The journey to the Boulder district seemed to draw on forever. We traveled in two carriages. The Royal pack were in one, my siblings and I occupied the second one and ...it is was immensely uncomfortable.

Being in such close proximity with Cayden was driving me nuts especially because the tension between us was very clear to the others, at least to Czar and Finn. I'd told Sierra and Milah about Rhydian's proposal and they were beyond ecstatic.

We had discussed telling the boys about it. I didn't want to but it was inevitable. We had decided to tell them after fulfilling my deal with the Dowager Luna -to find out how to fix the barrier and stop a war with the East.

I glanced surreptitiously at Cayden. He was staring gloomily out the window and had ignored me as we'd gotten into the carriage. I couldn't deny that I missed him. I'd been closer to him than with anyone else and so I found it strange to be in this conflict with him.

Milah noticed me looking at Cayden and took my hand, giving it a supportive squeeze.

" I'm really starting to get worried about Willow." Finn said sinking into his seat.

Milah, Sierra and I all tensed up. We'd kept to our lie that she was still recovering from an illness and they'd bought it.

" We are with Willow and we'll take care of like we've been doing." Sierra said dismissively. " You don't have anything to be worried about."

Silence reigned in the carriage for a few minutes. Czar hadn't said a word and I couldn't help but notice that Milah looked somewhat nervous.

" Wait ...is that it?" Finn asked looking out the window. " Is that the Red forest?"

We all crammed to the window -minus Cayden- and looked out. The answer was obvious. We were still a long way from our destination but judging from the dark red clouds that crowned the forest we were heading towards, we were at the Red forest.

I leaned back in my seat feeling nervous. Rhydian had been unwilling to let me come along but the Dowager Luna had insisted on it. I was determined to go along anyway. Our dead were in there. It meant that my mother was in there and I was eager, desperate to see her again.

Finally, the carriages stopped and we all trooped out. We had been previously advised to wear a cloak and rightly so. The wind was savage. It ripped around, chilling us to the bone. I pulled mine tighter and saw Rhydian frown at me in worry.

Thankfully, he didn't say anything in front of the boys. I'd told him to give me time to break the news to them myself.

We turned our attention to the problem at large. The forest was crowned by the vast, dark red cloud, and was shrouded in darkness. I felt a chill course through just bones at the sight of it and it wasn't from the cold.

" We're expected to go in there?" Finn whispered beside me.

" We don't need to be afraid. It's our kind that is in there. We'll be safe." Milah said.

" You are expected to go into the forest." I heard Carrison say to us. " We can't go in ...those that tried, well, anyway, I believe you'll be safe. Converse with the er, spirits occupying the forest. Tell them to leave or else -".

" Don't threaten them." Czar cut in. " They can hear you."

" I don't give a shit if they can hear me." Carrison said with a shrug.

Rhydian took my elbow and pulled me aside.

" What is it?" I asked looking back at my siblings nervously.

" I don't want you going in there." He said quietly. The worry in his eyes was immense and as much as I didn't want him to worry, I knew there was no way I'd miss seeing my mother again.

" I'll be fine."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

" Deven I ...if you go in there, I'll lose my mind. I tried to be strong.. but I can't. I've had seasoned soldiers last less than a minute in there. They were all flung out dead. If that happens to you ...fuck, Deven I can't. Get in the carriage."

I was beyond incredulous and pulled my hand out of his grip.

" I am going in. And you don't have a say in that. Besides, that's the only reason I was released right?"

He frowned at me.

" Yes, but now you're going to be Luna. Your life can't be risked like that."

" It's my kind that's in there ..." I began and then realized just how pointless this conversation was and so, I turned towards the forest, ignoring the fear gnawing in my guts and ran. I didn't stop until I was in the forest. Rhydian could have easily caught up with me but his guards wouldn't even let him anywhere near the entrance. They grabbed and stopped him from coming after me. " See," I said pleadingly. " I'm fine."

But Rhydian was furious. He angrily threw off his guards and marched towards the forest, demanding that I come out.

