Left here.
Right at the statue.
Cut through the glass gallery.
Up one flight.
Down another.
"Nova! Let me help! What's wrong?" Jax yelled, running at Alpha speed after her. He felt her through the matebond. Her adrenaline was on high and something horrible had happened.
Jax reached to grab her just missing by an inch because she turned a sharp corner. It was unexpected and her boots skidded on the polished floor leaving a mark. Jax slid right past it. By the time he reached the hall she just turned, he saw her turn another sharp corner.
Her heart hammered against her ribs, the phantom pull of Rex's panic—the echo of his fear she had felt through her dream.
Doorways blurred around her. Her instincts were correct every turn. She somehow knew this palace, like a memory trying to surface, burning in her gut like a truth. Something ancient. Buried. Stirring.
"Nova what's wrong?" Jax called, almost catching up. She was fast.
She didn't turn around. He felt it, she couldn't. Something was life or death urgent.
As she ran, people paused to look at her. She was running at alpha speed, so most didn't see her. The ones who did catch a glimpse were confused. She had no time to dwell taking another sharp turn that Jax skidded by. Again.
She recognized the tapestry. It was extravagant with the Redmoon crest, but not large enough to warrant suspicion of a passage on the other side. It was a narrow tunnel for a few feet and opened into a large passage. This was the fastest, most direct path. She quickly climbed behind the tapestry into the tunnel.
Jax skidded only for half a moment, but when he corrected and followed her down that corridor, he found a dead end. She was gone.
This passage was very narrow and she ran at alpha speed, ignoring her shaking legs and screaming muscles. It was a maze with twists and turns, but she knew where to go. She didn't know how much time she had left. Without hesitation, she pushed the large painting on the other side open.
Meanwhile, Jax searched the wall. He knew there was a hidden door somewhere. Then he found it. It was narrow but he could see it opened. He dove through, rolling to the other side.
Jax: Nova, where are you?
Her voice came back softer than usual and he felt her panic surging. Like she just realized he was there.
Nova: Jax? How did you…
But at that very moment, she skidded to a halt, at alpha speed at the center of the throne room, leaving the portrait door hanging open.
Rex and Redmoon were in a discussion. An argument perhaps? It looked serious. Redmoon's head snapped up when he heard the portrait open. No one knew about that path. Not even Rex.
He saw a blur enter the room with light blonde almost white hair. She ran at Alpha speed and skidded to a halt in middle of the throne room. She was in pajamas, boots, and a cloak.
Alpha Redmoon's jaw fell open for a moment. He'd never heard of a woman being able to run at Alpha speed. How did she know about that tunnel? Wasn't she still bedridden?
Rex followed his father's line of sight and saw her.
Nova staggered once, hands on her knees for a moment. Her lungs burned. Her throat felt like sand and smoke.
His eyes went wide with confusion and relief.
"Nova —- How are you here?" he breathed.
When she tried to speak, her voice scraped out barely audible.
"You were attacked," she rasped. "A dark mage—a captain—inside your walls…"
She started coughing, unable to stop. She just now realized that she was absolutely parched.
Her knees nearly buckled beneath her, breath hitching in her chest. She hadn't spoken a word in days—every sentence felt like dragging glass up her throat.
Rex went still. Too still. Then sprinted to her, helping her steady.
He felt her confusion through the matebond.
"Nova… you are not well. You've been unconscious for days."
"Please sit. Hyran is on his way." Redmoon said.
Rex helped her to a chair. She coughed again.
Footsteps thundered down the corridor. Hyran burst into the room, eyes blazing red. His eyes went to the picture frame that was hanging open like a hidden door. He muttered something, and it shut.
Then he saw her.
"Nova! How… what happened?" He said shocked.
Nova opened her mouth to answer but doubled over coughing—deep, tearing coughs that shook her whole body.
Hyran was at her side instantly, uncorking a vial with one flick of his thumb. "Drink."
She swallowed because she couldn't breathe enough to argue. The effect was immediate—heat down her throat, air rushing back into her lungs, her ribs finally loosening enough that she could straighten.
Rex stepped closer, voice low, and rattled. "Start from the beginning."
"Assassination and invasion."
Hyran frowned. "Did you see this happen?"
She nodded.
"A dream?" He asked.
She nodded again, still coughing.
"Day or night?"
"Night." She rasped, just now noticing it was daylight outside.
"When you dreamed it…were you watching the scene unfold or were you in the scene?" Hyran asked.
