Seraphine’s Bargain
The underground prison had been left behind, but its echoes seemed to follow Seraphine wherever she went. Now confined in a heavily fortified cage within the caravan traveling to the council, she sat with a veneer of composure. Outside the steel bars, Isla’s presence lingered like a shadow, her silver hair catching the faint light of the torches lining the makeshift camp.
Bringing Seraphine had been a calculated decision, not one made lightly. Draven had argued against it, his voice low but fierce in the privacy of their quarters.
“She’s dangerous, Isla,” he’d growled, pacing the length of the room. “Leaving her behind risks sabotage, but taking her with us is like dragging poison into a wound.”
“She’s my sister,” Isla had replied, her voice firmer than he’d expected. “We’ll keep her restrained, guarded, but I can’t let her sit back at the pack where we can’t watch her.”
“He won’t,” Draven interrupted, his amber eyes narrowing. “But you’re right. If we take her, she’ll have no opportunity to scheme. She stays caged the entire trip. No exceptions.”
Now, Isla stood before Seraphine’s cage, her arms crossed as her sister watched her through the bars with an expression that was part amusement, part calculation. The steel shackles binding Seraphine’s wrists glinted faintly in the dim firelight, the runes etched into them glowing softly—an extra layer of assurance against her shadow magic.
“You came to visit,” Seraphine said, her voice light with mock surprise. She shifted her position, reclining slightly as though she were a queen on a throne instead of a prisoner in a cage. “How touching.”
Isla’s gaze was unyielding, her voice cold. “What do you want, Seraphine? If this is another game, I’m not interested.”
Seraphine’s expression softened—or at least pretended to. Her voice lowered, carrying an edge of urgency. “Sister, you don’t understand. Tobias is only the beginning. There are forces at work here that neither you nor Draven can comprehend. Free me, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Isla tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a faint, humorless smile. “You’ve lied to me before, Seraphine. Manipulated me, tried to kill me. Why should this time be any different?”
“Because this time,” Seraphine said, her voice dropping into a whisper, her eyes locking onto Isla’s, “I don’t want you dead. Not yet, anyway.”
The chill in her words crawled up Isla’s spine, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she stepped closer, her silver eyes flashing. “You’re not helping your case.”
Seraphine’s smile twisted into something bitter. “You think you’re safe, don’t you? Sitting up there beside Draven, thinking your precious bond will shield you from everything?” She let out a low, humorless laugh. “You’re more naive than I thought.”
“If there’s a threat, speak plainly,” Isla demanded.
“Plainly?” Seraphine echoed, her laughter softening into a smirk. “The wolves at this council, the alliances Tobias is forging—none of it matters. The real danger is the one you haven’t seen yet. The one lurking in the shadows you’re too blind to notice.”
“Enough.” Isla’s voice cut through Seraphine’s words like a blade. “You’re staying right where you are. Whatever game you’re playing, it ends here.”
Seraphine’s laughter echoed around the camp, sending several nearby guards into uneasy glances at one another. She pressed her face closer to the bars, her voice dropping to a hiss. “Oh, Isla. The game’s only just begun.”
Without another word, Isla turned and strode away, leaving her sister’s laughter behind. But as she walked back toward the campfire where Draven and the others were gathered, the unease Seraphine had planted in her chest refused to fade.
Draven noticed the tension immediately, his sharp gaze locking onto her as she approached. “What did she say?”
“More riddles. More threats,” Isla replied, her voice quieter now. She sank onto the log beside him, rubbing her hands together against the chill. “I don’t know if she’s lying or if there’s something we’re missing.”
Draven’s jaw tightened, his hands resting on his knees. “She’s always lying, Isla. But if she’s hiding something valuable, we’ll find it before she has a chance to use it against us.”
