Free Web NovelChapter 74: Chapter 74
Riley’s POV
"Healing from what?" Sebastian asked as he suddenly pulled my wrists closer to his nose and scented them deeply like he was trying to catch something hidden beneath my skin.
My heart dropped so fast it felt like it hit the ground.
It beat Thump. Thump. Thump.
I was not expecting that at all.
The way he held my wrist was firm, and I could feel his fingers pressing into my skin while he inhaled slowly, panic rushed through my entire body.
I could hear my heartbeat loudly inside my ears, and for a second I was sure everyone else could hear it too. If he detected anything strange, if he sensed something connected to that mark, everything would be over.
"It’s healing from an infection," Cane said instantly without hesitation, his voice calm but serious.
Sebastian did not respond immediately. He kept holding my wrist, his nose still close to my skin, and I felt exposed in a way I did not like at all.
I forced myself not to pull away because that would only make me look guilty. My palms were sweating, and I prayed silently that whatever Caden had rubbed on my skin earlier was strong enough to hide the scent.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Sebastian slowly lowered my arm. His grip loosened, and he let go. My wrist felt cold where he had been touching it.
He locked his gaze on me, and for a few seconds he said nothing. His eyes searched my face carefully as if he was trying to read my thoughts.
Then suddenly he smiled.
"Sorry for that," he said calmly. "I must have misjudged something."
I did not relax. Not even a little.
"And good luck in there," he added. "I will pray to the goddess for your survival."
There was something about the way he said that which made me uncomfortable. It did not sound sincere. It sounded like he was already preparing himself for my death.
Then he turned and walked away without another word.
I let out a breath I did not realize I had been holding, but before I could fully calm down, Caden suddenly grabbed my arms tightly.
"We need to hurry before the Veil closes," he said urgently.
I blinked in confusion and snapped my gaze at him. "Veil? What Veil?"
He did not slow down. He started pulling me forward quickly, and Cane followed right beside us.
"Did you think Obsidian Veil was just an ordinary name?" Caden asked without looking at me.
"I don’t know," I said honestly. "Nobody explained anything to me properly."
"There is a Veil," he said. "A barrier that hides this place from human eyes. It keeps the world separated. What you see here is only visible because you have been brought inside the protected territory."
My confusion only grew. "So what does that have to do with the Rite?"
He finally looked at me. "The same Veil that hides this land is also guarding the heart of Obsidian Veil. The Rite of the Borrowed Moon takes place beyond it. You are going to pass through that barrier. Once you step inside, you are cut off from the outside world."
My stomach tightened. "Cut off how?"
"You will not be able to leave until the moon cycle allows it," he answered.
"That makes no sense," I said quickly. "What if I change my mind?"
"You cannot," he said plainly.
My steps slowed. "You’re saying once I go in, I’m trapped?"
"For sixty days," Cane said quietly.
I stared at both of them. "And you are only telling me this now?"
"You were already determined," Caden replied. "Telling you earlier would not have changed your decision."
"That is not the point!" I said, frustration rising inside me. "I deserve to know everything!"
Caden stopped walking suddenly, forcing me to stop too. His expression was serious.
"Then listen carefully," he said. "When you pass through the Veil, your senses will change. The forest inside is alive in a way you cannot imagine. Time does not move normally there. The moonlight behaves differently. The wolves that roam inside are not ordinary wolves."
I frowned. "What do you mean not ordinary?"
"They are Moonbound," Cane answered. "They are wolves that failed previous Rites just as you’re about to do yours, the only difference is that you’re human and they were wolves. They are trapped between forms. Not fully wolf and they guard the heart of the Veil."
A chill went through me. "You mean they were sent there also like me?"
"They were candidates," Caden corrected. "But they did not survive."
My breathing became uneven. "And you think I am supposed to survive that?"
"Yes," he said simply.
We resumed walking, and I felt like my legs were moving on their own.
Just then a thought hit me.
"What exactly am I supposed to do in there?" I asked. "If I get inside, what am I meant to accomplish?"
Caden stopped again and looked at me with surprise. "Gunnar did not tell you?"
I shook my head. "No."
His jaw tightened slightly, and for a second he looked annoyed.
"You are not just going there to survive," he said slowly. "You are to bring something back."
My heart skipped. "Bring what back?"
He did not answer immediately, and that only made me more nervous.
Caden glanced at Cane.
Cane exhaled slowly and stepped closer to me. "At the center of the heart of Obsidian Veil," he began, "there is a place called the Lunar Hollow. That is where the first wolf was created."
I stared at him. "And?"
"And inside that hollow roams three Prime Wolves," he continued. "It is not like the Moonbound wolves. They are older. Stronger and carries the blessing of the moon but they’re cursed."
My mouth went dry. "You want me to fight it?"
"No," Cane said immediately. "If you try to fight it, you will die."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"You must earn its acknowledgement," Caden answered.
I blinked. "How?"
"You must survive long enough in there for it not to kill you," he explained.
"That is insane," I said.
"If you survive and one of them accepts you, it will shed a strand of its lunar fur."
I stared at him. "You’re serious?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "You must bring back a strand of one of the Prime wolves silver fur."
My heart pounded again.
"That fur is proof that the moon has acknowledged you as our wife," Caden said. "Without it, the Rite is considered incomplete."
"And if it does not accept me?" I asked quietly.
"Then you do not leave," Cane said.
The weight of that answer hit me hard.
"So I am supposed to wander in a dangerous place for sixty days," I said slowly, "avoid Moonbound wolves that used to be people, survive whatever else is inside there, and somehow convince an ancient Prime Wolf to give me its fur willingly?" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"Yes," Caden said without hesitation.
I stared at him in disbelief. "And you thought I did not need to know this earlier?"
"You needed courage first," he replied.
"I still need courage!" I snapped. "You are sending me into something I barely understand; perhaps your father was right!"
"You said you were selfish," Caden reminded me. "You said you were doing this for yourself."
"I am," I said, my voice shaking slightly, "but that does not mean I want to walk in blind!"
Cane placed a hand gently on my shoulder. "Riley, listen to me carefully. The Prime wolves craves fear and kills anyone that has it. If you stand your ground, even in fear, you have a chance."
"A chance," I repeated.
"Yes," Caden said. "That is all anyone ever has."
I was silent for a few seconds, trying to process everything.
"So that silver fur," I said finally, "that is the only way to complete the Rite?"
"Yes," Cane answered. "You must return holding it in your hands. It cannot be stolen. It cannot be cut by force. It must be shed willingly."
"And if I try to trick it?"
"It will kill you," Caden said plainly.
The honesty in his tone made it worse.
I looked ahead toward the direction we were heading, and I could feel something eerie in my bones.
"The Veil," Caden said quietly. "We are close."
I swallowed hard.
