Seraphina's POV
A Keeper? My voice came out too high. I don't even know what that means!
The crowd pressed closer, everyone trying to see my glowing marks. Their whispers rose like a storm—excited, terrified, disbelieving.
Impossible, someone muttered.
The Keepers are extinct!
She's kingdom-born. How can she be
Everyone back up! Kira's voice cracked like a whip. Give her space before she panics and accidentally brings the whole forest down on us!
The crowd shuffled back reluctantly, but their eyes stayed locked on me. Hungry. Desperate. Like I was supposed to be something I wasn't.
An old woman pushed through the mass of bodies. She moved slowly, leaning on a carved wooden staff, but everyone stepped aside for her immediately. Respect or fear—I couldn't tell which.
She stopped in front of me, and I got my first clear look at her.
Ancient. That was the only word that fit. Her face was deeply lined, her hair white as snow and hanging in a long braid down her back. But her eyes were sharp and clear, missing nothing.
Elder Rowan, Dante said quietly. She's our historian. Keeper of the old knowledge.
The old woman studied me with those piercing eyes, then held out her hand. Let me see your marks, child.
I hesitated. Something about her gaze made me feel exposed, like she could see every secret I'd ever kept.
I won't hurt you, Rowan said gently. But I need to confirm what I'm seeing.
I extended my arms, the silver runes still glowing bright enough to cast light on the old woman's face.
Rowan took my hands in hers. Her skin was papery thin, covered in age spots, but her grip was surprisingly strong. She turned my arms over slowly, examining every symbol.
Her expression shifted from curiosity to wonder to something that looked almost like grief.
I never thought I'd see these again, she whispered. Not in my lifetime.
See what? I asked.
Keeper marks. Rowan traced one of the symbols on my forearm. These aren't just mate bonds, though those are present too. These are the marks the land gives to those it chooses as its voice. Its rulers.
The word rulers hit me like a slap. No. I'm not, I can't rule anything. I'm just trying to survive!
The land doesn't care about your plans, Rowan said, not unkindly. It chooses who it needs, not who's ready.
Dante had said almost the same thing earlier. The memory sent uncomfortable warmth through my chest.
Kira stepped closer, her warrior's skepticism clear. Elder, the Keepers died out three centuries ago. Everyone knows that.
They didn't die out. Rowan's voice went hard. They were driven out. When the Five Kingdoms decided to reject wild magic and build their 'civilized' society, they hunted anyone with Keeper blood. Forced them to choose, renounce their heritage or be executed.
My stomach twisted. My family...
Your family chose survival over power, Rowan finished. They suppressed their Keeper bloodline for generations. Pretended to be normal nobles. Hid what they were to avoid execution.
My father knew? The betrayal cut deeper than Celeste's or Adrian's. He knew I carried this magic and never told me?
He knew. And he feared what you'd become if you awakened. Rowan's eyes softened with sympathy. That's why he let them destroy you, child. Better you dead than powerful enough to expose his family's secret.
Rage burned through me, hot and clean. My own father had sacrificed me to protect his reputation. To hide the truth of what we were.
What exactly is a Keeper? I forced the words out through clenched teeth.
Rowan released my hands and turned to address the crowd. Three hundred years ago, before the kingdoms rejected wild magic, Keepers served as bridges between humans and the land. They could communicate with the Wildlands' consciousness. Channel its power. Sense threats from miles away. Heal blighted earth. Command nature itself.
She looked back at me. They ruled alongside the Alphas, balancing primal instinct with wisdom. Power with compassion. Together, Keeper and Alpha were unstoppable.
That's why the kingdoms killed them, Kira said quietly. They were too powerful to control.
Exactly. Rowan nodded. And now, after three centuries of silence, the land has called a Keeper home.
I didn't ask for this! My voice cracked. I just wanted to die with dignity. Not become some—some magical ruler!
The land doesn't ask permission. Dante's hand settled on my shoulder, grounding. Trust me, I know.
Through the bond, I felt his memory again—seventeen years old, drowning in power he didn't want while his parents' bodies still burned.
You were forced to be Alpha, I said, understanding clicking into place. Just like the land is forcing me to be, whatever this is.
Keeper, Rowan supplied. And yes. The land takes who it needs, when it needs them. It's been waiting generations for a Keeper to awaken. For someone strong enough to claim the power their ancestors abandoned.
What if I'm not strong enough? The question came out small. Frightened.
