Athena's pov
I couldn't breathe. "That's not possible."
"It is. And worse, you were the vessel through which the veil could finally be broken."
"No," I murmured. "No one told me that."
"They couldn't. They feared it. Your existence… your very life… is the thread holding the last of the ancient protections together. And if you break—if you fall under his influence—everything falls with you."
I shook my head furiously, stepping away. "I don't care about ancient magic or old balances or veils. I just want to go home."
She smiled sadly. "There is no home to go back to if you fail here."
"I'm not going to fail."
The woman's eyes softened. "You will have to be stronger than those before you. Stronger than me."
"Who are you really?"
Another ripple passed through the world, the sky flickering. The woman's image began to waver too, like a flame in the wind.
"I am the first queen of the wolves," she whispered. "The true vessel of the bloodline. And you are my last hope."
