The dawn of the first day brought a cold sense of liberation. I wasted no time in selling off the pack equity agreement that Vladimir had signed with his own hand.
Five winters of suffering. This was what he owed me.
The next day, with the gold in my keeping, I went to the healing house to arrange my brother's move. There were healers across the sea with ancient knowledge who could mend his shattered spirit. I intended to carry him away from this cursed territory forever.
But as soon as I arrived, I was met with chaos. The pack caregiver rushed over, fear clear on her face. "Luna, where have you been? Your brother's condition has turned for the worse!"
My chest tightened as if claws had sunk into it. "What do you mean? He has been stabled all this time. What happened?"
Too bad, the caregiver could not give me a clear answer.
Not long after, the elder healer came out from the healing den, his face dark. "Luna, we've stabilized him for now, but his situation is critical. His state could fall at any moment. This place does not have the power for this kind of fight. I strongly urge you to move him to the Moon City healing sanctums at once."
I did not waste a heartbeat on indecision. We summoned a carriage, and soon we were racing down the old path toward the city.
We were only two turns away when a line of dark chariots blocked the road. The coachman climbed down to speak with the sentries, but came back shaking his head. "They have claimed this whole stretch for a Luna rite. They will not let us pass."
What celebration could possibly outweigh a life hanging by a silver thread?
I kicked open the carriage door and leaped onto the cobblestones. There, leaning against a gilded carriage with a smirk on his face, stood Vladimir. His arm was draped possessively around Stella.
In that moment, a massive magical display ignited above the street. It shimmered with the words: 'Happy 24th Birthday, Stella.'
A birth rite? They blocked the healing path for a birth rite?
Fury surged through me, wild and uncontrollable, like a wolf breaking free of its chains. "Vladimir! Move your carriage! We need to get through to the Moon City healer’s sanctum!"
He looked over with lazy eyes. "You just left the healer sanctum yourself. Instead of going home to brew some broth for Stella, you are running to the Moon City healer sanctum? For what?"
"My brother!" I snarled, my voice shaking with need. "His spirit is failing. I need to get him to the Moon City healer sanctum now!"
My blood parents were long gone to the spirit lands. My brother was all I had left in this world.
Vladimir knew this truth better than anyone. For a fleeting second, his gaze softened, and he hesitated.
But Stella leaned her head against his shoulder, her eyes shimmering with false confusion. "Your brother? Is he not safe, comfortable and well cared for at the healing house as we speak?"
I was burning with fury. "I do not have time for your tricks, Stella. This is life or death. Move out of the way!"
Her lips trembled as she forced tears into her voice. "Luna Abigail, I know you are angry because Alpha Vladimir has been spending so much time with me lately. But how could you sink so low? Cursing your own brother's spirit to fail just because you are jealous?"
Then she looked at Vladimir with innocent eyes. "Alpha Vladimir could easily learn the truth with a quick crystal communicator call. There is really no need to lie, is there?"
Her soft, gentle voice struck like a claw. Hitting every one of Vladimir's weak spots.
Frowning, he made a call with his crystal communicator. After a short talk, the hesitation on his face vanished completely.
Suddenly, the bells inside my carriage began to chime frantically.
"Luna, we are losing him!" the caregiver cried out. "We need to move now!"
My palms were soaked with fear as I begged, "Vladimir, I am on my knees! Please let us through!"
Unfortunately, Vladimir only showed his teeth in a snarl. "I just sent word. Your brother is at the healing house, perfectly fine. I did not expect you to fall this low, Abigail. How much gold did you pay that actor inside the carriage? You are just jealous of Stella's coming pup, so you picked today of all days to pull this trick and ruin her birth rite."
The bells inside screamed louder, but he was too caught up in his own pride to see the truth.
Moments later, one long, flat howl rang out from inside the carriage. Chaos broke out as the healers rushed to pull his spirit back.
The elder healer soon came out, shaking his head. "I am sorry, Luna. We were too late."
My whole body shook. The tears would not stop falling.
"Vladimir!" My voice cracked. "You have finally done it. For Stella, you killed the last of my blood I had left. Are you happy now?"
For a brief moment, seeing my grief, doubt flickered across his face.
He opened his mouth to say something when Stella handed him her crystal communicator. "Alpha, I worried I might be wrong, so I called the caregiver earlier. Look. They are taking good care of her brother."
She showed him a projection of my brother, perfectly fine, being cleaned in his healing bed.
What a perfect illusion.
Whatever doubt Vladimir had vanished in an instant. Disgust twisted across his face. "You are a master of the stage, Abigail. It is a pity you did not seek a life in the theater. Today is Stella's birth rite. So I will not deal with your lies now. But tomorrow, we will finish this."
With that, he pulled Stella close and walked away without a second look. I crumbled beside my brother's cooling body, sobbing helplessly.
