Chapter Seventeen – Secrets of the Vale
The Frosted Vale was nothing like the Bloodstone Plains.
Cold mist curled around the jagged cliffs, and the ground was coated with a thin layer of frost that glimmered beneath the pale morning sun. Each breath Aria took came out in a soft cloud of white. She hugged her cloak tighter as Kael led the way, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Are we close?" she asked, her voice quiet against the eerie silence of the Vale.
Kael nodded, his glowing eyes scanning the horizon. "The Moonstone Altar lies at the heart of this valley. We'll be there by nightfall—if we're not slowed down."
Aria frowned. "Slowed down by what?"
"By whatever the witch has left to guard it," he said grimly.
---
The path narrowed as they moved deeper into the Vale. The frost grew thicker, crunching beneath their boots. Aria's breath fogged in the air, but despite the chill, there was a strange warmth in her belly—a faint, almost comforting hum.
She touched her stomach absently, then stopped when Kael noticed.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
"No," she said quickly. "It's… nothing. Just a feeling."
---
Kael slowed his steps and studied her carefully. "Aria, since the night of the ritual, I've felt… something different about you."
Her throat tightened. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, as if weighing his words. "Your energy. It's stronger, but not just because of the magic. It's like…" His voice lowered. "…like something is growing inside you."
---
Aria's heart skipped. She remembered the night they shared beneath the moonlight, the closeness between them that had felt like both a beginning and an ending.
"You think… I might be…" She trailed off, unable to say the word.
Kael's gaze softened but turned guarded. "If it's true, it changes everything. The prophecy speaks of an heir born under blood and moonlight. If that child is ours…"
---
Aria's breath hitched. "Would that make us stronger—or just give the witch another reason to hunt me?"
"Both," Kael said grimly. "She'd see the child as a threat. Which means we can't let her find out. Not yet."
Aria pressed a hand to her stomach, a strange mix of fear and fierce protectiveness rising in her chest. She wasn't sure if it was true—but something deep inside told her Kael was right.
---
They walked in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts.
When the Moonstone Altar finally came into view, Aria stopped in awe.
It stood in the center of a frozen lake, a massive structure of pale stone carved with glowing runes. The light from the altar pulsed like a heartbeat, illuminating the ice around it in shades of silver and blue.
"It's beautiful," Aria whispered.
"It's dangerous," Kael corrected. "The altar feeds on life energy. If we make one mistake, it will take more than it gives."
---
They made their way across the frozen surface of the lake, Kael testing each step for cracks. The altar's glow grew brighter as they approached, and the humming in Aria's belly intensified.
"Do you feel that?" she asked, gripping his arm.
"Yes," Kael said, his voice tight. "The altar recognizes you."
"Is that… good?"
"Depends," he said. "If it accepts you, it will amplify your magic. If it rejects you…" He didn't finish the sentence, but the look in his eyes said enough.
---
They stopped at the base of the altar. Kael placed a hand on one of the runes, his expression grim.
"These markings," he said softly, "tell of a bloodline bound to the moon and shadow. The last line… speaks of an heir. One born not just of magic, but of love strong enough to break a curse."
Aria's heart pounded. "Love?"
Kael's gaze flicked to hers, unguarded for a heartbeat. "It's the only force stronger than the witch's darkness."
---
Before Aria could respond, the ground trembled beneath them. Cracks splintered across the ice, glowing with dark energy.
"She's here," Kael said sharply, pulling his sword free.
The witch's laughter echoed through the Vale, cold and cutting. "How touching," her voice purred. "The cursed king and his little mortal think they can defy me?"
Shadows erupted from the cracks, twisting into monstrous forms.
---
Kael moved instantly, his sword blazing with black fire. "Stay behind me, Aria!"
"No," she said, summoning her silver light. "Not this time. I'm fighting with you."
The first shadow lunged at her, its form like smoke and claws. Aria thrust her hand forward, and the light exploded from her palm, searing through the creature.
Another shadow lunged at Kael, and he cut it down in a single stroke. The two of them moved together like they'd trained for years, their magic and steel blending into something unstoppable.
---
But the witch's voice only grew louder. "You can't protect her forever, Kael. Her blood will feed the altar, just as mine once did."
Aria froze. "What does she mean?"
Kael's jaw tightened as he struck down another shadow. "The altar was built with her blood. She's tied to it—and she wants you to be, too."
---
Suddenly, the altar flared with blinding light. Aria felt herself being pulled toward it, like a thread being yanked by unseen hands.
"Kael!" she cried, digging her heels into the ice.
He grabbed her hand, pulling her back with a force that nearly knocked them both over. "Don't let go!"
"I'm trying!"
---
The light dimmed slightly, but the runes on the altar now glowed silver, pulsing in rhythm with Aria's heartbeat.
"It's calling you," Kael said, his voice urgent. "Aria, if you step onto that altar, it will either give you the power to end her—or it will kill you."
She stared at him, fear and determination warring inside her. "What if I don't have a choice?"
Kael's eyes burned with intensity. "Then I go with you."
---
For a moment, everything was silent except for the sound of their breathing and the distant echo of the witch's laughter.
Aria nodded, gripping his hand. "Together, then."
Kael's lips tightened into something that was almost a smile. "Always."