Chapter 700: The War to Come
Chapter 699: The War to Come
Ronan chuckled.
The sound was light, almost casual, as if he were describing something mundane rather than a battle against the most dangerous creatures in Nirvana.
"When you were having your vision," he said, leaning against the wall with ease, "some trihydras, skylurs, and even a few tidebreakers saw it fit to try their luck at the gates. We dealt with them."
He paused, then nodded toward Brynhild.
"Although, honestly, Brynhild did most of the work."
Brynhild did not deny it. Her smile widened, and she tilted her head slightly, as if accepting a compliment she already knew she deserved.
"The beasts were restless," she said excitedly. "They came in waves. Disorganized. It was almost as if something was driving them forward without a clear plan."
Sophia’s stomach tightened at those words.
Something driving them forward.
She thought of what she had seen. Of the plans she had heard. Could it be that there was actually something driving the beasts?
Tobias shifted against the wall. "What did you see, Sophia?"
Sophia took a breath, steadying herself. The room had gone quiet. Every eye was on her.
"First," she said, "we have to prepare for war, and we have very little time. Victoria is meeting with the Enclave. She is going to lie to them. She will tell them that the Nightshade Pack killed the messenger they sent and sent back his head alone."
Daniel cursed under his breath, his one hand clenching into a fist at his side.
"She is using the messenger as an excuse," Madam Tyler said quietly. "A justification for what she already plans to do."
Sophia nodded.
"Yes. The Enclave will believe her. They will sit around a table and nod while she feeds them lies. They will speak about the Nightshade Pack like we are nothing—like we are a problem to be eliminated, not people who have suffered and survived and built something worth protecting."
Her voice hardened at the end, and she felt Orion’s thumb brush against the back of her hand.
"That is not all," she continued. "Victoria is trying to gain the ability to control the beasts of Nirvana."
Eldric straightened abruptly.
"How is that possible?" he asked. "The beasts are not connected to any one person. They do not answer to a ruler. They answer to instinct and hunger and nothing else."
Sophia shook her head.
"She works with a priestess," she said. "One who is so rooted in black magic that she looks even uglier than the beasts of Nirvana."
She paused, remembering Selith’s looks, her missing teeth, her hunched frame, and yellowed nails.
"Her name is Selith. She is the one who is going to help Victoria achieve that ability. And I do not think we can stop it now. Whatever ritual they are preparing, it is already too far along."
The room fell silent again.
Ronan’s grin had disappeared entirely. He stood straighter now, his weight shifted, his eyes sharp.
"So you are telling us," he said slowly, "that Victoria is going to come here with the full force of the Enclave behind her, and she is going to bring the beasts of Nirvana with her."
Sophia nodded.
"She is bringing the war here. To the North. To our home. The other territories will fall in line behind her. They will believe her lies, and they will come here to destroy us."
She took a breath.
"We must prepare."
No one argued.
No one said it was impossible. The elders exchanged glances, and Sophia saw something shift in their expressions. Something close to acceptance.
It was not quite a surprise to them that this was happening. They had suspected it would. They simply did not know when.
Sophia took another breath, deeper this time, and then she spoke again.
"But that is not the worst part."
Ronan’s brow furrowed.
"What could be worse than someone trying to control the beasts of Nirvana?" he asked.
Sophia looked at him for a while and then spoke.
"There is a traitor in the pack."
The room went silent. So silent one could hear the sound of a drop of snow hitting the floor.
Orion’s grip on her hand tightened.
"A traitor," he said.
It was not a question.
Sophia nodded.
"And if we let them stay, then they would be part of... he would be part of the reason the gates fall and why the pack is destroyed," she said.
Daniel’s expression darkened. "Do you know who it is?"
Sophia nodded.
"I saw his face. In the vision, he stood beside Victoria while I was bound in the circle. He bowed to her. He told her he would do anything for his family."
She paused, trying to recall the details.
"I do not know his name. I have seen him in passing, perhaps. He looked vaguely familiar. But I cannot say more than that. He was tall, broad-shouldered. Dark armor, no insignia. His voice was low and smooth."
Ronan’s hand moved to his chin, his fingers tapping against his jaw as he thought.
"Could it be Kairen?" he asked. "He was one of Victoria’s men. It would make sense."
Sophia shook her head firmly.
"No. I have seen Kairen. I know his face. This man was not him."
Orion turned to her, his eyes cold.
"But you will recognize him if you see him again."
It was not a question.
Sophia met his gaze.
"Yes."
"That’s enough then," Ronan said.
Orion then turned to the others and exhaled.
Everyone’s attention turned to him.
"If there’s anyone who doubts my mate, you may speak now," he said, but no one said anything.
"Since no one is saying anything, that means everyone believes her. And since we do, one thing should be known. No one is to let it slip that there’s a traitor in the pack. Sophia knows his face, but she doesn’t know exactly who he is, and if we do anything to raise suspicion, the traitor may know and hence look for a way to escape if possible or who knows, get a skin mask and pretend to be someone else."
