h4Chapter 346: Whispers of Gods and Shadows/h4

strongVincent/Vaelthor /strong

I kept my gaze fixed on Nancy, torn between wariness and curiosity as she gestured toward the fire crackling in her shadow-drenched parlor. The mes weren’t just mes—they writhed like restless spirits, their light carving ghostly patterns across walls crowded with dried herbs, ss vials, and crystals that pulsed faintly as though alive.

Winter sat rigid beside me on the couch that had long since lost its luster, her blue eyes catching the firelight like shards of ice. My sister always looked ready to leap, fight, or burn down the room if she had to. We were stripped of our demonic scents now—Nancy’s strange brew of smoke and whispered incantations had disguised us enough to pass as werewolves. On the surface, we were Vincent and Winter Shadowborn: strangers, wanderers, just another set of mortals. But beneath the skin, our blood sang with truth. Children of a in demoness. Offspring of a god rotting in eternal chains. We were carrying a storm no disguise could contain.

Nancy lowered herself into a threadbare armchair opposite us, her plump frame settling into the cushions with a satisfied sigh. The sound was too ordinary, too human, for someone who filled the room with such disquiet. She poured steaming tea from the same chipped porcin pot, the scent of sweetness cutting through the stale air. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and smooth, but there was steelced in it.

"Alright, darlings," she purred, eyes glittering with knowing mischief. "Your masks are in ce, but masks only fool the blind. Knowledge—that’s the de you sharpen if you don’t want to end up gutted. So, let me tell you the tale of Zane and Natalie—the Lycan royals you’re so very eager to... ’do business’ with." She winked as if we were children ying a game, but that edge in her stare made the shadows coiled inside me bristle.

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, fingers tapping out a restless rhythm against my thigh. "No riddles, Nancy. No games. Start at the beginning. Give us every detail." My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. "If we walk blind into their court, we won’t just fail—we’ll end up as trophies hanging on their pce walls."

Nancy smiled over the rim of her teacup, the firelight painting her face half-soft, half-sinister. And in that moment, I couldn’t decide if she was our savior... or the next trap we’d fallen into.

Nancy chuckled, the sound low and throaty, rolling against the stone walls like a predator’s growl. "Oh, Vincent," she crooned, eyes narrowing with amusement. "Always the charmer, always the pessimist. Fine, fine. If it’s truth you want, let’s peel back the skin and get to the marrow. You see, Queen Natalie wasn’t always a queen. Once, she was just a girl—a slip of a thing from a pack called Silverfang. Ordinary as wolves go. Hunting, shifting, bowing to their precious moon goddess... the usual feral fairy tale."

Winter folded her arms, her stare cold enough to crack ss. Her voice was silk wrapped around a spare. "What changed?"

Nancy’s grin widened, the firelight licking across her cheeks, exaggerating the sharp gleam in her eyes. It was as though the mes themselves were leaning in, feeding on her delight.

"Blood," she whispered, savoring the word like wine. "Blood always changes everything. Natalie’s father, Evans Cross... ah, he was the beta. Faithful, steady, the backbone of Silverfang. But Darius—the alpha—was no leader. He was a viper with ambition dripping from his fangs. And Evans? Evans was the only man who stood in his way.

"So what does a serpent do when it can’t strike openly? It coils. It waits. And then it strikes where the heart is weakest."

Nancy leaned forward, her voice low and deliberate. "Darius took Evans’ mate. Kidnapped her in the dead of night. A cruel, coward’s move. Then, with the gall of a tyrant, he forbade Evans from going after her. ’Stay here,’ he ordered. ’The royals arrive tomorrow. You must prepare.’ Amand, nothing more. But Evans—he was no coward. He disobeyed. He went after his mate, as any man with a soul would."

Her smile turned razor-sharp. "And that, my darlings, was all Darius needed. While Evans fought shadows, Darius spun his web. Whispers nted like seeds. Lies twisted into vines. By dawn, the story was already set: Evans Cross, the loyal beta, had betrayed his pack. He had disgraced Silverfang in front of the Lycan royals. Why? Because the pack stood unprepared for their visit. No feast. No ceremony. No proper wee. And who was to me? The beta who abandoned his duty to chase a woman."

Nancy gave a low chuckle, shaking her head as though amused by the memory of wolves devouring one of their own. "It was brilliant, really. Wicked, but brilliant. By the time Evans returned victorious with his mate clinging to his arms, his fate and hers had already been sealed. He wasn’t a savior. He was a traitor. And in Silverfang, traitors only meet one end."

