Jax stepped back into the room Nova had been placed in. The Shadowclaw omegas packed already what they knew he, Fin, and Nova would need. Three bags sat by the wall: Nova's clothes folded with near-sacred precision, his and Fin's gear stacked beside them. Shadowclaw efficiency at its finest.
She was still in her training suit, unzipped and folded down, leaving her upper half bare except for her sports bra. She was bandaged now. Jax hated that he'd left her even for a moment, but he had no choice.
He exhaled slowly and moved to her side.
He grabbed a damp cloth from the basin and washed the dried blood from her ribs, her collarbone, the streak along her stomach. Each mark made something cold unfurl in his chest.
When he finished, he brushed a thumb across her cheek, leaned down, and pressed a steady, lingering kiss to her forehead.
"You're not dying tomorrow," he whispered against her skin. "I'm not letting you."
Fin's voice slid into his mind.
Fin:Can you come to Redmoon's study? Across the corridor from the library.
Jax exhaled through his nose. He didn't want to leave her. Not again. Not even for a minute. But the tone in Fin's mindlink wasn't optional — something was happening.
He pulled a thick blanket over Nova's body, tucking it around her like armor.
Jax:Yes. On my way.
He brushed a knuckle down her cheek, slow, reverent.
"I'll be right back," he whispered. "I love you, baby… we're going to fix all of this."
He kissed her forehead gently and left the room with the reluctant gait of a man walking away from a piece of his own soul.
Jax slipped into Alpha Redmoon's study, closing the heavy door behind him. Rex stood near the desk, arms crossed. Aeron leaned against a bookcase. Hyran paced. Beta Fang watched them all with that unnervingly calm, knowing stare.
The moment the latch clicked, Hyran spoke.
"First — we cannot discuss any of this in front of Nova." His tone was sharp. "Her mind is compromised. He knows she's seeing what he sees, which means the flow likely goes both ways. And she has no control over it."
Fin and Jax both nodded, grimly.
Redmoon folded his hands behind his back. "With how often it's been said, it's very likely he believes she's near death. We let him believe that for as long as possible. The closer he thinks she is to dying, the less guarded he'll be. He'll put less effort into contingency plans. We take the advantage where we can."
Fin's jaw flexed, but he nodded once.
"Understood, but I don't want Nova believing that herself. She has a tendency to…" He paused, searching for the right phrasing. "She won't hesitate to self-sacrifice if she thinks it will save everyone."
Aeron exhaled sharply.
"She confided in me today about turning herself over to Ashbane in an attempt to prevent an invasion across all of Varos and protect Redmoon and Shadowclaw. She believes she's dying regardless, and turning herself in is the only leverage she has left."
"She's assuming he wants peace. He wants control," Rex said, his expression darkening. He hadn't realized her thoughts had spiraled that far. Ashbane was wearing her down, and she'd borne it in silence.
Redmoon's expression hardened. "Power is his excuse. Control is his language. He wants her mark for strength, yes. But he desires her. That makes it personal."
"Yes. And he's also willing to kill her if he cannot have her," Fin said, his voice low with certainty.
"He wields dark magic freely and betrays loyalty without hesitation. We do not negotiate with him," Redmoon said flatly. His gaze moved slowly across the room, absolute.
"I have assembled a task unit to retrieve the artifact tonight," Beta Fang said, tone crisp with military precision. "Delaying until morning increases the risk to the mission and everyone involved. Before deployment, I seek your leave, as this concerns the Queen of Shadowclaw. Rex is affected, yes, but the danger closes around her first."
"Permission granted," Fin said at once.
A ripple of power brushed the air as Beta Fang mindlinked, and moments later a man stepped through the doorway. Broad-shouldered, scarred, and steady. The kind of soldier whose very presence carried the weight of campaigns won and comrades buried.
Beta Fang gestured to him.
"This is Captain Rhylen Varr, Commander of Redmoon's Shadow Battalion. Veteran of three continental campaigns, breaker of the Siege of Ironholt, and the only captain to hold the Northern Gates without a single casualty. If there is a man alive who can infiltrate an enemy's den and walk out with what he came for, it is him."
Rhylen bowed his head once, respectful but unyielding. He stepped forward, voice low and composed, carrying the quiet precision of a man who had already mapped seven outcomes before speaking a single word.
"Operation Retrieval Strike One," he began. "Our primary objective is to recover the Moonveil relic currently in Ashbane's possession. Based on the descriptions given—shattered desk, silver blood vial, rune-reactive surface—we have identified the chamber as his personal study. It sits on the second subterranean tier beneath the Ashbane stronghold, connected by two access corridors and one concealed stair. All three are warded."
He lifted a folded schematic, already inked and annotated.
"We will deploy a twelve-person strike team. Four Shadow Battalion mages skilled in silent ward-disarmament. Six elite soldiers—stealth unit, cloaked, trained for close-quarters engagement. Two aerial scouts positioned outside the stronghold perimeter to monitor movement and signal extraction. No heavy weapons; all blades rune-treated to avoid magical detection."
His eyes moved to Fin and Jax, measured and unwavering.
