Chapter 96: Gathering the Storm. Maren stood at her window long after Korvin had left to mobilize the troops. The forest stretched out before her in the pre-dawn darkness, and somewhere in those trees was Bella who threatened everything she had built. Mallory approached quietly, setting a fresh pot of tea on the desk. "You should rest before the attack." "Rest?" Maren turned from the window, her eyes blazing. "How can I rest when a Moonblood with resurrection power is in my forest, vulnerable but still breathing?" "The troops will be ready within the hour. Korvin is gathering everyone." Maren walked to her desk and spread out the old texts Mallory had brought. Her fingers traced the faded illustrations of the True Silver, the prophesied Moonblood who would reshape the supernatural world. "Do you know what this means?" Maren asked, tapping one of the pages. "If word gets out that Bella awakened resurrection power, every surviving Moonblood who’s been hiding for decades will hear about it." Mallory poured tea into two cups. "You think they’ll come for her?" "I know they will. They’ve been waiting for a sign, for proof that the Moonblood line can rise again. And what better sign than a girl who can reverse death itself?" "How long before they hear?" "Not long. Supernatural communities talk. Rumors spread. By tomorrow, every Moonblood from here to the coast will know that the True Silver has awakened." Maren took the tea cup but didn’t drink. "That’s why we have to move now. Before they can rally to her defense." Mallory sat down, her expression troubled. "My queen, I need to say something you might not want to hear." "Speak." "If Bella could resurrect the dead after just awakening her powers, barely understanding what she was doing, what will she be capable of once she’s fully conscious and trained? Once she learns to control it?" Maren’s hand tightened around the tea cup. "That’s exactly what terrifies me." "Then perhaps we should consider alternatives. Capture instead of kill. Study her abilities, find their weaknesses." "No." Maren set the cup down hard enough that tea sloshed over the rim. "We tried containment before with other powerful Moonbloods. It never works. They always find a way to escape, to fight back, to become exactly what we feared." She pulled out the silver dagger from her desk drawer. "This is our only chance, now she’s in the forest before she goes back to school. It is the only solution that’ll ever work. Clean. Permanent. Final. " "But you’re not going yourself." Maren looked up sharply. "Who told you that?" "You did. Just now, by not arguing with me." Mallory met her queen’s eyes steadily. "You’re afraid of what might happen if you face her directly." For a long moment, Maren said nothing. Then she sheathed the dagger and walked back to the window. "I’m afraid of what she represents," Maren admitted quietly. "Not just the power, but what it means. If she can resurrect the dead, she could bring back every Moonblood I’ve eliminated over the years. Liora, Marcus, Elena, all of them. She could undo two decades of work in a single night." "So you’re sending someone else to kill her." "I’m sending the best warrior I have. Someone who won’t hesitate, who won’t be swayed by her youth or her helplessness." Maren turned back to Mallory. "I’m sending Raven." Mallory’s eyes widened. "The pink wolf?" "Yes." "My queen, Raven hasn’t fought in years. She’s been in retirement since the purge." "Which is exactly why no one will expect her. Raven is the deadliest fighter I’ve ever commanded. She’s killed more Moonbloods than any other wolf in my service. And she owes me a debt." "What kind of debt?" Maren smiled coldly. "The kind that can only be repaid with absolute loyalty. I saved her life, pulled her out of a fight that should have killed her. She swore she’d answer if I ever called." "And you’re calling now." "I’m calling now. Raven will lead the assault. Korvin and the others will support her, but she’ll be the one to end Bella’s life." Mallory made notes on her parchment. "What are your orders for the troops?" "Overwhelming force. I want them surrounded, outnumbered, with no chance of escape. Wolves from three directions, shadow creatures blocking the sky, demons cutting off any retreat paths." "The four boys?" "Kill them if they resist. If they surrender, bring them back for questioning. I want to know how they performed that pact ritual, what it did to Bella, everything." Maren walked to a cabinet and pulled out a leather-bound book. "This contains records of every Moonblood attack over the past century. Their tactics, their abilities, their weaknesses. Give it to Raven. She’ll need to know what she’s facing." Outside the window, the sky was beginning to lighten. Dawn was less than an hour away. "How long until the troops are assembled?" Maren asked. "Korvin estimated forty-five minutes. We have fifty-three wolves combat ready, two dozen shadow creatures, and fifteen demons." "Good. That should be more than enough to overwhelm four exhausted boys and one unconscious girl." But Mallory heard the doubt in her