Chapter 146: The Trap is set

The walls of the Hall of Ashes were carved from polished black stone that reflected every movement like dark water. Towering pillars lined the circular chamber, each bearing the crest of Alphas who had ruled before Malachi.

Standing at every corner of the room were lit torches that illuminated the room in their soft glow. The fires burned low, but bright enough to cast a soft glow in each and every corner of the dark room.

They all walked into the room, and Beatrice frowned the moment she felt a hand gripping hers from behind.

Leopold.

When she looked at him, there was a soft smile in her eyes that didn’t reach her eyes, "You’re here,"

"Yes," He replied, "My brother apparently summoned every single noble present in the Castle,"

"You have any idea why?"

Leopold shrugged, "Maybe he wanted to talk about the rogues that keep gathering. They’ve become an army, and I even heard they are somehow getting more and more intelligent,"

"What?!" Beatrice exclaimed, then she recalled the news back at IronRidge about two weeks ago that said the Frostriver Pack had been annihilated by Clawfang Pack, who were now, strangely, working with rogues.

"Does this mean we would eventually have to go to war with...rogues?"

"I believe so,"

Beatrice could not believe it. Mindless rogues actually gaining some level of intelligence?!

Just then, the doors burst open again and every single person in the room straightened again as an air of Authority, Command, and Power carried into the room, clinging like a roaring second skin to the Alpha.

Every single person, including all the elders present, bowed down as Malachi stepped into the Hall. His robes dragged behind him as he moved, and his usual cold eyes looked strangely... different tonight.

He didn’t bother standing as he always did before, and moved to take his seat at the other end of the room.

The doors closed behind everyone with a soft groan, and then... silence swallowed the whole place again.

Selene also knew all the nobles had been summoned, which meant Cassian should also be here. But when she looked around, she couldn’t find him.

Elder Ravaryn was the first to speak, pulling up to his feet with his shaky, weathered legs and his staff as support, "Alpha Malachi. I believe we should proceed with the meeting since almost everyone is present. We would like to know why you summoned us all this late at night,"

Evangeline’s brows furrowed as she sat down next to her son, then she leaned toward him a little and asked, "Aren’t the council supposed to know everything that happens before everyone else is told?"

"Yes," Even Jaime seemed confused.

"Then why did the Alpha summon us all at the same time?"

"I do not know, Mother. Maybe it was an emergency? Remember we could go to war at any moment from now,"

Evangeline nodded, relaxing a little.

For a moment there, she thought something had gone terribly wrong and that they might be in trouble.

Malachi leaned back in his seat, simply looking at them.

One by one.

His gaze moved across the gathered nobles, lingering just long enough on each face to make them wonder why he was looking at them that way.

Beatrice shifted slightly in her seat, then Leopold’s hand tightened wrapped around hers.

Jaime sat beside Evangeline, his posture straight and composed, though the occasional twitch of his fingers betrayed a nervousness he probably thought nobody noticed.

Selene sat down close to the front of the arrangement, her back perfectly straight. Malachi’s eyes eventually settled on her, and something about the way he looked at her made her composure tremble a little bit.

Then, his gaze moved away.

"How many of you remember the night of the wedding?" Malachi began.

The question was so simple that several people exchanged confused glances.

"Alpha?" Elder Ravaryn frowned.

"The night of Lady Beatrice and Alpha Leopold’s wedding." Malachi’s voice remained calm and cold, and as emotionless as it usually was whenever he was in total control, "How many of you remember what happened?"

Silence.

Everyone who had been present that night remembered. How could they forget? The Moon Altar had shattered, and Moonfire had been discovered beneath it.

Della had been found trapped beneath the altar, wearing the markings of Clawfang and carrying what appeared to be the very weapon intended to destroy the gathering.

The accusations.

The screaming.

The execution demands.

And then Malachi had taken her.

Beatrice lowered her gaze.

She had practised that expression countless times.

The wounded sister.

The betrayed woman.

The victim.

"Of course, we remember," Ravaryn replied.

"Good," Malachi said and paused, "Because tonight, we’re going to remember it properly."

Beatrice’s fingers tightened around Leopold’s.

"What does that mean?" Leopold asked.

Malachi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he reached toward the small table beside his throne where a single folded parchment sat, then he picked it up.

The room became even quieter.

"This was brought to me a night ago."

Jaime’s eyes flickered toward the parchment for only a fraction of a second, but Malachi noticed. He unfolded the parchment slowly, and then continued,

"This contains some... information concerning what happened beneath the Moon Altar."

Evangeline’s face immediately tightened, "Pardon me, Alpha, but surely you’re not suggesting—"

"I haven’t suggested anything." Malachi’s voice cut through hers without rising, "I am asking questions."

He folded the parchment again like whatever was in it meant nothing, making some certain wolves in the room relax a bit, "And I expect answers."

Malachi looked toward the centre of the chamber, "Before we begin, however, there is something I want clarified." His gaze moved to Leopold, "Did anyone here know that I intended to summon every person connected to the wedding tonight?"

"No." Leopold shook his head.

Malachi turned to Beatrice, "Lady Beatrice?"

"No."

"Sir Jaime?"

"No."

"Lady Evangeline?"

"No."

"Lady Selene?"

"No,"

"Miss Moira?"

"No,"

"Good." Malachi nodded, then leaned back, "Then nobody had time to prepare."

Selene’s eyes narrowed slightly. The words seemed harmless, but something about the way Malachi said them made the hairs along her arms rise.

Malachi’s gaze returned to Elder Ravaryn, "Tell me what you remember seeing when the altar broke."

The elder frowned, thinking, "I saw the girl beneath it."

"Della."

"Yes. The Rotblood."

"What was she holding?"

"Moonfire."

"Was she holding it before the altar broke?"

"I... cannot say." Ravaryn hesitated.

"Good." Malachi nodded once and turned to another elder who had also been present that night, "And you?"

"I saw the same thing."

"Did you see her place the Moonfire beneath the altar?"

"No."

"Did you see her activate it?"

"No."

Malachi’s fingers tapped once against the arm of his chair as his gaze moved from the elder and unto the nobles once again.

Beatrice still had her eyes lowered, force-flattening her heart not to give out anything at all, as she always did.

Malachi’s moving eyes stopped right on her, and called, "Lady Beatrice."

She immediately straightened, "Yes, Alpha?"

"You said that night that Della had poisoned you."

"I did."

"With Moonrot ash."

"Yes."

"Who discovered it?"

"A healer at IronRidge,"

"That’s enough for now."

Those words felt like salvation for more people in the room, and that was exactly what Malachi wanted.

The torches crackled softly, and everyone remained silent and unmoving as they waited for what Malachi would do, or ask them next.

Nobody noticed the faint, invisible substance already settling into their lungs. Nobody knew that every breath they had taken since entering the Hall of Ashes had already begun changing something inside them.

And Malachi intended to let them remain unaware.

For now.