Chapter 4 The Exiled Alliance

I found Calder in the council chamber, but not as I'd expected. Instead of being surrounded by accusers, he stood alone, one hand pressed to his bleeding side, the other gripping the edge of the great stone table. The room bore signs of a struggle—overturned chairs, scattered papers, and most tellingly, blood that wasn't just Calder's splattered across the floor.

"Calder," I called softly, emerging from the hidden passage I'd discovered behind a decorative shield.

He spun toward me, eyes flaring amber with surprise and something else—relief, perhaps. "Rowan! I told you to stay hidden."

"I felt your pain through the bond." I hurried to his side, examining the wound at his ribs. Three deep gashes, clearly made by claws rather than a blade. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Vane made his move," Calder growled, wincing as I probed the injury. "Accused me of being bewitched, compromised by our binding. When Elder Thorne defended me, Vane attacked him. Things... escalated quickly."

"And Vane?"

A grim smile crossed his face. "Fled when he realized he couldn't take me, even wounded. But he's rallying support. We don't have much time."

I tore a strip from my cloak to bind his wound. "I had a vision. Vane is working with the vampires. He's involved in Elder Marrok's murder, though I couldn't see if he wielded the knife himself."

Calder's expression darkened. "That explains much. The vampires have always excelled at turning potential allies against each other."

"We need to expose him, show everyone what I saw."

"Your word against his won't be enough," Calder pointed out. "Not when he's already painted you as Elder Marrok's killer."

"Not my word—my vision." I pulled the small silver mirror from my pocket. "There's a spell, an old one. It can project what I've seen so others can witness it."

He eyed the mirror skeptically. "And the cost? Powerful magic always has a price."

I hesitated. He was right, of course. "It will drain me significantly. And without my pendant to control the flow of visions, I might become... overwhelmed."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I could lose myself in the visions, unable to distinguish past from future, reality from possibility." I shrugged, attempting nonchalance though my heart pounded. "A small risk, considering the alternative."

Calder's jaw tightened. "Unacceptable."

"We don't have a choice. Vane is gathering forces against you, and I'm already condemned. This way, at least we expose the truth."

Before he could argue further, shouts echoed from the corridor outside—approaching guards, no doubt. Calder straightened, moving protectively in front of me despite his injury.

"There's no time to reach the escape tunnel," he said quietly. "They'll have the passages watched."

"Then we make our stand here." I stepped beside him, silver energy already gathering at my fingertips. "Together."

He glanced at me, surprise and something warmer flashing in his eyes. Then he nodded, drawing his blade with his good arm.

The doors burst open as a dozen guards poured in, led by a triumphant-looking Vane and several council members. They faltered momentarily at the sight of us standing together, clearly not expecting to find me with their prince.

"There!" Vane shouted, pointing at me. "The witch who murdered Elder Marrok and bewitched our prince! Seize her!"

"Stand down," Calder commanded, his voice carrying the full weight of his royal authority. "This council member is the true traitor, working with vampire agents to undermine our clan."

Uncertainty crossed the guards' faces, their loyalty to their prince warring with the accusations they'd heard.

"Listen to yourselves," Vane scoffed. "Would our brave prince ever accuse a loyal council member without evidence? This only proves how deeply her magic has corrupted him!"

I could feel the balance shifting, the guards' resolve hardening as Vane's words took root. It was now or never.

"You want evidence?" I raised the silver mirror, channeling my power into it. "Then see the truth with your own eyes!"

Before anyone could stop me, I released my magic—but instead of directing it at the mirror as planned, I felt Calder's hand close over mine, our binding marks touching. His energy merged with mine, amplifying it, directing it. The spell exploded outward not as a simple projection but as an immersive vision that enveloped the entire room.

The air shimmered, and suddenly we all stood in Elder Marrok's chambers on the night of his death. The scene unfolded just as I had glimpsed in my vision—Marrok at his desk, the knock at his door, the shadowy figure entering. But this time, with Calder's power joined to mine, the shadowy figure's features clarified.

Vane's face, twisted with cold determination, came into focus as he approached Elder Marrok.