queen’s voice. "You’re not certain." "How can I be?" Maren turned away from the window. "We’re attacking something that shouldn’t exist, a power that violates the natural order. How do you plan for that?" "With overwhelming force and a skilled commander." "And hope that it’s enough." An hour later, the courtyard below Maren’s chambers was filled with supernatural creatures. Wolves of every size and color packed together, their eyes glowing in the dim light. Shadow creatures lurked at the edges, their forms shifting and indistinct. Demons crouched on rooftops and walls, their claws scraping against stone. And at the center of it all stood Raven. She was smaller than most of the other wolves, her pink fur unusual but unmistakable. But there was something in the way she carried herself, a deadly grace that made even the largest wolves give her space. Maren appeared on the balcony above the courtyard. The assembled forces fell silent immediately, every eye turning toward their queen. "You know why you’re here," Maren called out, her voice carrying across the courtyard. "A Moonblood has awakened in our forest. Not just any Moonblood, but one with powers we haven’t seen in generations." Murmurs ran through the assembled creatures. "This girl, Bella Rivers, has already killed six of our wolves. She has survived attacks that should have ended her. And now she has awakened resurrection power, the ability to reverse death itself." The murmurs grew louder, tinged with fear. "I know you’re afraid," Maren continued. "I would question your intelligence if you weren’t. But fear is exactly why we must act now, while she’s vulnerable, before she learns to control what she’s become." She pointed toward the forest. "Out there, in a cave, she lies unconscious. The power she used to bring back the dead has marked her, weakened her. She is protected by four boys who are exhausted from battle, injured, divided by mistrust." "This is our moment," Maren’s voice rose. "We strike now with overwhelming force. We end the Moonblood line before it can threaten us again. We protect our way of life, our families, our future." She gestured toward Raven. "You will follow Raven’s command. She has killed more Moonbloods than anyone in this courtyard. She knows their tricks, their tactics, their weaknesses. Trust her leadership and we will win." Raven stepped forward, her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "We move in three groups. Korvin, you take the north approach. Marcus, you have the south. I’ll lead the frontal assault from the east. Shadow creatures, you block any escape through the canopy. Demons, you guard the perimeter in case they try to flee underground." She pulled out a map and held it up. "This is the cave system where they’re hiding. It has three entrances. We seal two and force them out the third, straight into our main force. No mercy, no hesitation. The boys can surrender if they choose, but the girl must die." The assembled forces nodded, their expressions grim with determination. "One more thing," Raven added. "This girl has already demonstrated power beyond her training. If she wakes during the attack, if her eyes start glowing, if her fur begins to shine, you retreat to the secondary line immediately. Do not engage her directly. That’s my job." "What if you fall?" one of the wolves called out. "Then Korvin takes command and you burn the entire cave system. No survivors, no chances. Understand?" A chorus of assent rose from the assembled creatures. Maren watched from her balcony as Raven organized the troops into their formations. The pink wolf moved with practiced efficiency, positioning forces, giving final instructions, checking weapons and readiness. Mallory joined Maren on the balcony. "She’s good." "She’s the best. If anyone can kill a True Silver, it’s Raven." "And if she can’t?" Maren’s jaw tightened. "Then we have bigger problems than one awakened Moonblood." As the forces began moving toward the forest, Raven looked up at the balcony where Maren stood. For a moment their eyes met, and Maren saw something in Raven’s expression that made her chest tighten. Not confidence. Not determination. Fear. Even Raven, who had faced down dozens of Moonbloods and survived, was afraid of what waited in that cave. "Go," Maren called down. "And don’t come back until it’s done." Raven nodded once, then turned and led the army into the forest. Mallory and Maren stood on the balcony watching until the last creature disappeared into the trees. "How long?" Mallory asked. "An hour to reach the cave. Another hour for the battle, maybe less if Bella stays unconscious." Maren turned away from the view. "By midmorning, it will be over." "And if it’s not?" "Then I’ll look for an alternative." Maren touched the silver dagger at her belt. "One way or another, Bella Rivers must die." They walked back inside, leaving the balcony empty and the forest silent except for the sound of dozens of supernatural creatures moving through the underbrush toward the cave where four boys kept watch over their unconscious pack leader. The final assault had begun.