Rowan smiled, and it transformed her ancient face. Child, you survived six weeks in the wasteland on pure spite and determination. You crossed the Thornwall when every instinct screamed it would kill you. You stood in front of a settlement of hostile strangers and refused to cower. She touched my cheek gently. You're stronger than you know.
Tears burned behind my eyes. I blinked them back furiously.
The marks will continue spreading, Rowan continued, her tone turning serious. Over the next days and weeks, they'll cover more of your body as the land bonds with you fully. Each new mark will awaken more of your power.
How much power are we talking about? Kira asked.
Rowan's expression grew grave. At full strength? A Keeper bonded with their Alpha mate can reshape the land itself. Call storms. Heal dying forests. Sense every living thing within the territory. Command the Thornwall. She paused. And destroy armies.
The crowd's whispers exploded into excited chatter.
We could finally fight back against the kingdoms!
Drive them away from our borders!
Make them pay for what they've done!
No! I shouted, and the crowd fell silent. I'm not your weapon. I didn't ask for this power, and I'm certainly not using it to start a war!
Even if they start one with us? Kira challenged. The kingdoms won't ignore a Keeper awakening. They'll see you as a threat.
They already want me dead, I shot back. Being a Keeper just gives them another reason.
Which is why you need to learn to defend yourself, Dante said quietly. Elder Rowan can teach you to control the power. I can teach you to survive. But you have to choose to learn.
What if I choose to refuse? To reject this Keeper nonsense?
Rowan shook her head sadly. The marks are permanent. The bond is sealed. You can refuse to train, refuse to accept your role, but the power will still awaken. And untrained power is dangerous, to yourself and everyone around you.
As if to prove her point, the ground beneath my feet trembled. Small tremors rippled outward, making people stumble.
I didn't do that! I said quickly.
Yes, you did. Rowan's voice stayed calm. Your emotions fuel the magic. Right now, you're angry and scared, so the land responds with earthquakes. Imagine what happens if you lose control completely.
The tremors stopped, but fear replaced my anger. I could hurt people. Accidentally destroy the very settlement trying to help me.
I don't want to hurt anyone, I whispered.
Then learn control, Dante said. His hand found mine, lacing our fingers together. Silver light flared where our marked skin touched. Let us teach you.
Through the bond, I felt his determination. His certainty that I could master this. His absolute refusal to let me face this alone.
Something in my chest loosened slightly.
Okay, I said. I'll learn. But I'm not promising to be your Keeper or your weapon or your salvation. I'm just trying not to accidentally kill someone.
That's all we ask, Rowan said. For now.
Kira cleared her throat. Elder, if the kingdoms discover what she is—
They'll send everything they have to eliminate her, Dante finished, his voice going cold. Commander Vex. Elite assassination squads. Maybe even Adrian himself.
My head snapped toward him. How do you know about Commander Vex?
She led the purge that killed my parents. Hatred bled through every word. I know exactly how the kingdoms operate. And I know they won't tolerate a Keeper living, especially one bonded to their Alpha enemy.
Rowan's expression grew troubled. There's something else you should know, child. The mate bond between Keeper and Alpha isn't just romantic. It's a power amplifier. Together, you're exponentially stronger than apart.
Which makes us an even bigger threat, I said bitterly.
Yes. But it also means— Rowan hesitated. If one of you dies, the other's power is severely weakened. Possibly destroyed entirely.
Ice flooded my veins. You're saying if they kill him, they neutralize me too?
And vice versa.
I looked at Dante, seeing the same realization dawn in his amber eyes.
The kingdoms didn't just need to kill me. They needed to kill both of us.
And if Celeste and Adrian discovered I was alive—if they learned I'd become something far more dangerous than a disgraced exile
They'd stop at nothing to finish what they started.
How long, I asked quietly, before the kingdoms find out I'm here?
Kira and Dante exchanged a look.
They already know, Kira said. Border patrols spotted you crossing the Thornwall. By now, Commander Vex has reported to the Crown. Adrian knows you survived.
My breath caught. Then he'll come for me.
Without question, Dante agreed.
How long do we have?
Kira's jaw tightened. Days. Maybe a week if we're lucky. They'll want you dead before your power fully awakens.
Then we don't have much time. Rowan's hand tightened on her staff. Your training starts now, child. Today. This moment. Because when they come—and they will come—you need to be ready to fight back.
The marks on my arms pulsed brighter, as if the land itself agreed.
I'd survived betrayal, exile, and six weeks of slow dying.
Now I had to survive becoming the one thing the kingdoms feared most.
A Keeper.
And somehow, I had to do it before Adrian arrived to finish killing me.