Chapter 338 The truth

Chapter 338: Chapter 338 The truth

Talia’s POV

I heard murmurs spreading through the crowd, and I saw the fear flickering in their eyes. They had seen the darkness of the attack from Viktor, and I was sure that by now, they must have heard the stories of Malachai’s cruelty. But they had never heard the truth from someone who had survived it.

My mother took another breath, and I saw her hands trembling. But her voice was steady.

"There is a man named Malachai," she said. "He is not a wolf. He is something older, and something darker. He has been hunting my people for thirty years."

I watched the pack’s faces, and I saw the fear spreading through them like ripples in a pond. They exchanged glances, and I could see the worry in their eyes.

"He destroyed my village," my mother continued. "He killed my people, he put me in a cage for fifteen years, and he is not done. He wants to destroy all Silvertongues, he wants to control all wolves, and he wants to control all magic. He wants to control everything."

The hall fell silent. I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat, loud and insistent in my ears. I could feel the weight of the silence pressing down on us.

I looked at the faces of the pack, and I felt the weight of their trust pressing down on me. They had followed me through so much, and they had believed in me when I did not believe in myself. And now I had to lead them into the unknown.

I felt Kaelen’s hand on my back, and I felt the warmth of his touch, and I knew that I was not alone. I would never be alone.

Then I heard the murmurs spreading through the crowd, and I saw the fear in their eyes. They had heard stories of Malachai, but they had never heard the truth.

"He is coming for us," a wolf said, and his voice was shaking. "He is coming for all of us."

I stepped forward, and I raised my hand. "Yes," I said, and my voice was firm. "He is coming, but we are not going to hide. We are not going to run, and we are going to fight."

Another wolf spoke, an elder with white fur and tired eyes. "How can we fight someone like that, Luna? How can we fight someone who wants to destroy magic itself?"

I looked at my mother, and I saw the determination in her eyes. She nodded at me, and I felt the strength flowing through me.

I looked at the pack, and I felt the determination rising in my chest. I had spent fifteen years searching for my mother, and I had found her. I had faced Malachai’s guards, and I had survived. I had walked through the Ashen Lands, and I had come out the other side. So, I was not afraid anymore.

"Malachai is powerful," I said. "He has been hunting my people for thirty years. He has killed so many of us, he has destroyed villages and scattered families. But he is not invincible."

I looked at my mother, and I saw the tears in her eyes. She was watching me with pride, and I felt the warmth spreading through my chest.

"My mother survived him," I said. "She survived fifteen years in his cage. And now she is standing here, in front of you, ready to fight."

I looked at the pack, and I saw the fear beginning to fade.

I saw a young wolf in the front row, with his eyes wide with fear. But then I saw him straighten his shoulders. I saw an elder nod slowly, with her face filled with grim determination. I saw a mother hold her pup closer, but I saw the fire in her eyes.

They were afraid, but they were not running. They were ready to fight.

It was replaced by something else, something stronger that felt like hope.

"Malachai is afraid of us," I said. "He is afraid of our magic, and he is afraid of our power. And that is why he has been trying to destroy us."

I raised my voice, and I felt the power surging through my veins. "But we are not going to let him. We are going to fight, we are going to win, and we are going to protect everything we love."

Kaelen stepped forward, and I felt his hand on my back. "She is right," he said, and his voice carried across the hall. "We have faced him before. We have walked through his lands, we have broken his silver cages, and we are still standing."

I felt the warmth spreading through my chest, because Kaelen was with me. My heart relaxed a bit, knowing that he was always with me.

I looked at him, and I felt the love in my chest. He had been with me through everything. He had never wavered. He had never doubted.

"Thank you," I whispered to him.

He squeezed my hand. "Always, Talia."

Suddenly, the hall erupted in cheers. I heard the voices rising, and I saw the hope in their eyes. They were not afraid anymore, and they were ready to fight.

I looked at my mother, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. But she was smiling, and she was proud.

I reached for her hand, and I squeezed it.

"We will do this, Mother," I said. "We will rebuild Luminara, we will bring our people home, and we will stop him."

She squeezed my hand back. "I know we will, Talia. I have always believed."

I looked at the pack, at the wolves who had followed me into the darkness and brought me out. They were cheering, and I felt the hope rising in my chest.

The fight was yet to come, but we were ready.