"We have intelligence confirming Ashbane's forces are thin tonight. Most of his warriors are stationed at the Temple outskirts still. His personal guard rotation around the study is down to four. We neutralize them quietly, breach through the service corridor, and access the study from the western archway. Estimated time to retrieve the relic: eight minutes."
"We do not engage Ashbane. If he appears, we extract. No exceptions. Our mission is the item, not the fight."
Rhylen folded the schematic again, posture unshaken.
"When we secure the relic, we portal directly to Redmoon's upper cloister. No trail. No trace. No chance for pursuit. My team is ready to deploy at your command."
Beta Fang gave a single decisive nod the moment Rhylen finished.
"Your orders stand. Retrieval Strike One is authorized and deployed as of this moment. Bring the relic home and leave no shadow behind you."
Rhylen bowed once—clean, crisp, absolute—then vanished through the door with the silent precision of a man born for impossible missions.
The door clicked shut.
Rex straightened, the authority in his voice ringing clean through the chamber.
"Next order of business. The ancestors said only Dragon Incarnates may enter the final portion of tomorrow's task." His gaze swept the room. "That clearly implies Nova and myself. However—"
He paused, letting the weight of the revelation settle.
"Right now, in this room, we have two Dragon Incarnates."
Jax's grin spread slow.
Hyran folded his arms, thoughtful. "Even so, we do not yet know whether her magic will be required. Every task thus far has demanded it."
Rex inclined his head. "True. But if two of us are permitted entry, our odds increase dramatically. Even without her full strength, Nova can channel power from Jax. That gives her—and by extension, us twice the survivability."
Fin murmured his agreement under his breath and the room seemed to shift.
"We will all go as far as we can tomorrow. Just as we did today," Hyran said, his tone resolute.
Aeron nodded, expression grave but unwavering.
"It took all of us to complete today's trial. Nova led, unquestionably—but my mind keeps returning to the lake. Without one of us there to heal, that would have ended in death."
He looked around the room, jaw tight with conviction.
"There is no universe in which I allow her—or any of you—to walk into another task alone."
"You're right," Fin said immediately. "What happened today required every single one of us."
Redmoon let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.
"From the way it was described… it sounded less like a single task and more like a month-long siege."
Hyran rubbed his hands together with the kind of giddy academic anticipation that only a mage could muster, and Aeron mirrored the expression—equal parts dread and excitement.
"The morning began with a plateau of ice splitting just from Nova speaking Draken-Vorah. A dragon bonding, extinct ice dragons, an oasis that should not have existed, and a lost civilization." Hyran said, counting on his fingers like he was reciting a grocery list.
"You're forgetting a mean queen, an ancient temple built solely to murder visitors, death-trap puzzles that would make a demon sweat, and the giant squid that tried to make sashimi out of us." Aeron said with glee.
"And," Hyran added, "the talisman dragon key—"
"—and the compass," Aeron cut in, eyes lighting up, "that literally points to the Hidden Gates of the Moonveil Ruins."
Hyran looked at him with pure academic delight, practically vibrating.
"The Hidden Gates, Aeron. Do you understand what this means?"
"Oh I understand," Aeron said, equally elated, "I've already mentally rearranged an entire library wing to store the discoveries."
Fin rubbed his face.
Jax muttered, "Gods help us."
Rex just stared at them like they were an endangered species he had, unfortunately, been tasked to protect.
Redmoon cleared his throat, the faintest edge of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. His posture remained every inch the ruling monarch who had a duty to finish.
"We have had combat-weave armor prepared for you three," Redmoon said, his gaze moving to Fin, Jax, and Aeron with deliberate precision. "And I've had several sets crafted for her as well.
"Shadowclaw produces fine work, but ours is laced with Pyrestone Thread, a volcanic filament infused with dormant dragon-fire. It resists elemental burns, repels frostbite, and better keeps the body insulated even under full submersion."
Fin inclined his head with genuine sincerity.
"We will wear it—gladly—and we are deeply grateful to Redmoon for this, and for your aid in untethering her from Ashbane."
Redmoon nodded once, accepting the gratitude like a man accustomed to being owed nothing and giving anyway.
A sharp knock struck the door.
Redmoon's mouth curved into a knowing smile. "It would appear Captain Varr has returned."
He opened the door, and there the captain stood—calm, composed, and holding the relic as though he had simply retrieved a misplaced book rather than infiltrated the lair of a deranged dark-wielder.
Hyran stepped forward at once, hands glowing red as he scanned the captain for traces of corruption. A small coil of dark magic clung to the Pyrestone weave of Rhylen's armor; Hyran drew it out in one smooth, practiced motion, dissolving it in his palm.
The captain inclined his head with professional respect. "Impressive. I'm surprised that wasn't detected on arrival. I'll have my men checked immediately."
Rhylen placed the relic on the desk—its runes faintly pulsing.
"Tomorrow," Redmoon said, voice low and firm, "we untether this."
He looked each of them in the eye—Fin, Jax, Rex, Aeron, Hyran—measuring how close to collapse they all were.
"But tonight, you rest."