---
Night fell swiftly over the Varrow estate, cloaking the grounds in an uneasy silence. Celeste sat alone in the war room, the flickering light of a lantern casting shadows across the maps and documents spread before her. Every line she traced on the parchment felt like a potential noose tightening around her family's neck.
The Crimson Pact's offer loomed large in her mind. Their price was steep, and their loyalty questionable, yet rejecting them outright seemed equally dangerous. Every decision felt like balancing on the edge of a blade.
A soft knock broke her concentration. "Enter," she called.
The door creaked open, and Edrick stepped in, his expression serious.
"The envoys have been dispatched," he said, taking a seat opposite her. "Riders left for Greythorne, Ravenspire, and Falkland an hour ago. If the roads are clear, we should receive replies within two days."
Celeste nodded. "Good. And the estate?"
"Fortifications are underway," Edrick replied. "The guards are doubling their patrols, and additional defenses are being constructed along the outer walls. We'll be as ready as we can be, given the time."
Celeste leaned back in her chair, exhaustion tugging at her. "What of the Crimson Pact? Have the guards been instructed to monitor them?"
Edrick smirked faintly. "Discreetly. If they're here to play us false, we'll know."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then Edrick spoke again, his tone softer. "You're carrying a lot, Celeste. I hope you know you don't have to do it alone."
Celeste's lips twitched into a faint smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "The weight of a house isn't one that can be shared, Edrick. But thank you."
He inclined his head, sensing her reluctance to linger on the topic. "Anything else you need of me tonight?"
"Rest," she said. "We'll need clear heads in the days ahead."
---
The next morning, Celeste was awoken by an urgent knock at her chamber door. She blinked against the pale light streaming through the windows, shaking off the remnants of restless dreams.
"What is it?" she called, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
A servant stepped inside, bowing low. "My lady, you're needed in the courtyard. The Crimson Pact's leader has arrived."
Celeste froze mid-motion, her heart skipping a beat. *So soon?*
"Have them escorted to the audience chamber," she ordered, already moving to dress. "I'll be there shortly."
---
The audience chamber was austere but commanding, its high ceilings and carved pillars designed to remind visitors of the Varrow family's legacy. Celeste entered with measured steps, her gaze falling immediately on the figure standing at its center.
The leader of the Crimson Pact was a woman, tall and powerfully built, with cropped auburn hair and a scar running from her left cheekbone to her jaw. She wore black leather armor adorned with the crimson wolf sigil, and her piercing green eyes locked onto Celeste with an intensity that was almost unsettling.
"Lady Varrow," the woman said, her voice deep and steady. "I am Commander Thera Vane of the Crimson Pact."
Celeste inclined her head. "Commander. Your arrival is... unexpected."
"I prefer to conduct negotiations in person," Thera replied. "Too many misunderstandings arise when messages are delivered through intermediaries."
Celeste gestured to a nearby seat, but Thera remained standing, her posture unyielding.
"Very well," Celeste said, keeping her tone neutral. "What assurances can you offer that your men will remain loyal should the tides of this conflict turn?"
Thera smirked faintly. "Loyalty isn't our business, Lady Varrow. Results are. But I'll tell you this: the Crimson Pact's reputation is our most valuable asset. Betrayal would ruin us, and I don't take risks that threaten my command."
Celeste studied her, weighing the sincerity in her words. "And what of your employer? Why remain anonymous if they're so invested in my survival?"
"That is their prerogative," Thera said evenly. "But I can tell you this: they believe in your cause. Enough to fund our involvement, at least."
Celeste's expression hardened. "Believe in it, or see an opportunity to exploit it?"
Thera chuckled. "A fair question. Perhaps both. But does it matter, so long as you win?"
Edrick, who had entered silently and taken a position near the door, spoke up. "It matters if the Pact decides to shift sides mid-battle."
Thera turned to him, her gaze sharp. "You misunderstand, knight. We don't shift sides. We finish the job we're paid to do."
Silence fell, heavy with tension. At last, Celeste spoke.
"Very well, Commander. Your terms will be met. But understand this: if your loyalty falters, you will not find sanctuary in this realm."
Thera inclined her head, a glimmer of respect in her eyes. "Understood, Lady Varrow. My men will be ready by nightfall."
As she turned to leave, Celeste called out, "One more thing."
Thera paused, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Your employer," Celeste said. "Did they give you any warning of the forces we face?"
Thera's expression darkened. "Only that you'll be outnumbered. And that some of your enemies wear faces you think you can trust."
With that, she strode from the chamber, leaving Celeste and Edrick alone.
---
"Enemies within," Edrick muttered once the doors had closed. "If she's right..."
