The Council of Ash

Chapter 16: The Council of Ash

Selene walked through the forest with Kael close behind, the fused relic now veiled in protective enchantments and tucked inside a leather pouch around her neck. The energy it emitted still pulsed faintly, like the heartbeat of something half-asleep and waiting to wake.

The air was charged, crackling with whispers of magic. Around them, the trees thinned, and the ancient ruins of what once had been a meeting hall came into view. Massive stone slabs formed a ring, each etched with runes from both wolf and witch bloodlines—a place untouched by time, where rival clans once met in rare truce.

"We're here," Selene said quietly.

Kael's golden eyes scanned the clearing. "You really think they'll come?"

Selene nodded. "They will. They've felt it too—the tremors, the visions. The bond doesn't just affect us. It's rippling through the old bloodlines."

As if summoned by her words, shadows began to move in the forest. One by one, figures emerged from the mist—witches in elemental cloaks, wolves in human form with eyes glowing faintly, and even a few beings neither Selene nor Kael could identify. Old magic oozed from some of them like steam from ancient springs.

Alira stepped into the ring first, her robes heavy with ash and charmstones. "I come in the name of the Flameborn."

Then came Thorne, Kael's uncle and Alpha of the Western Howl. His bulk and scars made him look like a relic of war. "The Western packs are listening."

Others followed—each clan bringing its own tension and memory of ancient betrayals. Representatives of the Tempest Circle, the Obsidian Grove, and even the elusive Frostfang sentinels took their places. The ring filled with whispers, posturing, and hesitant gazes.

Kael stepped forward. "We didn't come to reignite the war. We came to prevent one that will end us all."

Selene opened her hand, revealing the relic. A shared gasp passed through the gathered.

"The seal is waking," she said. "The gate beneath the mountain is stirring, and if it opens, it won't care whether you're witch or wolf. It will destroy everything."

Alira frowned. "And what force threatens this balance? We have lived for centuries with the seal intact."

Kael's voice dropped. "Because the Moon Goddess willed it so. But now the bond has been triggered. Selene and I—we're the spark."

Some scoffed. Others murmured. The murmurs grew into raised voices as accusations flared.

"She's manipulating him!" one wolf elder hissed.

"The wolves have always wanted control over the arcane!" another witch snapped.

Thorne stepped forward. "You want us to trust a witch?"

Selene raised her chin. "The Moon trusted me."

A hush fell.

The relic suddenly flared, projecting an image into the center of the ring: a storm of shadows, beasts with flaming jaws, a gate cracked and screaming. It ended with Selene and Kael, their bodies intertwined, power pouring from them into the earth.

"No illusion," Selene said. "The prophecy is real. And it's already in motion."

Alira studied the image with narrowed eyes. "Then we have no time to argue."

Another voice cut through the tension. "Then we must find the Gatekeeper."

All turned to the speaker—a hunched, cloaked woman with antlers rising from her brow. Her name was Nhema, once a seer cast out for claiming the prophecy would return.

"The Gatekeeper?" Kael asked.

Nhema nodded. "The one who first sealed the gate with the Moon's blessing. Her bloodline still exists. She will know how to either contain it or destroy it for good."

Alira's face darkened. "But she vanished during the First Eclipse."

"She was taken," Nhema said. "Not lost. Hidden by those who feared her power."

The clearing grew still. Even the birds had stopped.

Selene looked to Kael. "Then we need to find her."

Kael nodded. "Before the enemy does."

Thunder cracked in the distance. The sky grew darker, clouds swirling like an omen.

A cry echoed from the trees—a lone wolf's howl. But it wasn't one of Kael's kin. This was deeper, wilder. It spoke of something older than packs and covens.

Alira turned toward the woods. "We're being watched."

Selene stepped closer to Kael. "Then we move at first light. We search the Forgotten Vale. That's where Nhema's visions always ended."

Kael nodded. "We go together. All of us."

And from the forest edge, unseen by all, a pair of crimson eyes narrowed. The gathering had done exactly what it needed to. The bait had been taken.

In the darkness beyond the trees, something ancient smiled.