Chapter 4 Chapter 4: The Mysterious Passenger.

Chapter 4: The Mysterious Passenger.

Damarys-

I stared down at Vega’s lifeless body.

This was the man who had tormented me for over three years. The man who had taught both me and my wolf what fear felt like, over and over, even after I began plotting his end.

The memories still came. The beatings. The insults. The sexual abuse and trauma. They looped in my mind like a broken spell. And yet, as I met his lifeless gaze, I felt nothing. No relief. No satisfaction. Just a hollow stillness where something should have been.

I wasn’t his only victim. He’d broken dozens of female wolves in that. Crushed their spirits. Twisted their minds. Left them as shadows of what they once were. What I'd just done was mercy compared to what he deserved.

“May the Moon Goddess piss on your eternal soul… you bastard.”

I stepped over him without looking back. Pulling up my hood and securing my mask, I slipped out into the night. By the time I checked into the hotel, exhaustion had settled deep into my bones. Still, there was one thing I needed to do. I called Fiora. She answered almost immediately.

“O.M.G.! Dari! It’s about time you called! Are you okay? Were you able to get out of that house?”

“Whoa—!” I laughed softly, despite myself. “One question at a time, Fae.”

Some things never changed. Fiora had always been this way. Loud, protective, and fiercely loyal. Like me… or so I used to think, she was an orphan too. Her parents had died during the great rogue attack over twenty years ago. Three years older than me, she’d stepped into the role of my shield long before either of us understood what that meant.

When Granddam fell ill, Fiora had returned to the Central Region to find a cure. She came back too late. By then, I was already imprisoned. And Zelly was gone.

Even now, I could still hear her voice from that day.

“Those fucking sons of bitches! I’ll kill them!”

“No.”

I’d lifted my gaze to meet hers.

"We're not doing some half-cocked attack that lands us both in prison. That helps no one. And they're not the only ones who need to pay."

That was when she started blaming herself. I knew it without her saying a word. She had hated the moment the truth came out, when everyone learned I was the Thornhearts’ daughter. That night, she and Granddam had fought for the first time.

“I don’t give a shit if they are her parents!”

“That’s enough, Fae!” Granddam had snapped. “We don’t have a choice!”

After that, Fiora stayed close. Watching. Waiting. Planning.

“Just a few more years,” she used to tell me, “As soon as you turn seventeen, you’re getting the hell out of there. You, me, and Zelly—we’re leaving everything behind.”

But life didn’t care about our plans. Zelly got sick. And I got sent to prison. During that single visit, I told Fiora everything—my plan, my revenge, my endgame. She hadn’t hesitated.

“I’m in.”

Of course, she was.

“I’m just so glad to hear your voice,” Fiora said now, pulling me back to the present. “Where are you?”

I smiled faintly.

“I’m at the hotel near the airport. My flight’s tomorrow morning.”

She exhaled, relief flooding her voice.

“Thank the Goddess…”

There was a pause. I glanced out the window. “Vega Cortez is dead.”

Silence.

Then—

“Good.” Her voice was calm. Certain. “I hope Zelly pisses on him when he arrives for judgment.”

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. That sounded exactly like her.

“And you didn’t leave anything behind, right?” she added.

“No. I used Breath of Devours. To everyone else, it’ll look like a heart attack.”

“Impressive.”

I could practically hear her smirk through the phone.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Well, he deserved it.” I forced my voice steady. “I’ll be on the flight at seven. The ferry’s around eight tomorrow night.”

“Alright,” she replied. “The ride’s about three hours. I’ll meet you at eleven sharp.”

We talked a little longer after that. She told me about her training, how much stronger she’d gotten. She’d even opened a small herbal shop in the Central Region.

After we hung up, I stood under the shower for a long time. The hot water poured over me, washing away the sweat, the blood, the memories. Or at least trying to. For a moment, it felt like the past three years were peeling away from my skin.

Maybe one day they’d peel away from my heart too.

After eating, I collapsed onto the bed. Sleep came quickly. For the first time in years, my wolf began to settle. She had been tense and watchful. But as Vega’s final breath replayed in our mind, something in her erased. Not joy. Not peace. Just a small shift closer to balance. Perhaps now she could finally rest.

And maybe…

so could I.

—

The plane took off at exactly 7 a.m., and I was glad there were no delays.

I glanced down at my phone out of habit and was mildly surprised to find nothing from the Frostmeres or Tristan. I didn’t let it unsettle me. They were probably trying to figure out the best way to deal with me. The only reason they even wanted me back in that house was to make sure I never told the truth about who really attacked Gloria Velcren.

