The healers said Tarinne's condition wasn't worsening.
They said her high temperature was going down, and her heart was beating like it should, But they couldn't say what made her sick , not a bug, no sickness they knew about, and there were no injuries on her body, She just suddenly fell and then was out for many hours.
Elora didn't think things just happened for no reason, Not ever again.
She stayed next to her daughter for many hours, watching her chest go up and down softly, wanting her to open her eyes. While she was very afraid, something even worse was on her mind, the words she heard in the hall, "When the ritual is ready."
She had to know what was going on,
That night, when no one was making noise outside her room, Elora went out quietly, She didn't turn on the lights and walked softly, staying away from the boards she knew would make noise from cleaning. Her shoes were stuffed with cloth to make them silent, and her coat was on tight because the hall was cold.
The place where the pack kept old archives was under the east side, between two storage rooms, and a sleepy guard who didn't care watched it.
Tonight, there nobody was guarding it.
She went inside without anyone seeing her.
The air felt still and dry, and it smelled like old paper and stone dust. Long rolls of paper were on the walls, and books filled big shelves, sorted by who was in charge and what the rules were. She moved fast, reading each tag, trying to find anything about rituals, curses, or families.
About fifteen minutes went by before she saw something, an old folder hidden with maps of where they started.
Inside was a paper that made her hands shake.
It said there was a wolf curse passed down in the royal family, but it stayed hidden until someone was betrayed or lost something, The only way to stop it was "to use pure, good blood from the partner's family." Someone had marked these words in red, "Partner's first child."
Elora couldn't breathe,
They were going to use Tarinne for this,
She grabbed the paper hard, She had to take it, She needed to prove it,
"Looking for something?"
The voice sounded sharp like a whip in the room,
Elora turned quickly, and the paper fell from her hand,
Janna was standing in the doorway, wearing a dark robe, with her arms folded like she didn't care, Her mouth made a small, funny smile.
"You scared me," Elora said, with her voice sounding tight.
"I think I did." Janna walked inside slowly, closing the door quietly behind her, "Not many wolves go into the archives when they aren't allowed at this time."
Elora didn't say anything,
Janna looked down at the paper on the floor, and then looked back at Elora, "You want to know about the curse, right?"
"I heard some things," Elora said, keeping her voice steady, "I had to know what was going on."
Janna's smile didn't show in her eyes, "Wanting to know is dangerous, Especially when you go where you shouldn't be."
Elora stood up straight, "I deserve to know what you are up to."
"We aren't up to anything," Janna answered calmly, "But if you keep pushing like this, you might lose more than just your cool."
Elora squeezed her jaw shut tight,
"You might lose her," Janna said quietly, moving nearer, "Raydar would never forgive you, And I'd hate for Tarinne to get stuck in your fears."
It wasn't a direct threat, But the message was easy to understand.
Janna walked by her, picked up the paper, and carefully put it back in the folder, "You should go back to your room, It's late now."
Elora didn't move at first,
But after a while, she turned and walked away quietly, her hands shaking at her sides.
As soon as Elora got back to her room, she started to pack.
Her hands moved quickly, quietly, and smoothly, She shoved clothes into a cloth bag, grabbed Tarinne's favorite blanket, a water bottle, and a small bag of dried fruit from the bottom drawer. Each thing she touched only made her move faster and more nervously.
She had understood enough.
The old scroll's words played in her head , Mate's firstborn child, And Janna's quiet warning, hidden behind smiles, had proven everything, They hadn't given up, The ritual was still happening, Tarinne was still at risk.
Elora looked toward the small bed where her daughter was sleeping, unaware, her chest going up and down softly under the blanket, Her face was no longer pale, her fever had gone down , but Elora didn't trust the quiet, Not anymore.
She put the bag over her shoulder and reached for Tarinne.
A floorboard made a noise outside the door,
Elora stopped moving,
Then, a knock, Not loud, Just three slow, careful taps.
"Elora," Raydar spoke softly from the hall, "Please open up."
She didn't even budge,
"I know what's going through your head," he added, his voice became gentle, "Running won't fix anything."
She stepped away from the door, holding Tarinne tightly, Her child moved a little, speaking softly in her sleep, but didn't wake.
"Elora," Raydar repeated, with more force, "Please. Just speak with me."
She paused , then quickly went to the window, opened it, and started to lift Tarinne up, They could sneak into the forest, She'd done it before, and She'd do it once more.
The door suddenly flew open,
Raydar walked in, his eyes immediately seeing the packed bag, the open window, the fear in her face.
"No," he said sternly, stepping closer, "You're not allowed to do this."
"You don't get it," she whispered, "She's not safe in this place, None of us are."
He moved toward her slowly, carefully, as if approaching an injured animal.
"I overheard them," she said, her voice breaking, "Your second-in-command and Janna, Talking of a ceremony, About holding us here until the time is right."
Raydar blinked, surprised.
"You have no clue?" she questioned, sounding out of breath, "You really don't know anything, do you?"
He didn't speak, but his eyes changed somehow, changed into Something scary.
"I won't just sit and wait again," she stated, "I won't let anyone take my daughter."
"I'm not your enemy," he spoke softly,
"Maybe not," she whispered back, "But you're also not stopping the bad people."
She moved toward the window once more.
Raydar dashed across the room quickly, blocking her way, He didn't grab her, not yet, but the strong feeling coming from him told her the wolf inside was close to the surface.
"You're not leaving," he told her, "Not like this."
"I'm not your prisoner."
"No," he said, "but you're her mother, And she needs to stay alive to have a future."
Elora's eyes stung, "Then let me keep her safe."
"I am doing that," he said, "By keeping you here."
She looked at him, her chest moving fast, caught between anger and sadness.
Raydar moved aside and asked for two guards.
"Lock the windows, Secure the hallway," he said without yelling.
The guards nodded and left down the hallway,
He looked back at her, "You're staying inside, Until I figure out what's happening."
"You can't keep us locked up," she said in an upset tone,
"I can," he answered, "and I will, if it means you both will be safe."
He shut the door as he left,
And this time, the lock clicked from the outside.