench of the burning pyre trapped in the back of my nose. 

I lowered the towel. I turned around to face her. 

Mina stopped tossing the apple. She caught it in her palm and held it. She tilted her head, her dark eyes narrowing as she studied my face. 

“Why did you call him out like that?” Mina asked, her tone shifting from playful to highly suspicious. “Did you suddenly decide you like him? Or did you two finally settle your differences behind closed doors?” 

I stared at her. I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t tell her that the man walking around the fortress taking my orders was just a loyal guard wearing a dead man’s face. If I told Mina the truth, she would become an accomplice. She would become a target. 

“Fenris defused the issue,” I lied. The words tasted like ash on my tongue. 

Mina wasn’t entirely buying it. She swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. 

“Fenris wasn’t even talking,” Mina pointed out sharply. “You were.” 

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“Fenris spoke to him earlier,” I countered smoothly, maneuvering around her suspicion. I kept my face an absolute mask of southern composure. “He made the boundaries clear. Kael decided that self- preservation and keeping his seat on the council was a better option than starting an open war with his Alpha.” 

Mina stared at me for a long, heavy second. She was a survivor. She grew up dodging blows in the lower levels of this keep. She knew exactly what a lie looked like. 

But she didn’t push it. She took a loud, crunching bite of the dried apple. 

“Well, whatever Fenris said to him, it worked,” Mina mumbled around the food. She swallowed hard. “But you need to be careful with Taya. I do not think she is ever going to be on good terms with you.” 

I walked over to the heavy wooden chair near the hearth and sat down. “I don’t expect her to be.” 

“She is going to hate you for the rest of her life,” Mina stated bluntly. “But after your duel in the dirt ring, she knows you aren’t a soft target. She won’t challenge you openly again. She will just be extremely careful with her approach. She will wait in the shadows until you expose a weak spot.” 

I gave a single, slow nod of understanding. “I will watch my back.” 

Mina threw the apple core directly into the roaring fireplace. The wood popped loudly. She wiped her hands on her skirt, her face brightening instantly as she changed the subject. 

“Forget Taya,” Mina said, her voice filling with genuine excitement. “That dress, Sera. The dark Luna cloth. It is going to look completely incredible on you.” 

I looked at the fire. “My mother certainly didn’t think so.” 

“Your mother wanted to wrap you in a heavy white blanket so the Alpha couldn’t touch you,” Mina laughed loudly. “I can’t wait to see what the dark fabric looks like when it is actually fitted. Fenris looked like he was ready to rip it off you before you even put it on.” 

I felt a sudden, heavy flush climb up my neck. I didn’t say anything. 

Mina let out a contented sigh. She leaned back, resting her hands flat on the mattress behind her. She looked around the warm, well-lit room, and then she looked directly at me. 

“I like this new Sera,” Mina said quietly. 

I looked up at her. “New Sera?” 

“I love this Sera,” Mina clarified. She gave me a wide, entirely genuine smile. “You stopped apologizing for existing. You stopped hiding behind your Valdris manners. You stood in the center of that hall today and completely dominated the room. You are exactly Luna material.” 

I scoffed. It was a short, harsh, involuntary sound. 

Mina frowned. Her smile vanished instantly. She dropped her hands into her lap. “What?” 

I shook my head quickly, looking back down at my empty hands resting on my knees. “Nothing.” 

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