"Through Rex's eyes" She said.
Hyran's brows furrowed. At that moment, the picture door opened and Jax ran out at Alpha speed. Surprising Alpha Redmoon. A non-alpha running at Alpha speed, not to mention the second person who knew about that passage.
"Nova!" Jax gasped, running to her.
"How is she here?" Rex asked, concern etched in his face for Nova.
"She woke up and made a portal."
"Did you see any faces?" Hyran asked.
Nova nodded her head. "Rolv Ashen and—"
She couldn't finish because she started coughing again. She mindlinked Jax.
Nova: A commander that trained Rex. He wasn't at the summit. But he was family to Rex.
Jax understood, "A commander that trained Rex. He wasn't at the summit, but he was family."
Nova: A note fell out of his cloak. There was a seal on it. He wore armor under his cloak."
"She said that he wore armor under his cloak and parchment fell from his cloak with a seal on it."
"Would you recognize his face if you saw him?" Rex asked.
Nova nodded.
"How many were there?" Hyran asked.
Nova: At least 50 and one dark mage.
Jax echoed her, "50 at least and a dark mage."
Alpha Redmoon, pushed the portrait door closed.
"Hang on one moment. I just mindlinked. Are you sure?"
Nova nodded.
An Omega came into the throne room with another drink.
"Drink" Hyran said, giving her a cup. She drank it in one sip, still parched.
Commanders and captains filed into the room. At least fifteen. Rolv Ashen was one of the first. Nova spotted the other right away as he came in the door.
Rex could feel Nova's adrenaline and panic in her ribs. Whatever she saw had shaken her.
Nova didn't realize this, but in that moment, her eyes flared silver.
They formed a neat row. More filed in behind them forming a neat row behind them. In her dream, they were all masked outside of the two people Rex trusted. But Nova scented them. She knew which ones, right when they entered.
They filed in and by the time it was finished, there were ten rows of ten.
Alpha Redmoon turned to her. "Who?"
Nova mindlinked Jax.
Nova: Can you channel into me?
Jax nodded. He knew she had something up her sleeve, but he didn't know what. But he knew Nova and she was always three steps ahead.
Jax channeled into her.
She stepped forward, not noticing her legs shaking. But Rex and Jax both saw. She breathed in the air one more time just to confirm.
Her eyes flared gold. Not moving her hands, like it was as easy as breathing, individual shields went around twenty in the room, including one guard at the door and the man which a letter had fallen out of his cloak. The one Rex thought of as family.
None of the commanders or lieutenants reacted. Jax noticed that right away.
Her eyes scanned. One more time to be sure.
She turned back to Redmoon. Eyes flickering back to green. The gold shields held.
"Anyone else in this room?" Redmoon asked.
Nova shook her head no. Eyes flickering to silver, then back green. Redmoon watched for a second, slightly in awe. She would have been an absolute perfect mate for Rex and Luna for this pack.
"Everyone may leave, except for the ones shielded." Redmoon said. Tearing his gaze away from Nova at the last word of that sentence.
All color had drained from Rex's face. But he held his composure. Alpha Redmoon seemed to not be affected by who remained. Calm. Commanding.
Everyone filed out. Expressionless faces. Nova wondered how often they filed into this throne room for it to be standard procedure.
The twenty left in the room didn't seem nervous. A few seemed confused. Most just stood there. Expressionless. But Nova knew who she had scented. There was no question.
Nova looked at Redmoon, eyes flashing silver again. A man's cloak billowed in his bubble like it was windy. A piece of parchment fell out. Nova flicked her hand ever so slightly, it moved just outside his shield before he could grab it. A red seal was still intact.
At the same time, a black dagger hit the ground, skidding outside Rolv Ashen's bubble. She could hear the high pitched buzzing sound she heard in her dream. The sound Rex couldn't hear. A smaller shield went up over it. The buzzing stopped.
She started to cough again.
Hyran walked to her and gently touched her back, eyes flaring red. Immediately her insides began to sooth.
She looked at Hyran with grateful eyes but couldn't say it.
"You're welcome," he answered.
Jax could feel her fading. She needed to lie down. Not that she would if he asked. Not to mention Fin's reaction if he saw they both were missing…. Gods. His jaw tightened.
Redmoon walked forward, picking up the parchment.
He looked at the seal. Ashbane.
He didn't say anything. He looked at Hyran, mindlinking something.
For a split second, one of the Lieutenants broke composure, eyes widening. Everyone caught it.