Chapter 31: Chapter 31: The Weight of Discovery

Chapter 31: The Weight of Discovery

Morning had already settled over the fortress when Seraphina sent for them.

Lord Valerius and Isolde arrived together, both clearly irritated. Valerius didn’t bother hiding it. Isolde didn’t even sit immediately; she stood beside the chair, arms crossed, looking like she had already decided she wouldn’t like whatever this meeting was about.

"You called for us again," Valerius said. "I assume this is important."

"It is," Seraphina replied calmly.

Isolde finally sat down, but the tension in her shoulders didn’t ease. "If this is about that girl again, you’re wasting our time."

"It is about her," Seraphina said. "And this time, you should listen carefully."

Valerius frowned. "What now?"

"The Luna is still training," Seraphina said. "And Kael is the one handling it personally."

Isolde let out a short, irritated breath. "We already know that. The whole fortress knows. He doesn’t even try to hide it anymore."

"That doesn’t mean he’s compromised," Seraphina replied.

"Then what does it mean?" Isolde asked sharply. "Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like that. He ignores everyone else, but the moment that girl appears, suddenly she matters more than the council, more than the pack, more than—"

She stopped herself, but the damage was already done.

Seraphina watched her quietly for a moment before continuing. "Or it means he knows something we don’t."

Valerius leaned forward slightly. "Explain."

"I don’t think that girl is ordinary," Seraphina said. "And I don’t think she’s just a wolfless Luna either."

Isolde’s eyes narrowed. "Then what are you trying to say?"

"I think she may be connected to an ancient bloodline," Seraphina said.

Valerius stiffened immediately. "Which one?"

"The White Wolf."

Silence followed that. Real silence this time.

Isolde stared at her like she had just said something ridiculous. "That bloodline is extinct."

"That’s what my grandmother believed too," Seraphina replied calmly. "Until she found the records."

Valerius’s jaw tightened. "You’re saying that girl is White Wolf, and yet she can’t even shift?"

"That’s exactly what makes it suspicious," Seraphina said. "A bloodline doesn’t disappear completely. Sometimes it just hides."

Isolde leaned back in her chair slowly. "Or maybe she’s exactly what she looks like. Weak. Useless. And pretending to be something she isn’t just because Kael lets her."

There was no mistaking the hatred in her voice now.

Valerius spoke next. "If there’s even a small chance you’re right, then she’s dangerous."

"Yes," Seraphina said.

"Then we get rid of her," he continued immediately. "Before this becomes a bigger problem."

"No," Seraphina said.

Valerius frowned. "Why not?"

"Because if she really is White Wolf, killing her now would be a mistake," Seraphina replied. "You don’t destroy something that rare before you understand what it can do."

Isolde gave a quiet, humourless laugh. "So you want to protect her now?"

"I want to study her," Seraphina corrected.

Valerius stared at her for a few seconds, clearly thinking. "And how exactly do you plan to do that? She’s under Kael’s protection. We can’t just walk into her room and start asking questions."

Seraphina didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked at both of them carefully before speaking again.

" The one who will help is here already."

Valerius frowned. "Who?"

"Ivy."

That got a reaction instantly.

Isolde straightened. "Ivy is here?"

"Yes," Seraphina said. "She arrived last night. I spoke to her personally and she’s willing to cooperate."

Isolde’s eyes lit up slightly, and for the first time since entering the room, she looked interested. "i told you, she will help us"

"She already is," Seraphina said. "She knows things about Liora that we don’t. Habits. Weaknesses. How she reacts when she’s afraid. How far she can push herself before she breaks."

Valerius leaned back slowly. "And you trust her?"

"I don’t need to trust her," Seraphina said. "I just need her to hate Liora enough to talk."

Isolde smiled faintly. "That part won’t be a problem."

Seraphina continued, "Ivy will stay in the fortress for a while. Officially, she’s here because she wants protection. Unofficially, she will help us understand exactly what we’re dealing with."

Valerius looked thoughtful now instead of annoyed. "And what happens if she confirms your theory?"

"Then we move carefully," Seraphina said. "Because if that girl really is White Wolf, she’s more valuable alive than dead."

Isolde’s expression darkened again. "Valuable to who?"

"To whoever controls her," Seraphina replied.

The room fell quiet again.

Isolde looked down for a second, then back up, and when she spoke again, her voice was colder. "You’re all thinking about bloodlines and power. I’m thinking about something simpler. As long as she stays here, Kael will keep choosing her over everything else."

Valerius didn’t respond, but he didn’t disagree either.

Seraphina watched Isolde carefully. "Then this benefits you too."

"How?" Isolde asked.

"Because the faster we find her weakness, the easier it will be to remove her without making Kael suspicious," Seraphina said.

That was the first thing that actually satisfied her.

Isolde leaned back in her chair, calmer now. "How long do you need?"

"A few days," Seraphina replied.

Valerius shook his head. "You have one week. After that, we decide what to do with her."

"One week is enough," Seraphina said.

The meeting ended a few minutes later. Valerius left first. Isolde followed, but not before stopping at the door.

"If Ivy really wants to help us," she said quietly, "make sure she understands one thing. I don’t care about bloodlines. I just want that girl gone."

Seraphina nodded once. "I’ll make it clear."

The door closed behind her, and the room finally went quiet.

Seraphina sat down slowly and opened the old book on her desk again, turning to the same page she had read too many times already.

Each use leaves a mark. Each mark takes something in return.

Her eyes stayed on the page for a long moment before she leaned back in her chair.

If Ivy was telling the truth, then Liora had been healing people long before she ever came to this fortress. Which meant the number of scars already on her body might be far higher than anyone expected.

And if that number was already close to the limit, then time wasn’t on the girl’s side anymore.

Seraphina closed the book quietly.

Downstairs, the fortress was already awake. Servants moving through the halls. Guards changing shifts. Training grounds filling again.

Somewhere among all of them, Liora was probably waking up right now, still sore from yesterday, still trying to prove she belonged here, still unaware that someone had already started counting.

And now Ivy was here too.

Which meant the girl wouldn’t just be watched from the outside anymore.

This time, the threat was coming from someone who knew her well enough to destroy her properly.