C5 The Truth in the Ring

Lyria's POV

"The woman who looks like you may not be your past, Lyria. She may be your warning."

I stared at the Moon Priest.

For several seconds, I couldn't understand what he meant.

My fingers were still trembling from the vision the ring had shown me. The woman's face was burned into my mind.

The same dark hair.

The same eyes.

The same small scar beneath the left side of her chin.

She had looked exactly like me.

"Who was she?" I asked.

The Moon Priest didn't answer immediately.

His gaze shifted toward the silver ring lying on the floor.

Then toward Cassian.

Something passed between them.

Something neither man wanted me to see.

I noticed.

"Why are you looking at him?"

Cassian's jaw tightened.

"I'm not hiding anything from you."

"Then tell me who she was."

His gray eyes met mine.

"I don't know."

I laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

His brows drew together.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means everyone here seems to know something about me except me."

I pointed toward the ring.

"I touch that thing and suddenly I see a woman who looks exactly like me. The Moon Priest says I'm connected to an ancient prophecy. Someone tried to burn me alive. And now you're telling me you don't know anything?"

My voice cracked.

"I'm the one being hunted, Cassian. Don't I deserve to know why?"

The room became painfully quiet.

He didn't correct me for using his name.

Instead, he looked at the Moon Priest.

"Tell her."

The old man sighed.

"I was hoping we would have more time."

"Time is exactly what we don't have."

Cassian's voice was hard.

The priest slowly bent down and picked up the ring.

"This belonged to Lyanna Ashwood."

My heart stopped.

"Ashwood?"

He nodded.

"She was a member of an ancient bloodline that disappeared twenty-four years ago."

My mouth went dry.

"How old was she?"

"Twenty-four."

I stared at him.

No.

That couldn't be a coincidence.

"Is she alive?"

The priest looked away.

"We don't know."

My hands curled into fists.

"Then how can you say she disappeared?"

"Because the night she vanished, an entire village was destroyed."

A chill moved through me.

"What village?"

The priest's expression changed.

"Moonfall."

I had heard that name before.

Not from the pack.

From my brother.

Years ago, when he was feverish and barely conscious, he had once whispered that word.

I had always assumed it was a nightmare.

Now I wasn't so sure.

"What happened there?"

The priest lowered his voice.

"Twenty-four years ago, Moonfall was home to a family believed to carry the original blood of the Moon Goddess."

He looked directly at me.

"Then one night, someone attacked them."

"Who?"

"The Order of the Broken Moon."

My heart pounded.

"The same people who attacked the palace?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

The priest hesitated.

"Because they believed a child would be born from that bloodline."

"A child who would possess the power to unite every werewolf pack."

I swallowed.

"And if they couldn't control that child..."

"They intended to kill her."

Her.

Not him.

Her.

My stomach twisted.

"You're saying the child was a girl?"

The priest nodded.

"Yes."

Cassian suddenly stepped closer.

"Enough."

I turned toward him.

"Why?"

His expression was unreadable.

"Because you're exhausted."

"No."

I shook my head.

"I'm tired of everyone deciding what I can and cannot know."

He stared at me.

Then his gaze softened slightly.

Just for a moment.

"You almost died tonight."

"So did Ivy."

His expression changed.

I stepped closer.

"She was hiding because of me."

"No."

"She was in my room because of me."

"Lyria."

"Someone else died wearing my clothes."

My voice broke.

"How many more people have to die before you tell me the truth?"

Cassian said nothing.

That silence hurt more than any answer could have.

I turned away.

"Take me back to my room."

"You don't have a room anymore."

I froze.

"What?"

"The eastern wing is compromised."

"Then where am I supposed to stay?"

Cassian's gaze remained on mine.

"With me."

My heart skipped.

"What?"

"Until we know who is behind the attacks, you will stay in the Alpha's quarters."

I stared at him.

"Absolutely not."

His eyebrow lifted.

"That wasn't a request."

"And I'm not one of your soldiers."

"No."

He stepped closer.

"You're the woman someone tried to murder tonight."

His voice dropped.

"And until I find out who, you're staying where I can protect you."

Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.

I looked away.

"I don't need you."

"I know."

His answer surprised me.

He didn't sound offended.

He sounded almost amused.

"But you need protection."

Before I could reply, a scream echoed from outside.

Everyone turned.

A guard burst into the room.

"Alpha!"

Cassian immediately reached for his sword.

"What happened?"

"The prisoner..."

The guard was pale.

"He escaped."

Cassian's expression hardened.

"Which prisoner?"

"The assassin we captured near the western wall."

My blood ran cold.

"The one with the black eyes?"

The guard nodded.

"He's gone."

"How?"

"We don't know."

Cassian moved toward the door.

Then the guard added,

"He left something behind."

He held out a small piece of black cloth.

There was a symbol stitched into it.

The same broken crescent moon.

But underneath the symbol were three words.

SHE REMEMBERS EVERYTHING.

I stared at the message.

My stomach dropped.

"I don't remember anything," I whispered.

The Moon Priest looked at me with something close to pity.

"That's what they want you to believe."

Before I could ask what he meant, pain suddenly exploded behind my eyes.

I grabbed my head.

A scream tore from my throat.

The world blurred.

The temple disappeared.

The voices around me faded.

And another memory rushed into my mind.

A woman was holding me.

She was crying.

Blood covered her white dress.

A man stood behind her, desperately trying to hold back a group of armed wolves.

"Take her!"

The woman pushed a tiny bundle into his arms.

"Don't let them find her."

"Lyanna!"

The man shouted.

She looked down at the baby.

At me.

Then she kissed my forehead.

Her lips trembled.

"Forgive me, little moon."

I gasped.

The memory shattered.

I opened my eyes.

Cassian was holding me.

His face was inches from mine.

"Lyria."

I couldn't breathe.

I looked down at my hands.

Then at the ring.

Then back at him.

"I was there."

Cassian frowned.

"What?"

"The night Moonfall was destroyed."

The Moon Priest's face went completely pale.

I swallowed hard.

"I wasn't born after it."

My voice trembled.

"I was there."

Everyone stared at me.

Then I whispered the words that made the entire room go silent.

"I think..."

"...I am the child they were trying to kill."