Good luck with that.

Fiora had already set up an entirely new identity for me. She'd left it at Zelly's shack along with a note tucked in the top desk drawer.

Hey baby sister—here's an early gift. A new identity set up so those assholes can’t track you. From now on, you’re Demi Silverstone. And I’m Fia Silverstone. Book your flight and hotel with this new I.D., love-Fae!

I smiled reading it again in my memory. Same last name. Officially sisters. I was going to make sure the Frostmeres never changed that ever again.

I'd paid for first class. I deserved it. Slipping on my headphones, I leaned back and let the first hours of the twelve-hour flight wash over me.

When the plane landed, I immediately called Fae. Her excited squeal nearly made me pull the phone away from my ear. After buying my ferry ticket, I boarded the boat that would take me the rest of the way—a three-hour trip to Vaelune.

The night air was cool and soft, so I went up to the top deck and settled near the railing, threading my feet through the metal bars as I looked out at the open sky. The horizon blurred into darkness, sea and sky meeting so cleanly they almost looked like one thing.

Then I heard the commotion.

“Don! Breathe!”

I turned sharply.

A man stood panicked beside another who was hunched over, gripping the railing like it was the only thing keeping him upright. His breathing was ragged and wet.

“Fuck—fuck! What did they give you?! What did you drink?”

“Stop yelling, Dame!”

My brows immediately furrowed. I caught the smell immediately. Poison. Strong, deliberate, potent. The kind usually reserved for Alphas.

Was he an Alpha? Probably not.

I glanced around quickly. No guards. No escorts. No healers. Nothing. That didn’t make sense. Alphas were rarely ever alone. And they definitely didn’t travel by ferry. So there was no way he could be…right?

“Fuck, I’m going to get help—”

“Don’t! It could—”

“Holy Goddess, Don—!”

Help him! Shira stirred suddenly inside me.

What? Why?

He’s dying!

I hesitated, my gaze flicking between the two men. I don’t think we should get involved.

Help him!

Her urgency pressed against my chest, sharp and insistent.

I looked back at the man—Don. His veins were just beginning to discolor, faint streaks of grey crawling beneath his skin. At this rate… he wouldn’t last much longer.

Shit.

You better hope this doesn’t blow our cover.

Grabbing my bag, I moved toward them. “Hey… do you need help?” I asked.

The panicked man looked up at me, eyes wide.

“What—who are you? Are you a healer?!”

I paused for half a second. “...Uh…sure. Let me help you,” I said, steadying my voice. “Your friend’s been poisoned. With Bloodrot.”

His expression froze. “Are you sure? How do you—”

“Because I know toxins,” I cut in. “Look, we don’t have time for this. He’s getting worse. Do you want my help or not?”

He hesitated, just for a moment. Then Don let out a guttural, choking sound that snapped his attention back.

“Fuck—Don!”

That was answer enough.

I was already pulling a vial from my bag, the ones I’d taken from Zelly’s shack back in the East Region. I hadn’t known if I’d need them, but something told me to take extra. Between the Frostmeres and Tristen, I hadn’t trusted anything or anyone.

“Lay him flat. Now.”

He didn’t argue this time.

The moment Don was on the ground, I knelt beside him. His skin was dulling fast, the grey spreading. His wolf would be compromised soon—after that, no healing. I pulled out a large needle and a vial of faintly glowing liquid.

Moonleaf elixir. Granddam’s recipe. It could neutralize almost anything.

“What is that?!” the man demanded.

I glanced quickly around the deck. Still empty. Good.

“It’s an elixir made from moonleaf.”

“Moonleaf? I thought those were—”

“I know how to grow them.” I met his eyes sharply. “Hold him still.”

He watched me for one more second, then did as he was told. I sterilized the needle and Don's arm as fast as I could. Just as I was about to push the needle in, a hand closed around my wrist.

"If he dies," the man said, quiet and flat, "you die."

I didn't flinch. I knew my work. I drove the needle in. For a moment, nothing. Then the grey started to pull back. His breathing slowed into something steadier. Color returned. I pulled the needle free and stood.

“He’ll live,” I said, standing. “But you need to get him to a hospital as soon as you dock.”

He nodded, still catching his breath.

I turned to leave, already moving back toward the stairs when his voice called after me.

“Wait! Miss—who are you? So we can thank you properly.”

I paused, but didn’t turn around.

“Don’t worry about it,” I said simply. “Just take care of your friend.”

And with that, I headed back inside. Glad that part of the journey was finally over.