_"You should have kept your support for the witch alliance quiet, old friend,"_ vision-Vane said, drawing a silver dagger identical to Calder's. _"The Master has plans that cannot accommodate such... progressive thinking."_

_"Master?"_ Marrok frowned. _"What are you talking about, Vane? What master?"_

Vision-Vane's eyes gleamed with fanatical light. _"The one who will restore the proper order. Werewolves as the dominant force, witches extinct or enslaved, vampires as our respected allies."_

_"You've lost your mind,"_ Marrok growled. _"The treaty was signed. The binding is complete."_

_"Treaties can be broken. Bindings can be severed."_ Vision-Vane moved swiftly, the dagger flashing in the moonlight. _"With your death and the witch blamed, both will crumble to dust."_

The vision showed Marrok's death exactly as it had happened, the precise strike to the heart, the look of betrayal in the old werewolf's eyes. Then came the most damning evidence—Vane carefully placing Calder's ceremonial dagger beside the body, a dagger he must have previously stolen and replaced with an identical copy.

The vision shifted, showing Vane in a forest clearing, kneeling before a pale figure whose face remained in shadow despite our combined power.

_"It is done,"_ vision-Vane reported. _"The witch will be blamed, the prince discredited if he defends her."_

_"Excellent,"_ the pale figure replied, voice like silk over steel. _"The binding must be broken before the next full moon. The Moon Tear cannot be allowed to reunite with the Star Fragment. If the prophecy is fulfilled..."_

The vision faded as my strength began to waver, the edges of the room returning to normal. With a final surge of effort, I pushed one last image into the collective vision—Vane attacking Elder Thorne in this very council chamber mere hours ago, his claws slashing not in defense but in calculated aggression.

As reality fully reasserted itself, I sagged against Calder, utterly drained. The room remained frozen in shocked silence, every eye fixed on Vane, whose face had drained of all color.

"Lies," he finally sputtered. "Witch tricks and illusions!"

"Memory visions cannot fabricate what hasn't been seen," said a raspy voice from the doorway. Elder Thorne stood there, his robes bloodied but his eyes clear and focused. "And I recall quite clearly your claws at my throat, Councilor, when I defended our prince."

The guards shifted, their allegiance realigning as they processed what they'd witnessed. Vane must have sensed the changing tide, for he suddenly lunged forward with inhuman speed, claws extended toward my throat.

"If I die, I take the witch with me!" he snarled.

I was too weak to defend myself, my magic depleted from the vision-casting. But before his claws could reach me, Calder moved—faster than I would have believed possible given his injury. He caught Vane's wrist in mid-strike, the sound of breaking bones distinctly audible in the silent chamber.

"You will never touch her," Calder growled, his voice barely human, eyes blazing amber. With his other hand, he drove his blade into Vane's chest—not a killing blow, but one that effectively incapacitated him.

Vane collapsed, gasping, blood spreading across his fine robes. "Fool," he wheezed. "They'll... come for you both. The Master... has waited centuries for this moment. The Blood Moon rises... in three days."

Calder turned to the guards. "Take him to the healing chambers, then the dungeons. I want him alive for questioning."

As they dragged Vane away, Elder Thorne approached us. "The council must convene immediately. If what we saw is true—and I believe it is—we face a greater threat than we realized."

"The vampire called the Master," Calder agreed. "And something about the Moon Tear reuniting with a Star Fragment."

"The prophecy," I murmured, still leaning heavily against Calder. "The binding between us was only the beginning. There's more to it that we don't understand."

Elder Thorne nodded gravely. "Our most ancient texts speak of the Starfire Twins reuniting two celestial artifacts—bringing together what was sundered in the First War."

"The war between vampires and the united werewolf-witch alliance," I recalled from my studies. "Before our peoples turned against each other."

"Precisely." The elder's eyes were troubled. "If the vampires are moving now, after centuries of relative quiet, it can only mean they fear what your binding represents."

A commotion at the door interrupted us as a group of guards entered, escorting my grandmother. Her face was tight with concern, but it melted into relief when she saw me.

"Rowan," she breathed, hurrying to my side. "We felt the magic surge from across the fortress. What have you done, child?"

"Only what was necessary," I managed, feeling lightheaded from the magical exertion. "Grandmother, we've uncovered a plot—the vampires, they're—"

"I know," she cut me off gently. "Or at least, I suspected. The star patterns have been warning us for months. That's why I came back so quickly after the binding ceremony—to warn you both."