"And then—oh, children, listen closely—he executed them. Right there in the pack square. Broad daylight. No trial, no mercy. Their blood seeped into the dirt while the pack watched in silence. Some too afraid to move, some secretly d to see power shift hands."

The crackle of the fire seemed louder in the pause that followed. I felt it then—that sting in my chest, sharp and bitter. Not pity. Not fear. Something uglier. Recognition. My lips curled around the words before I could stop them. "Brutal," I muttered, feigning sympathy. But beneath it, I tasted the ash of irony. Our mother had bled at Natalie’s hands. Our father rotted in chains because of her family. And yet here I was, hearing the tale of her own blood-soaked beginning.

"And Natalie?" I pressed, voice lower now, almost daring Nancy to keep unraveling the thread.

Nancy lifted her teacup with maddening leisure, sipping as though savoring the anticipation. When she spoke again, her tone was velvet and venom. "The poormb was left orphaned. Worse—wolfless. No shift, no ws, no howl. In a world where strength is the only currency, that made her less than nothing. Darius made sure she knew it. He broke her down, humiliated her, used her in every way he could until finally, he tossed her out like spoiled meat."

Winter’s jaw tightened, a flicker of anger slipping past her icy fa?ade.

Nancy leaned in now, her voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "She wandered then—half-girl, half-ghost—scraping by in the human world, forgotten by her own kind. But here’s the delicious twist, my darlings: she wasn’t just some broken stray. No, no. Natalie was the reincarnated Celestial Princess. The one sung of in prophecies, whispered in covens, feared by kings. A beacon of power, hiding in in sight, waiting for the moment she would awaken... and change everything."

The fire popped, sending a shower of sparks into the air. Winter’s eyes glimmered, reflecting the light. Mine narrowed, shadows stirring restless beneath my skin.

If Nancy was right, then Natalie hadn’t just been a killer. She had been prey once. Weak. Abandoned. Scarred in ways I knew too well.

But weakness didn’t absolve her. And prophecy didn’t excuse blood on her hands.

Winter’s eyes widened slightly, a rare crack in her icy facade. "Celestial princess? You mean she’s not just some queen—she’s divine?"

Nancy nodded, her expression turning reverent. "Exactly. Fate has a wicked sense of humor. She met Zane back when he was just a prince, his face hidden from the world like some masked phantom. No one knew what he looked like—kept it that way to avoid assassins, I suppose. They crossed paths, and boom—mates. The bond snapped into ce like thunder. That’s when her powers erupted. Her wolf emerged, fierce and celestial, and she ascended. Recognized as a goddess among them. They’ve got statues of her in temples, offerings at her feet. Pilgrims travel miles just to glimpse her shadow."

I couldn’t help but lean back, my mind racing. If she was that powerful... "Worshiped? Really? Is she that formidable, or is it all smoke and legends?"

Nancy’s smile was sly, her teeth glinting in the firelight. "Oh, darling Vincent, she’s no myth. Natalie’s power could eclipse the sun. Celestial energy courses through her—-healing, destruction, visions of the stars. And she’s got siblings, celestial spirits watching over the realms. The whole world’s under their gaze."

Winter nced at me, her dark eyes mirroring my unease. A knot twisted in my gut, fear coiling like one of my own shadows. Gods? We were plotting against gods?

"And you?" I asked, forcing my voice steady. "Do you bow to her too?"

Nancyughed softly, shaking her head. "Me? I worship one of her brothers—Tiger, the Earth spirit. Grounded, powerful, roots deep in the soil. He keeps the bnce, you know? But Natalie... she’s the heart of it all."

Our eyes met again, Winter’s and mine. The fear was palpable, pulling at our insides like invisible strings. How do you topple deities? My ambitious heart rebelled against the doubt, but the thrill of the challenge ignited something darker within me.

Nancy continued, her tone dropping to a grave whisper. "Don’t underestimate King Zane either. He’s the Night Alpha King—shadows bend to him, nights fear him. His powers? Legendary. ws that rend souls, speed that blurs reality. Together, they’re unbreakable."

Winter shifted ufortably, her gaze flicking to me repeatedly. I could see the question in her eyes: How do we fight that? But I squared my shoulders, refusing to let stories shatter my resolve. Vengeance was my birthright; love or war, I’d im it.

"Do they have children?" I prompted, steering the conversation forward. "If they do, tell us about them."

Nancy’s eyes lit up. "Ah, the heirs. Prince Alexander, sharp as a de, and Princess Katrina, a beauty with fire in her veins. They’re the future, guarded like treasures."

Winter kept stealing nces at me, her enigmatic mask cracking with worry. But I met her gaze with determination. No, I thought, we’re not backing down. Not for gods or kings.

And besides, we were part gods too.