Chapter 25 – Echoes of the Broken Pact
POV: Seren Thorne
I placed both hands on the Heartstone.
The moment my skin met the cold, ancient surface, a surge of energy shot through me, stronger than anything I'd ever felt. My knees buckled, but I didn't let go. I saw flashes of lives long past—my ancestors kneeling before shadowed figures, offering blood and allegiance. I heard the screams of those who tried to resist. And I saw the moment the first Thorne bound their soul to the stone, sealing our fate.
"Break it," Freya's voice rang in my mind, fierce and clear. "Break the bond."
The Heartstone pulsed violently, resisting me, testing me. I could feel the hunger of the Old Gods clinging to it, desperate to hold on. But I was not a child of submission. Not anymore.
My voice broke into a growl, wolf and woman becoming one. "You don't own me. You don't own my blood."
The power built until it burned, flooding my veins, igniting every nerve. My wolf screamed in defiance, her howl merging with mine. I reached deep into the core of the stone with my mind—into that ancient, twisted pact—and I ripped it apart.
The Heartstone cracked.
It shattered in a burst of silver light, throwing me back into Kael's arms as the ruins shook around us. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling, and the walls screamed with the fury of severed magic.
"You did it," Kael whispered, holding me close as my vision blurred.
"I broke the pact…" I murmured, blood dripping from my nose. "But they know now. The Old Gods. They felt it."
A deep rumble echoed from beneath the earth. Not stone shifting. Something… waking.
"They're coming," I whispered. "The real enemy. The ones we were protected from."