" Rhydian please stop." I begged. " That they accepted my presence doesn't mean that they'll accept yours." I said and thankfully, he did stop.

" Come out, Deven, come out Now." He thundered and I cringed but stood my ground.

Milah quickly joined me in the forest.

" She'll be alright, Your highness." She promised as the others went in as well.

" Bring her out now." He ordered but I back stepped further into the forest.

" I'll be alright." I said and went in deeper.

" For fuck sake, Deven!" I heard him scream and did my best to ignore the fear in his voice. I was going to be alright. I stopped for a second to calm myself.

" Ok, what do we do now that we're in here?" I asked expecting a reply ... except I didn't get one. I turned around expecting my siblings to be around me. I realized, with my panic growing that I was alone in the dark forest ...surrounded by eerily shaped trees that suddenly seemed to be watching me.

" Milah?" I called out. " Czar?" I called out more frantically when I got no reply.

Was I already lost? I hadn't gone more than ten steps. Was that enough to get lost?

" Devenity." I turned sharply at the sound of my name being called. It hadn't sounded like any of my siblings and had had an airness to it. My eyes caught something in the shadows of a tree. Someone.

" Milah?" I called out nervously. " Milah is that you?" I asked as the figure got closer.

Once again, I heard my name being whispered. I considered the fact that I was already dead and my mind went straight to Rhydian. He would be devastated, crushed.

The thought that I was somehow now dead was intensified when I recognized the figure that was moving towards me.

" Mother!" I screamed and rushed towards the figure. I was a little thrown off by the fact that she didn't hold out her hand to receive me but it didn't daunt me. I rushed forward, eager to engulf myself in her hug ...and then rushed right through her.

I turned, confused.

" Mother?"

She smiled sadly at me and I realized I wasn't dead. She was and I couldn't touch her.

" Deven, my love." I wanted to clear the sadness from her face but I didn't know how.

I sniffed, cleaning the fallen tears from my face.

" I've missed you." I said quietly, trying to keep my voice strong.

" As have I." She said in that new whispery voice of hers.

" What are you all doing? Why won't you move on?" I asked.

Her face hardened.

" We refuse to move on and leave our kind in misery in the cells of those wolves. If they refuse to release the prisoners, we will make their lives miserable. We will extend the plague we have placed on this forest to cover all their lands."

" You know that the living and the ...non living cannot have any form of relation." I said trying hard to keep the strength in just voice. " What you all are doing is against the laws of nature besides," I took a deep, calming breath. " I'll make sure they're released, mother ...I'm going to be Queen of Aradia." I said, worry clouding my mind at her reaction.

" I know." Was what she said. " The moon goddess sees all through the light of the moon."

I stared wide eyed at her. She knew about Rhydian and I and she was ... alright with it?

" Do all that you can to free our kind." She said urgently. " Our people will not die away. Promise me that." She said and I nodded, vigorously. Finally, a smile took over her face. " With your promise, and the crown that awaits you, we can move on now to dwell in the bosom of the moon."

I nodded realizing I had to let her go. I didn't want her or any other moon people to remain in this horrible place.

I took a step back as the wind suddenly picked up, carting the heavy darkness away. And then I remembered.

" Mother, wait!' I remembered my deal with the Dowager Luna. " The barrier!" I screamed running after her as the wind took her away. " I need to know how to fix the barrier!"

I couldn't see her anymore but I could hear her voice,

" The war with the East is inevitable. Prepare for what is coming."

〰️〰️〰️

It was completely dark ...or were my eyes closed? I slowly lifted them and a blurry ceiling came into view. I could hear voices around me but I couldn't make out any words.

I shifted. Whatever I was lying on was as hard as wood and my back was starting to hurt.

" If she dies, it won't particularly be a loss." I heard someone say loudly. I turned in the direction of the voice and slowly, a man came into focus.

He was very tall and was wearing an expensive looking tunic. Something about him struck me as strange. I pushed myself to a sitting position and he glanced down at me.

" Well, I guess she's not dead after all." Was all he said. Something about this man still struck me as strange. He was very handsome and he looked very familiar, especially his rusty brown hair.