Elder Thorne sighed heavily. "Then what we feared is true. The Eternal Court has awakened."

The name sent a chill through me. The Eternal Court—the ruling council of the eldest vampires, said to enter long periods of hibernation between cycles of conquest. If they had awakened...

"We need to secure the Moon Tear," Calder said decisively. "If they're after it, it must be protected at all costs."

My grandmother exchanged a significant look with Elder Thorne. "I fear it may be too late for that," she said quietly. "The gem was taken from its vault two hours ago. We discovered the theft just before the attack on Elder Thorne."

"Taken by whom?" Calder demanded.

"We don't know," Elder Thorne admitted. "But the wards were dismantled from within. Someone with access to both werewolf and witch magic."

All eyes turned to me, the implications clear.

"It wasn't me," I said firmly. "I was in the hidden chamber when the attack on Calder happened, and with him since then."

"No one is accusing you, Stargazer," Elder Thorne assured me. "But this suggests the traitor Vane is not acting alone. There may be others within our walls who serve the Eternal Court."

My grandmother took my hands in hers, her expression grave. "Which means neither of you are safe here any longer."

Calder straightened, wincing slightly at the movement. "I won't flee my own fortress."

"Not flee," she corrected. "Regroup. There are answers you need, artifacts you must find, if you are to fulfill the prophecy and stand against what comes."

"The Star Fragment," I guessed. "Whatever that is."

She nodded. "An ancient relic, said to be the counterpart to the Moon Tear. Legend places it in the Ashen Valley, hidden within the ruins of the First Temple."

"The vampire stronghold?" Calder looked incredulous. "You're suggesting we walk directly into their territory?"

"Not their territory, not originally," Elder Thorne interjected. "The First Temple was built by our united ancestors—witches and werewolves together—before the Great Betrayal. The vampires claimed it after our alliance shattered."

I exchanged a glance with Calder, feeling the weight of what was being asked of us. "Even if we wanted to go, I'm still considered Elder Marrok's murderer by many. And now the Moon Tear is missing, with more suspicion likely to fall on me."

"Which is why you must leave tonight," my grandmother said firmly. "Both of you. Before the council can debate, before more accusations can fly."

"I have responsibilities here," Calder protested, though I could sense his resolve weakening.

"Your responsibility is to the prophecy now," Elder Thorne said. "Prince or not, you have been chosen for this task. If the Eternal Court succeeds in whatever ritual they plan during the Blood Moon, there may not be a clan left for you to lead."

A heavy silence fell over the chamber as the reality of our situation sank in. Everything had changed in the span of a few hours—Elder Marrok murdered, Vane exposed as a traitor, the Moon Tear stolen, and now this talk of ancient prophecies and vampire rituals.

"If we do this," Calder said slowly, "we'll need supplies, weapons, maps of the old territories."

"Already prepared," my grandmother replied with a small smile. "I may be old, but I can still read the stars. I've seen this moment coming for weeks."

I felt a surge of affection for her. Even now, she was three steps ahead of everyone else.

"There's no guarantee we'll find this Star Fragment," I pointed out. "Or that we'll uncover what the Eternal Court is planning in time to stop it."

"No," she agreed. "But there's also no guarantee you'll survive if you stay. At least this path offers hope."

Calder turned to me, his amber eyes searching mine. "This has to be your choice too, Rowan. We're bound now, for better or worse. Where I go, trouble follows you, and vice versa."

I thought of everything that had happened since I'd slipped into the temple to reclaim the Moon Tear—the binding, the false accusations, the vision of betrayal. None of it was what I'd planned, yet somehow it felt like a path I was always meant to walk.

"The Ashen Valley is at least five days' hard ride," I said, which wasn't exactly an answer.

"Four, if we push the horses," Calder countered, a hint of challenge in his voice.

"Three, if we take the Old Forest path."

"Which is crawling with shadow wolves and who knows what else."

"Afraid, wolf prince?" I raised an eyebrow, surprised to find myself almost smiling despite everything.

A slow grin spread across his face—the first genuine smile I'd seen from him. "Not with a witch at my side."

