Alison’s POV
The air was thick with tension as I paced Simone’s hut, the soft flicker of candlelight casting elongated shadows against the walls. Every creak of the old wooden floor seemed louder than it should have been, each sound feeding my already frayed nerves. Simone sat at the corner table, her milky eyes staring into a void only she could see, her hands delicately tracing the edges of an old, yellowed map.
“You’re wearing a hole into the floor,” she finally said, her voice calm but with an edge of amusement.
I stopped mid-stride, folding my arms across my chest. “How can you be so calm? The Crimson Vault could be anywhere in this entire territory, and we have no idea where to start.”
Simone’s lips curved into a faint smile as she tilted her head in my direction. “Because panicking won’t bring us any closer to finding it. Sit down, Alison. Your restless energy is suffocating.”
Reluctantly, I dropped into a chair opposite her, the legs scraping against the wooden floor. Simone reached out, her fingers brushing the corner of the map. Her movements were methodical, almost reverent, as she traced a faint, looping line I hadn’t noticed before.
“This,” she murmured, “is where we start.”
I leaned closer, my pulse quickening. “What is it?”
“The old burial grounds,” she replied. “The pack’s ancestors were said to have hidden their most sacred artifacts in places tied to their spirits. If the vault is anywhere, it will be there.”
“The burial grounds are miles away,” I said, my voice dropping. “And heavily guarded.”
Simone’s expression didn’t falter. “Then we’ll take your guards. If we’re caught, we’ll say it’s a spiritual visit. No one will question you, Alison. You’re the Alpha’s daughter.”
Her words were logical, but they didn’t ease the knot in my stomach. “And if it’s not there?” I asked softly.
“Then we’ll keep looking,” Simone said, her tone resolute. “But we have to start somewhere.”
“Fine, let’s go then” I said picking up myself from the seat
The journey to the burial grounds was fraught with unease. The forest stretched endlessly around us, the dense canopy of trees making it feel as though the outside world had been swallowed whole. My guards moved silently behind us, their footsteps muffled by the thick underbrush.
Simone walked confidently beside me, her cane tapping lightly against the ground with every step. It always amazed me how she navigated so easily, her blindness never seeming to hinder her.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked suddenly, her voice cutting through the quiet.
I hesitated before answering. “Everything. The vault. Cedric. What this means for the pack… for me if we do not fund ut”
“You’re scared,” she said simply, her tone devoid of judgment.
I glanced at her. “Aren’t you?”
“Of course,” Simone replied, her lips quirking into a small smile. “But fear isn’t a weakness, Alison. It’s what you do with it that matters.”
Her words lingered in the air, giving me a strange sense of comfort.
When we reached the burial grounds, I felt an almost tangible shift in the atmosphere. The air was heavier here, charged with an energy that prickled along my skin. The ancient stone markers stood solemnly in the clearing, their surfaces weathered by time.
“This is it,” Simone said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The guards fanned out, keeping watch as Simone and I moved toward the center of the burial grounds. There, half-buried in the earth, was a large stone slab etched with intricate symbols. My heart leapt into my throat.
“The vault,” I breathed.
Simone knelt beside the slab, running her fingers over the markings. “There’s magic here,” she said. “Powerful magic. This is no ordinary lock.”
I crouched beside her, examining the symbols. “Can you break it?”
“Not yet,” she admitted. “It’s sealed by a barrier… a ritual, most likely. We’ll need specific components to break it.”
“What kind of components?” I asked, my pulse quickening.
Simone’s brow furrowed as she continued to feel along the stone. “The Blood of the Alpha,” she said slowly. “The Sigil of Binding. And the Flame of Truth.”
The words sent a chill down my spine. “What the hell are those?”
“Ancient Artifacts,” Simone replied, rising to her feet. “All tied to the Crimson Pack’s history. If we want to open this vault, we’ll have to find them.”
“Again?” I asked frustrated “I’m damn tired of this back and forth”
“I know, for now we need to leave, for a magic this strong a guardian spirit must be close” Simone says
I urged the guards to carry it as we dashed off with me helping Simone find the right path.
The ride back to the castle was silent, the weight of our discovery and next adventure pressing heavily on my shoulders. The vault was more than a legend, it was actually real. The path to saving the pack was probable and very much within reach. But it sure as hell wouldn’t be so easy.
When we reached the castle, I wasted no time seeking out my father. He was in his study, as always, poring over paperwork. He looked up as I entered, his expression wary.
“Alison,” he said, his tone cautious. “What’s this about?”
I closed the door behind me, tapping Simone to follow which she did. “We found the Crimson Vault,” I said bluntly.
His eyes widened, his hand freezing mid-motion. “What?”
“It’s real,” I continued. “And Simone here believes it’s sealed with magic. It says we need the Blood of the Alpha that’s you, the Sigil of Binding, and the Flame of Truth to open it.”
My father leaned back in his chair, his gaze sharpening. “How in earth’s name did you find this?”
I exchanged a glance with Simone, who gave a subtle shake of her head. “That’s not important right now father,” I said. “What matters is that we have it in the packs possession now, all I need you to tell me is everything you know about these artifacts needed to unlock the vault.”
He was silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “You don’t understand what you’re dealing with,” he said finally.
“I understand that Cedric is a threat to our pack,” I shot back. “And I understand that this vault might be the only way to stop him. So, are you going to help me or not?”
“What? You went in search of this because of Cedric? What has this vault got to do with the war Cedric’s War threat?” he questioned
“it’s a long story Father, Please tell us what you know about the artifacts, I will explain properly when this is all over, please father” I pleaded
My father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The Blood of the Alpha is exactly what it sounds like,” he said reluctantly. “It’s a pinch of my blood for the sacrifice. The Sigil of Binding is an ancient artifact, said to be hidden within the ruins of the old training grounds. And the Flame of Truth…” He hesitated, his voice dropping. “The Flame of Truth is said to burn in the heart of the Moonlit Hollow. But it’s been considered lost for centuries but most say it’s still on its spot but only one pure of heart can see its flames.”
“That’s all we need to know, thanks father,” I said firmly.
He gave me a long, hard look. “You’re playing with forces you don’t understand, Alison. Our Ancestors had their reasons for prohibiting magic from entering the pack”
“Maybe,” I said. “But if using it means saving the pack, I’ll take that risk.”
Before he could respond I took to my heels with Simone behind me as I could hear her cane on the floor
Back in my room, Simone and I sat by the fire, the warmth doing little to chase away the chill in my bones.
“Can you perform the ritual when we find all we need?” I asked, breaking the silence.
Simone turned her unseeing eyes toward me, her expression serene. “Alison,” she said softly, “I have come to realize that crossing parts with you had it’s own fated cause?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It wasn’t by chance that you mistakenly pushed me down ,” she continued. “I’ve always known my purpose was to guide you. To help you in ways didn’t understand them but do now. To help you save your pack. This is what I was meant to do.”
Her words hit me harder than I expected. “Simone…”
She reached across the space between us, her hand finding mine. “You don’t have to carry this burden alone,” she said. “I’ll see this through to the end. I promise.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them away. “Stay here tonight,” I said. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning, we have three days left, we need to be fast”
She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
As the fire crackled softly beside us, I felt a sense of calm settle over me for the first time in days. The road ahead was uncertain, but for the first time, I didn’t feel alone.