I looked around for Rhydian and realized I wasn't even in the forest anymore. I was in a vast room and had been lying down on a long wooden dining table that had lit candles arranged around. The pattern of the arrangement also looked familiar. The flames of the candle were the only source of light in the room as the thick looking curtains were drawn.

" Where is Rhydian?" I asked. I must have fainted. We were probably now in an inn in the boulder district. I began to worry because I was certain Rhydian must have been so worried.

" That will be all Diana." Was all the man said. Once again, I was struck by how familiar he looked.

I heard movement and saw a cloaked woman moving towards the grand doors. She closed the doors behind her and I couldn't help but feel worried.

" Are you a healer?" I asked the man as I got off the table. He offered his hand but I ignored it.

" I am not." He said. " I apologise for the uncomfortable resting area. We do not use beds here."

I frowned at him.

" Isn't this an inn?" I asked. What kind of inn had no beds.

He half smiled at me and didn't reply.

" I am Lorian." He said and I nodded. He wasn't a healer but he looked like he needed one. His skin was dreadfully pale or maybe it just looked that way in the candlelight.

" Where is Rhydian?" I asked again.

Lorian shrugged.

" Somewhere in the dark forest, looking for you I presume. But I did not bring you here to discuss the whereabouts of your mate." He moved closer to me and I instinctively moved back, my eyes scanning the room for something I could use as a weapon.

" You took me from the dark forest?" I asked slowly, feeling panic begin to grow in me.

" Yes. I did." He said. " I had been looking forward to meeting you again especially after I found out whose mate you really are."

" What is this?" I queried, trying to keep my voice steady. " Are you an alpha chief?"

At that, he shook his head sadly.

" You are ...more dense than I had expected but it's not a problem. I only need you to carry a message to your dog of a mate." He said and suddenly he was in front of me.

I screamed as he roughly grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the curtains. His hand was cold. Too cold. As we neared the curtains, I could hear a dull, continuous roar coming from behind the curtain.

" Unhand me you-" whatever it was I was going to say was wiped off my brain as Lorian threw open the curtains and I got an eye full of what was making that roar.

Vampires, goblins, ogers and more monsters of the East, all geared up in metal armor, wielding metal clubs.

My jaw dropped as Lorian proudly presented this army of East dwellers to me. It was then that I remembered where I'd seen him. During the vision, we had both seen the war between the East and the West.

He was a vampire.

" No ..." I stuttered. " There can't be an army of East dwellers in the West."

Lorian was behind me and whispered in my ear.

" My dear, Lady Bellefleur. You are not in the West." He smiled a sinister smile, his fangs on full display. " I know Eryk Rivinlyte is dead. I know the barrier is damaged and getting worse by the day. We are coming for the West. Let the dog prince know."

He turned me so I was facing him and backing the army of monsters. I could still hear their screams and screechs and it chilled my blood. Lorian's words were barely even registering. I suspected I was about to faint from shock.

" And tell the beta ...I will exact my revenge."

With that, Lorian's sinister smile and the roar of the army faded away.

〰️〰️〰️

I sprang to my feet screaming. At the same time, I heard someone calling my name. I rushed in the direction of it. The Red forest was alive with savage winds blowing the red clouds to the goddess knows where. It looked just like it had when I'd been calling out to my mother. That meant that whole ... experience had taken what, seconds?

" Deven?!" I recognized the voice immediately. It was Rhydian and I hurried against the raging wind to find him.

The image of the Eastern army was burnt in my head and I remembered my mother's words.

The war with the East is inevitable.

War was coming to the West. To Aradia. Another war ...another purge.

" Deven?" I heard Rhydian at the same moment that I saw him. His previously anguished voice was filled with relief as I rushed into his arms.

" You never fucking listen." He growled as he crushed me in a bear hug. A second later, he froze and slowly held me away. His guards were also growling.

" What is it?" I asked.

" You smell like -" He began.

" Vampires." Carrison finished with a growl, his eyes trained on the forest. " In the forest."

