Chapter 30 · Crowned Under the Moon

My hand hovers over the box.

Mara's saying no. She's saying it over and over, her voice breaking on the word like it's the only thing keeping her upright. Darius is on his feet now, one step closer, and I can feel his wolf pressing against mine even though we're not touching.

The wood's warm under my fingers. Old. The kind of warm that comes from something living, not something dead.

"Isla." Darius doesn't grab me. Doesn't try to stop me. Just says my name, low and careful, like he's coaxing me back from a ledge. "You don't have to do this right now."

"Yes I do." My voice comes out steadier than I feel. The crown mark's still burning along my spine, crawling up my neck in thin lines that pulse with my heartbeat. Every wolf in a hundred miles heard what I did. They're coming. And whatever's in this box—whatever message my mom left—it's the only thing Vivienne thought would break me before they get here.

Which means I need to know.

I flip the lid.

No ash. No bones. Just a single folded piece of paper, yellowed at the edges, and underneath it—

A ring.

Small. Silver.