Theron POV
That night, I watched her through the scrying glass.
Elara. Standing alone in her room. Staring at the frost on her window. She knew I was watching. Could probably feel my attention like a physical touch.
Good.
The council meeting had been... entertaining. Watching my spy exposed. Watching Kaelen scramble to protect her while still appeasing his terrified pack.
But the outcome was perfect.
She was cleared of murder. But still trapped. Still caged. Still desperate.
Exactly where I needed her.
"My lord." Dorian's voice came from the doorway. He hadn't returned to Nightspire yet. Still playing his role at Moonscar. "The council voted to keep her under guard. She cannot leave the summit."
"I heard." I smiled. Didn't look away from the glass. "Kaelen thinks he's protecting her. He's actually making my job easier."
"How so?"
"Because now she knows the truth." I gestured at the glass. At Elara sitting on her bed, head in her hands. "She saved them. Proved her innocence. And they still fear her. Still cage her. Soon she'll realize that Kaelen can't give her what she needs."
"Freedom."
"Exactly." I turned to face him. "And I can."
Dorian's expression was carefully blank. But I knew him. Knew his doubts. His growing sympathy for the girl.
"You disapprove," I said.
"I serve you, my lord. My approval is irrelevant."
"But you're wondering if I'm being truthful with her. If I really want partnership. Or if I'm just using prettier words for the same old cage."
He didn't answer. Didn't need to.
I laughed. "I like her, Dorian. Genuinely. She's brilliant. Stubborn. Powerful. Everything I said in the dreams was true. I do want to remake the world with her."
"And if she refuses?"
"Then I use her anyway." I shrugged. "But I'd prefer cooperation. It's more efficient. More enjoyable."
I turned back to the scrying glass. Watched Elara lie down. Exhausted. Defeated.
Time to give her hope. Time to show her the alternative.
I closed my eyes. Reached through the crimson mark. Found her sleeping mind.
And stepped inside.
She was in the library again. Her safe space. Surrounded by books and maps.
"Hello, little flame."
She spun. Saw me. Her expression went from surprise to anger in seconds.
"Get out."
"Not yet." I moved closer. Hands raised. Non-threatening. "We need to talk. About today. About what the council did to you."
"They cleared me."
"They caged you." I stopped a few feet away. "You proved your innocence. Exposed the traitor. And they still voted to imprison you. Tell me, how is that justice?"
Her jaw clenched. "It's complicated."
"No. It's fear." I held her gaze. "They're terrified of your power. Terrified you'll become something they can't control. So they lock you up and pretend it's for your own good."
"And you're different?"
"Yes." I said it simply. Honestly. "I'm not afraid of your power. I want to see what you can become. What we can become together."
She crossed her arms. Defensive. "You want to use me to open the Ashen Gate."
"I want to open a door that's been closed for too long. Yes." I didn't deny it. No point in lying now. "But not to destroy. To rebuild. To create something better than this broken system."
"The system you created."
"The system I created four hundred years ago when I was young and arrogant and thought I could force peace through control." I let frustration show. Real frustration.
"I was wrong. The bonds became chains. Love became slavery. I know that now. And I want to fix it."
"By using me as a key."
"By working with you as a partner." I took a step closer. "I'm offering you a choice, Elara. Real choice. Not Kaelen's version where you choose him or die. Not the council's version where you submit or burn. My version. Where you meet me. Hear me out. See the proof. And then decide for yourself."
"Proof of what?"
"Everything. The Ashen Gate. The bond system. Your parents' research. What you really are." I pulled something from the dream space. A memory. Let her see it.
Her parents. Running. Terrified.
"They fled from Kaelen's predecessor," I said quietly. "But before that, they came to me. Asked for help. For protection. I refused. I was too focused on my plans. Too arrogant to see they were trying to save their daughter from becoming a weapon."
The memory showed her mother. Pregnant. Desperate.
"Please," her mother begged. "If Elara is born with this power, everyone will want to use her. Wolves. Vampires. Everyone. Help us hide her. Protect her."
And I saw myself. Younger. Colder.
"I cannot help you," dream-Theron said. "Your daughter is the key. I won't interfere."
The memory faded.
Elara stared at me. Tears on her face.
"You let them die."
"Yes." I didn't look away. "I let them run. Let them hide. Told myself it was necessary. That the greater good mattered more than two lives." I paused. "I was wrong. And I'm sorry."
The apology hung between us. Simple. True.
"Why show me this?" she whispered.
"Because I'm done lying. Done manipulating. If you're going to choose me, I want it to be informed."
I stepped closer. Close enough to see the gold flecks in her eyes. "Meet me. Three days from now. At the Thornwall Barrens. Where this started. Neutral ground. No armies. No guards. Just you, me, and Kaelen if he insists on coming."
"Why would I trust you?"
"Because unlike Kaelen's council, I won't cage you. Unlike the pack, I won't fear you. And unlike everyone else, I'll tell you the truth about what you are."
I let my mask drop completely. Showed her the exhaustion. The four hundred years of mistakes.
"I'm offering you knowledge. Power. Freedom. The choice to walk away if you don't like what you see."
"And if I refuse to meet you?"
"Then I wait. And watch. And eventually, the Anchor Law forces your hand anyway."
I stepped back. Gave her space. "But I'd prefer you came willingly. Chose deliberately. Made an informed decision instead of a desperate one."
She was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Three days."
"Three days. Noon. Thornwall Barrens."
"I'm bringing Kaelen."
"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." I smiled. "This isn't a trick, Elara. Or a trap. It's an offer. Take it or leave it. But at least consider it."
The dream started fading. My time was almost up.
But before it ended, I showed her one more thing.
A flash of memory. Recent. Kaelen's predecessor hunting her parents. Ordering their deaths.
And young Kaelen standing nearby. Watching. Doing nothing.
"He knew," I said softly. "And he let it happen."
The dream shattered.
I opened my eyes. Back in Nightspire. The scrying glass showed Elara bolting awake. Gasping. Clutching her chest.
Dorian stood beside me. Had been watching the whole time.
"That last part," he said quietly. "About Kaelen knowing. Was that true?"
"Does it matter?" I turned away from the glass. "She'll ask him. He'll either admit it or lie. Either way, doubt is planted."
"You're still manipulating her."
"I'm giving her information she deserves to have." I headed for the door. "What she does with it is her choice."
I left him there. Headed to my chambers.
Three days. That's all I needed. Three days to show her the truth. Three days to prove I was offering real partnership.
And if she still refused?
Then I'd take what I needed by force.
But I hoped it wouldn't come to that.
I genuinely hoped she'd choose me.