" Shit!" Rhydian said letting go of me.

" I'll take a group and hunt them, your Highness." Carrison said.

" I'll go with -" Rhydian began.

" No." I said. All eyes turned towards me questioningly. " They're no vampires in there."

Rhydian moved closer to me, his eyes roaming my body.

" We're you attacked?" He queried. " Are you hurt?" His eyes fell on something and widened.

I followed his eyes. My wrist was bruising where Lorian had grabbed it.

" I'll kill every single one of them!" Rhydian roared, turning towards the forest. The dark clouds were almost gone and it was looking like any other forest.

" You can't." I grabbed his hand to keep him from moving. " There are no vampires in that forest."

Rhydian looked at me like I was crazy.

" Of course there are." Carrison said. " We can smell them on you."

" It's not from the forest, it's from the East. I was there. I was in the East."

" Deven, that impossible, you can't journey to the East and back in minutes." Carrison argued.

" Yes ..." I said thinking hard. " But you can be summoned.. by magic."

" You were summoned?" Carrison sounded incredulous.

" Yes."

" To the East?" Rhydian sounded even more incredulous.

" Yes!' I said, desperately. I heard rustling from some trees in the forest and turned, wide eyed and still rattled by my unexpected meeting but no one else seemed bothered.

" It's just your sister." Rhydian said dismissively as Milah came out of the forest.

" What happened in there?" Carrison demanded, startling Milah.

" Nothing." She said wide eyed. " We all separated, looking around for something but there was nothing in there. Then the wind picked up and I decided to leave."

" You didn't see any vampires or easterners?" Carrison asked surprising Milah the more.

" Vampires?" I heard Finn ask as he exited the forest.

" I doubt that if I had seen any I would have come out alive." Milah answered looking questioningly at me

" There are no vampires there." I said. " But Lorian has set up an army -"

" Lorian?" Rhydian and Carrison both chorused.

" How do you know him?" Rhydian asked.

" He is the vampire who summoned me." I said.

" Vampires can't summon beings. Only a seasoned witch can." Milah began and the trailed off as the realization hit us all. It meant a moon witch was in an alliance with a vampire.

" He has an army." I said my panic returning as I remembered the size of the Eastern army. " They're thousands of monsters just waiting to attack. He ...Lorian, he said that he knew Eryk Rivinlyte was dead and that he was going to attack." Then I remembered his message for the beta ...for Carrison. I looked at him. " He said he was going to exact his revenge ...on you."

Silence reigned for a few seconds and then Rhydian said.

" Let him come. If he wants a war, I'll give it to him."

" But what about the barrier?" Carrison asked.

I shook my head.

" The war with the East is inevitable." I said echoing my mother's words..

Carrison nodded.

" Then a war it is."

" Prepare the carriages. We're leaving." Rhydian said.

" Wait!" Milah said as though she just remembered something.

" In a summoning, the body and the spirit are both taken." She said looking at me intently.

" And?" I asked, lost.

" And you're not tethered to anything which means it can happen again and again. The destination is a hostile environment ...you can be killed there."

I felt Rhydian stiffen beside me. She was right. It was easy to kill a person that was summoned as the body as well as the spirit is involved. I doubted Lorian would summon me again. It seemed he had only wanted to show me his army and send a message to Rhydian and Carrison but I knew now that Rhydian was worried for my safety.

" You need to be anchored to Aradia." Milah said.

" How?" Rhydian demanded, clearly relieved at the thought of a solution.

" A tethering ritual." Milah said. " A seasoned witch can do it easily."

" A seasoned witch ...then we're leaving for the survivor coven." Rhydian said and practically dragged me towards the carriage.

" Rhydian, wait!" I said. " My siblings aren't out yet. They could be -"

" They're fine." He assured. " I can hear them. Besides, they're not a priority. You are. I need to make sure that leech can't get you again."

He helped me onto the carriage and then got in, slamming the door shut. He sat beside me without saying a word.

I was quiet for a few seconds. He was acting strangely distant and as hard as I tried to ignore it, I couldn't.