Cael mindlinked Elle.
Cael:We don't say anything else.
Elle: We are stupid.
Cael:You know what this reminds me of…
Elle: What?
Cael:When Aeron was examining our swords…
Elle snorted. Her voice echoed back through the mindlink, mimicking Aeron's tone.
Elle: You don't understand… they're alive!
They did their best not to laugh—truly, they tried.
Marra and Elle slipped into the restricted section, Cael and Redmoon behind them. They passed rows of ancient shelves until they saw Nova standing before a marble dragon. Every scale and ridge was carved with impossible precision, a faint vibration humming within the stone.
The dragon's head lifted. It opened its mouth, and fire blazed out.
Nova stepped forward, unflinching.Rex reached for her, heart lurching. "Nova—"But he was too late.
She walked straight through the fire as if it were wind and laid her palm on the dragon's head.
A deep vibration rolled through the library. Every torch and fireplace flared gold.
The dragon spiraled inward and sank beneath the floor, leaving a marble staircase unfurling in its place.
Redmoon stared at the opening, then turned to Elle and Cael with a straight face.
"When Hyran asks, I'm blaming both of you."
Nova's eyes flickered silver for a moment before returning to green. She blinked, looking at Rex, who stared at her as though she'd just walked through fire and remained unburned. To be fair, she had.
"Are you alright?" Nova asked gently, taking a step toward him. Concern flashed in her eyes.
"Yes, I'm fine, Nova," Rex said, laughing under his breath. "Gods, no wonder Fin drinks."
Before Nova could respond, Elle cleared her throat. Nova spun immediately.
"Elle! You're okay!" she cried, rushing to her. She pulled Elle into a hug. "I was worried."
Twenty mage-librarians snapped their heads toward them, shushing in offended unison. One clutched his robes dramatically, as though overcome.
"I'm alright," Elle whispered, hugging her back.
Cael's voice cut in, dry and flat. "I heard you made a portal and Ashbane ran right through it."
Nova's face fell. She knew the reference. She had opened a portal for Ashbane. But she had also opened one for Cael to run through.
She swallowed hard, sincere regret filling her gaze.
"My apologies, Cael," she said, composed but quiet. "We never saw a scenario where you lived. I should have told you first, and I would have, but we were out of time. So I made the decision."
"I don't care how little time we had," Cael replied, voice flat. "You could have mindlinked me while you were running. You could have asked before you did it. I couldn't protect Elle. She almost died."
Nova nodded, eyes reddening, her voice barely a whisper. "I understand why you are upset with me. And I am truly sorry."
Cael didn't respond. He looked away from her.
Nova added softly, "It will not happen again."
Still, Cael didn't look at her.
Rex stalked over and fixed him with a pointed, unmistakable glare.
"Nova, let's see what's down these stairs," he said quietly, taking her arm.
Nova swallowed. Her eyes were red but she nodded and followed him.
Elle and Marra both looked at Cael. Elle's gaze in particular sharp and disapproving.
"I have every right to be mad at her," Cael muttered to Elle, defensively. "You almost died."
Elle didn't respond. But her expression said enough.
Nova, Rex, and Redmoon were already descending the stairs. Rex caught a glimpse of Nova's face in the torchlight.
"He's just cranky because he missed all the action," Rex said, his tone light, as if Cael's entire personality could be summarized as chronic battle-deprivation. "You deny that male one fight and he behaves like someone stole his favorite toy."
Nova laughed, a silent tear falling from her eye, but Rex pretended not to notice. Not in front of his father who was behind them.
"He'll come around. You saved his life and his mate is fine," Rex added.
A moment later, Rex grinned and said, "Now, the real question is what adventure are you dragging my father and I into without Hyran? He is going to be upset that he's missing this."
Redmoon laughed from behind them.
"I blame the Betas."
Elle and Marra followed down the spiral steps, Cael came last, his jaw tight as they walked into a room swallowed in pitch-blackness.
Nova's eyes began to glow silver. Without a word, she stepped forward into the dark.
Everywhere her boots touched, the floor lit up beneath her in bright, glowing gold — like sunlight etched into the stone itself, illuminating her through the pitch-black chamber.
Rex took a step to follow, but the ground beneath his foot remained dim. He froze realizing that only she left golden footprints.
She walked deeper into the shadows, unarmed, her figure glowing softly in the void.
Rex's breath caught and instinct seized him. He sprinted after her and caught her hand just as she stepped up onto something solid. Nothing happened.
He followed her upward along what felt like stairs, though the world remained drowned in pitch-blackness.
Then, as if Nova had expected it, a sudden flash tore through the dark. The top of the marble walls flickered to life — golden runes igniting one after another like a cascading wave, casting an amber sheen across the chamber. Not bright, but enough for Redmoon, Cael, and Elle to finally see the marble bridge Nova and Rex had crossed so they could follow.
The room was massive and slightly chilled. It felt as if they were outside at night.
Nova's eyes flashed green, locking on Rex. He held her gaze for a moment too long.
Her eyes flickered back to silver and she turned towards the darkness.
She slipped from his grip and dove straight into water — or what appeared to be a vast underground lake.
The lake immediately blazed gold when she entered, lighting the room.
"What on Earth…" Alpha Redmoon muttered under his breath.
Rex dove after her without hesitation, cutting through the golden-lit water. He mind-linked his father.
Rex: The water did that for her at Falls of Elaran's Veil.
Redmoon: Try not to react to anything we see here. We will discuss later.
Rex: Understood.
The gold spread outward through the entire lake, then down a connecting river, revealing just how colossal this hidden chamber was. It was easily the size of the Redmoon castle itself. Grass. Trees. An island rising from the center of the water.
Above them, constellations shimmered across the ceiling, and a massive silver moon flared to life like a summoned deity.
Elle and Marra both gasped, unable to contain themselves.
"Oh, perfect. A whole secret forest under the library," Cael muttered, bitterness slipping out. "Because today wasn't insane enough."
Nova swam toward the center of the lake where an island rose silently from the water. Rex was right behind her, cutting through the gold-lit current with steady strokes.
As they drew closer, he could make out a metal basin resting on a marble pedestal at the island's center. A dim fire already burned within it, flickering weakly as though waiting for something.
Nova surfaced on the island in one swift motion, her thick hair glowing. Her foot steps still leaving a golden glow pulsing beneath.
She grabbed a sharp rock with one hand. Rex followed her to the basin, watching closely, trying to decipher what she was doing.
She raised the rock above her hand and he caught her wrist—but she moved anyway, slicing across her palm.
Silver blood welled instantly, brighter than moonlight. She squeezed it into the basin.
The moment it hit the metal, the basin flared gold. The entire pedestal pulsed with ancient magic.
It shimmered unnaturally, almost blinding as it hit the basin. A radiant light bloomed from the center, spiraling outward like ripples in still water. The glow cast dancing shadows across their faces.
From the other side, Redmoon was able to make out silver coloring in her blood. His jaw tightened slightly, but he said nothing. He already knew—or had guessed. And he held his composure like any seasoned alpha.