Helena had been an archivist for seventy years.
She'd joined the Council's historical division after her transformation, drawn to the fragments of history that most vampires ignored. The old alliances. The pre-treaty world. The truth that had been buried under centuries of war and silence.
"There's a prophecy," Helena said. They were sitting in the parlor, tea growing cold on the table. "It's older than the Blood Wars. Older than the treaty. It speaks of a time when vampire and wolf would stand together against a darkness that threatens both."
Lyra glanced at Kael. "The creature. Aurelius."
"Maybe. But I think Aurelius was just the beginning. The prophecy speaks of something larger. A breaking. A remaking. And at the center of it—two people. One vampire. One wolf. Bound by blood and choice."
"Bound by blood," Kael repeated. "The ritual. We bled together."
Helena nodded. "I believe you've already begun what the prophecy foretold. The question is what comes next."
"What does come next?"
"I don't know. The prophecy is fragmented. Pieces missing. But I know where to find them." She reached into her bag and withdrew a map. "There's a place in the mountains. Old. Sacred. Both our kinds used it, before the wars. If the answers exist, they're there."
Lyra looked at the map. The location was remote—hours from the coast, deep in territory that belonged to neither vampire nor wolf.
"Neutral ground," she said.
"The oldest kind," Helena confirmed. "If you go, I'll help you. But you should know—once you start down this path, there's no turning back. The prophecy will find you whether you want it to or not."
Kael reached for Lyra's hand. "We've already started."
Helena smiled. "I thought you might say that."