Elder Thorne cleared his throat. "If you two are quite finished, we have preparations to make. You'll need to leave through the northern tunnel before dawn. I'll handle the council until your return."

"And I'll send word to the Moonshadow Clan," my grandmother added. "They need to know what we face."

As they began discussing logistics, Calder drew me slightly aside. "Are you recovered enough for this journey? That vision spell took a lot out of you."

I appreciated his concern, though I'd never admit how deeply it affected me. "I'll be fine once I've rested. But your wound needs proper treatment before we leave."

He glanced down at his side, where blood had seeped through the makeshift bandage. "It's already healing. Werewolf constitution."

"Still," I insisted, "let me check it properly. If it gets infected on the road—"

"Always the healer," he murmured, but there was no mockery in his tone. After a moment's hesitation, he nodded. "Alright. Before we leave."

We rejoined the others as they finalized the departure plans. It felt surreal, preparing to flee the fortress with the man who had been my captor just weeks ago, now bound to me by magic and prophecy. Yet somehow, standing beside Calder felt more right than anything had in a long time.

Two hours later, we were in a small chamber near the northern tunnel, our packs ready by the door. I'd changed into practical traveling clothes—sturdy boots, leather breeches, and a fitted tunic beneath my midnight cloak. My pendant hung securely around my neck, and a silver dagger was strapped to my thigh.

Calder entered, similarly dressed for travel, his wound properly cleaned and bandaged by a healer my grandmother trusted. He carried an additional pack, which he set down beside our others.

"Extra provisions," he explained. "And this." He handed me a small leather-bound book. "The oldest account we have of the First Temple. It might help us navigate the ruins."

I tucked it carefully into my pack. "Thank you."

An awkward silence fell between us. Despite everything we'd been through, this felt different—a deliberate choice to face danger together rather than circumstances forcing our cooperation.

"You can still change your mind," he said finally. "Stay here under Elder Thorne's protection while I—"

"Don't." I cut him off firmly. "We both know that's not an option. This prophecy involves us both, and besides..." I gestured to the marks on our wrists, still faintly glowing. "Like it or not, we're in this together."

He studied me for a long moment, his amber eyes unreadable. "I don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't not like it." A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Having you with me, I mean."

Before I could respond to that surprising admission, my grandmother entered with Elder Thorne.

"It's time," she said softly. "The guards have been changed to those loyal to Elder Thorne. The path is clear."

I embraced her tightly, breathing in her familiar scent. "Be careful," I whispered. "If there are other traitors besides Vane—"

"I've survived three vampire wars and your grandfather's cooking," she replied with a wry smile. "I'll be fine. You're the one heading into danger."

"We'll return," I promised, hoping it wasn't a lie.

"With the Star Fragment," Calder added, clasping Elder Thorne's forearm in the traditional werewolf farewell.

"And answers," the elder responded. "Remember, trust the binding between you. It's stronger than you yet realize."

With final farewells exchanged, we shouldered our packs and followed Elder Thorne to the entrance of the northern tunnel. The passage was ancient, predating even the fortress itself, carved through the living rock of the mountain.

"This will take you directly to the old hunting forest," he explained, lighting a torch for us. "From there, head east until you reach the Silver River. Follow it south to the Old Forest Road."

"We know the way," Calder assured him, accepting the torch.

Elder Thorne nodded, then surprised me by taking my hand. "Watch over him, Stargazer. He is more important than he knows—to all of us."

Before I could ask what he meant, the elder stepped back, sealing the entrance behind us with a heavy stone door. We were committed now, for better or worse.

Calder lifted the torch higher, illuminating a narrow tunnel stretching into darkness. "Ready?"

I adjusted my pack and nodded. "Lead on, wolf prince."

We moved forward in silence, the only sounds our footsteps and the occasional drip of water from the stone ceiling. The binding mark on my wrist pulsed gently, as if acknowledging the journey ahead.

After nearly an hour of walking, a cool breeze signaled we were nearing the exit. Soon, the tunnel opened onto a small clearing surrounded by towering pines. The pre-dawn air was crisp and clean, the stars still visible overhead.

Calder extinguished the torch, allowing our eyes to adjust to the darkness. "There should be horses waiting at the old warden's cabin, about half a mile east."

