The Alpha’s Fated Outcast: Rise Of The Moonsinger

Lyla

Nanny stiffened. "Lyla, don't say a word. We're leaving."

I put a hand on her arm. "Wait." Suddenly curious about Circe's sudden change in tone. I turned back to her. "If Ramsey knew about the babies, it would complicate things."

Circe nodded. "Yeah. That sounds right. He's too selfless and good for this world and us. Like it or not, Lyla… Ramsey's too good for you."

"And you don't like that?" Nanny snapped.

Circe gave a contemplative stare and shook her head. "If he finds out, he'd never let you fight, lead, train or do half the things you're supposed to do. He'd wrap you in a cocoon and call it love."

For a moment, none of us said anything. There was a wistful smile on Circe's face as she stared into the distance. After a while, she turned back to me.

"You're carrying two babies, Lyla." Her eyes shifted to my stomach. "Wow, it's true. You're carrying boys, Lyla. Eldric would have no choice but fall in love with you. You'll be the first woman to bear sons without years of waiting. You will rule our world with them by your side."

"What?" I stared at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

She reached into her pocket and tossed a small package toward me. "Peppermint mixed with ginger. It helps with morning sickness."

Nanny snatched the package from my hands before I could examine it. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Is this poisoned?"

Circe stood, considering us for a moment before sighing. "I'm doing it because it's my role in your destiny."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She looked me in the eye. "There's something you need to do before the twin moon rises."

Nanny's face turned pale. "No. She can't. I forbid it. That is not what I asked you."

"What is it?" I asked, ignoring Nanny's warning glance.

"You must undergo the Trial of Echoes or as we call it 'The Veilwalk" Circe replied.

"No!" Nanny shouted. "She can't do it!"

Circe rolled her eyes. "Mothers," she muttered. "Even as a High Priestess, you had to endure trials before claiming your position. You more than anyone know power doesn't just fall into your lap," she reminded Nanny.

"That is not necessary. She can control herself," Nanny reiterated.

"And lose control like Neriah," Circe sighed tiredly. "For Lyla to embrace the power of her pheromones, she must undertake this test and learn control. She must understand her purpose."

"What exactly is the Trial of Echoes?" I asked.

"It's called the Veilwalk because you'll walk through the memories of every Moonsinger who came before you. From the last one… to the very first. You will see their lives, you will experience their triumphs, their failures and most importantly, how they used their powers."

"That sounds... intense," I said, unable to hide my interest despite Nanny's obvious disapproval. "I thought I already did that for Neriah's sword."

"It is," Circe confirmed. "And potentially dangerous. Your mind will travel through time while your body remains in the present. Some who undertake the trial never return to themselves—they become lost in the echoes of past lives. But all the Moonsingers passed it eventually."

"That is why she must not do it. She's pregnant. It's too dangerous," Nanny declared.

"It's necessary," Circe snapped. "She's Moonsinger, Mother. You think she can go into battle half-trained, her pheromones flaring like wildfire? She has to learn control. She has to learn her purpose and, most importantly, how to use it without fueling the Dark One's power."

"We have warriors, we can do this another way," Nanny sounded so desperate that it broke my heart. "Lyla… look at me."

I turned to her with a blank stare. "Why didn't you tell me? You never mentioned this part to me."

"Because it's not necessary and it's dangerous. When you go in there with your babies, you'd be struggling to preserve their lives and, in the process, lose yours. Many people have walked that road and never came back. Please, Lyla."

I cupped her cheek.

"That's not your decision," I said quietly. "If this trial can help me better understand my powers—especially how to control them without corrupting myself, without letting Xander feed on them—then I need to consider it."

"Lyla, please," Nanny begged. "There are other ways to learn."

"Are there?" Circe challenged. "The knowledge of Moonsingers has been lost or deliberately obscured for generations. The Trial of Echoes is the only direct connection to that wisdom."

I studied Circe carefully. Her sudden helpfulness felt suspicious after her earlier hostility. "Why are you offering this now? Why help me at all if you want Ramsey for yourself?"

"Because defeating the Dark One is more important than my personal feelings," she replied candidly. "And because I may want Ramsey, but I don't want him broken, which is what he'll be if you fail or die."noveldrama

Her honesty, however brutal, convinced me she was being sincere about the trial at least.

"When would this need to happen?" I asked.

"Tonight," Circe said. "It's the last opportunity before the twin moons rise."

"How long does it take?"

"Time passes differently during the trial. What feels like days to you might be only hours here. But we would need to begin at moonrise and likely continue until dawn."

I nodded slowly, considering the implications: one night to gain knowledge that could save us all potentially—and my children…maybe.

"I'll do it," I decided.

"Lyla!" Nanny protested.

"You can't stop me," I said firmly. "I need every advantage I can get against the Dark One. If this helps me understand my powers better, it's worth the risk."

Circe nodded, then turned to Nanny to address her. "You know what to do. I'll be waiting at the clearing facing the Northern Forest at moonrise." Then she turned to me. "Bring nothing but yourself and make sure you don't get intimate with Ramsey before then. He would feel it when you go through the Veilwalk. We shouldn't make things complicated."

She turned to leave, then paused. "And Lyla? Don't tell Ramsey. He would never allow this."

After she departed, Nanny grabbed my arm. "You do this, Lyla. Please…"

"I know you want to protect me, but we have to face reality, and if I don't do this, Xander would not spare any of us. What if this trial really can help me control my powers without giving in to darkness?"

"The things you would see in there might break you and tilt you to your dark side. This could also be her plan to have you killed and have Ramsey to herself. Think this through, please." Nanny pleaded.

I shook my head. "No. It's not, and you know it's the truth. I need a way to do this without Ramsey ever knowing."

Nanny's expression made it clear she didn't like my plan, but she knew me well enough to recognise I wouldn't be dissuaded.

"Fine," she relented. "I'll go find Terra, and we will prepare for it. If you're not back by dawn, I'm coming to save you."

I laughed, loving the earnest look on Nanny's face. There was a lot I didn't understand back then, but as the lives inside me grew, I began to see things from Nanny's perspective. I didn't think I would allow my children to play savior to a world?

Everything Nanny had ever done was to protect me from the inevitable consequence, which is death.

As we returned to the pack house, my mind raced with possibilities. What would I learn from the past Moonsingers? Would their experiences help me find a way to defeat the Dark One without sacrificing myself or one of my children?

For the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope. Perhaps there was another way after all—a path hidden in the echoes of the past, waiting for me to discover it.