As we walked through the silent forest, I found myself studying him in the faint starlight. Despite his wound and the weight of everything that had happened, he moved with fluid grace, alert to every sound and shadow around us.

"You keep staring," he noted without looking at me. "Is there something on my face?"

"I'm trying to figure you out," I admitted. "A few weeks ago, you were ready to tear my throat out for attempting to steal the Moon Tear. Now you're abandoning your clan to embark on a dangerous quest with me."

He was quiet for so long I thought he might not answer. Finally, he said, "I'm not abandoning them. I'm trying to save them—from a threat they don't fully understand yet."

"And me? Where do I fit into this?"

This time he did look at me, his expression serious in the dim light. "You're the other half of the prophecy, Rowan. Whether we chose this or not, our paths are intertwined now."

"That's not really an answer."

A faint smile touched his lips. "No, it's not." He paused, seeming to consider his words carefully. "When I first captured you, I saw you as an enemy—a witch trying to steal something precious from my people. But then I saw your courage during the binding ceremony, your determination to protect your clan even at your own expense. And yesterday, when you risked yourself to uncover the truth about Elder Marrok's murder..." He shook his head slightly. "Let's just say my perspective has shifted."

It was perhaps the most he'd ever revealed of his thoughts about me. I wasn't sure how to respond, so I simply nodded.

We reached the warden's cabin as the eastern sky began to lighten. As promised, two horses waited in a small lean-to beside the weathered structure—a sturdy bay and a dappled gray, both equipped with saddlebags that presumably contained additional supplies.

Calder checked the contents while I prepared the horses. The bay nudged my shoulder affectionately as I tightened his girth strap.

"At least someone's happy about this journey," I murmured, patting his neck.

"He senses your magic," Calder commented, leading the gray over. "Horses are sensitive to witch energy—it calms them."

"Useful skill for the road ahead."

Calder nodded, then tilted his head, listening intently. "We need to move. Now."

I didn't question his urgency, quickly mounting the bay as he swung onto the gray. Whatever he'd heard with his enhanced senses, it was enough to put him on alert.

We rode east as the sun broke over the horizon, casting long shadows through the trees. Neither of us spoke, focused on putting distance between ourselves and whatever had alarmed Calder.

It wasn't until we reached the Silver River, its waters gleaming in the morning light, that he finally relaxed slightly.

"Wolf trackers," he explained at my questioning look. "Not following us specifically—routine patrol, I think—but if they'd spotted us, questions would have been asked."

I glanced back the way we'd come. "Will they follow our trail?"

"Eventually, perhaps. But I chose these horses specifically for their scent-masking qualities." He patted the gray's neck. "They've been fed a diet of herbs that confuse wolf senses. It won't fool them forever, but it gives us a head start."

I raised an eyebrow, impressed despite myself. "You've thought of everything."

"Not everything," he admitted. "Just everything I could in the time we had."

We followed the river south, keeping to the treeline for cover. The day warmed as we rode, the initial tension of our departure gradually easing into a watchful but less anxious vigilance.

Around midday, we stopped to rest the horses and eat a quick meal of dried meat and hard cheese from our packs.

"Once we reach the Old Forest Road, we'll have a choice to make," Calder said, studying a small map he'd pulled from his saddlebag. "The main road would take us around the forest—safer, but adding at least two days to our journey."

"Or we cut directly through," I finished, taking a sip from my waterskin. "Saving time but risking whatever creatures have claimed the forest since it was abandoned."

He nodded. "The Blood Moon is in three days. If Vane was telling the truth about the ritual..."

"We need to reach the First Temple before then," I agreed. "Which means we take the forest path."

Calder folded the map, his expression resolute. "Then we should keep moving. We'll reach the forest edge by nightfall if we maintain this pace."

As we remounted and continued our journey, I found myself oddly comforted by his presence beside me. For all our differences, for all the complicated history between our peoples, there was something reassuring about facing this unknown threat with Calder at my side.

The binding mark on my wrist pulsed gently, as if in agreement. Whatever lay ahead in the Ashen Valley and the ruins of the First Temple, we would face it together—the last Stargazer and the wolf prince, exiled from home but united in purpose.

And perhaps, though I barely dared admit it even to myself, something more than mere allies in the face of danger.