"I know," Celeste said, her voice low. "But we can't act without proof. For now, we watch and wait. And when they reveal themselves..."
Her gaze hardened, her tone ice-cold.
"We strike first."
---
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the Varrow estate. Torches were lit along the walls as the guards prepared for another sleepless night. Celeste stood at the highest point of the manor, her hands gripping the cold stone of the parapet as she surveyed the grounds below.
The mercenaries of the Crimson Pact had already begun to set up their encampment just outside the estate's perimeter. Thera Vane, true to her word, had brought no more than fifty men—a fraction of the Pact's full force, but enough to bolster the estate's defenses.
Edrick joined her, his boots crunching softly on the stone. "They're a disciplined lot," he said, nodding toward the camp. "I watched them drill earlier. No wasted movements, no idle chatter. If we're betrayed, they won't fumble the job."
Celeste exhaled sharply. "Encouraging."
Edrick smirked, but the humor didn't reach his eyes. "Have you decided what to do about the possibility of a traitor within?"
She didn't respond immediately. Her gaze lingered on the flickering lights of the encampment. Finally, she spoke. "We can't act recklessly. If we accuse the wrong person, it'll shatter what little unity we have left. For now, we watch—closely. No one, not even the staff, is above suspicion."
Edrick nodded grimly. "What about Kieran? Do you trust him?"
Celeste hesitated. Kieran's warning had been the spark that ignited her current course of action, but his motives remained murky at best. "I don't trust him," she admitted. "But I believe him. At least for now."
---
Later that evening, Celeste convened with her most trusted advisors in the war room. Lady Yvonne and Lord Beric sat across from her, their faces drawn with tension. Edrick stood behind her, ever her silent sentinel.
"The Crimson Pact is in place," Celeste began, "but they are only one piece of our strategy. The envoys I sent must return with commitments from our allies, or we'll be outmatched when Valtin strikes."
"Assuming they respond favorably," Lord Beric said, his tone skeptical. "Greythorne may be sympathetic, but Ravenspire and Falkland will hesitate to involve themselves unless they see a clear benefit."
"They'll respond," Celeste said firmly. "Ravenspire owes us, and Falkland won't risk being seen as weak if the other houses rally to our side. Their leaders are shrewd, but they're not fools."
Lady Yvonne tapped her fingers against the table. "What of the traitor Kieran hinted at? If someone within your ranks is feeding information to your enemies, all of this may be for nothing."
Celeste's jaw tightened. "I'm aware. We're taking precautions—restricting access to critical plans, rotating guard shifts, and closely monitoring communication. If there's a traitor, they'll slip eventually."
"And if they don't?" Yvonne pressed.
"Then we root them out by force," Celeste said coldly.
Yvonne inclined her head, seemingly satisfied, but Beric looked uneasy.
"What troubles you, Lord Beric?" Celeste asked, her gaze sharp.
He hesitated, then said, "We're spreading ourselves thin, Lady Varrow. Even with the Pact's forces, we're relying heavily on alliances that may not materialize. If Valtin strikes before reinforcements arrive…"
Celeste's eyes burned with determination. "Then we fight. And we win."
Her words were met with a heavy silence.
---
The night stretched on, the stillness broken only by the occasional call of an owl or the rustling of wind through the trees. Celeste had retired to her chambers but found sleep elusive. Her mind churned with strategies, contingencies, and the ever-present fear of betrayal.
A faint knock startled her from her thoughts. She sat up, reaching for the dagger she kept beneath her pillow. "Who is it?"
"It's me," came Edrick's voice.
She relaxed slightly but kept the dagger in hand as she opened the door. Edrick's face was lit by the dim glow of a lantern, his expression tense.
"What is it?" she asked.
"There's been movement near the eastern woods," he said. "One of the patrols spotted figures lurking just beyond the tree line."
Her pulse quickened. "How many?"
"Unclear. The patrol lost sight of them before they could get a proper count. They've doubled the watch in that area, but…"
"But it could be a precursor to an attack," Celeste finished.
Edrick nodded. "I thought you'd want to know."
She sheathed her dagger and grabbed her cloak. "Let's see for ourselves."
---
The eastern woods were dark and foreboding, the towering trees casting long, twisted shadows. Celeste and Edrick arrived at the edge of the forest, where a group of guards stood watch, their faces tense.
"Report," Celeste commanded.
One of the guards stepped forward, saluting. "My lady, we spotted movement—three, maybe four figures. They were cloaked and keeping to the shadows. We pursued briefly, but they vanished into the trees."
"Did they seem armed?"
"Possibly," the guard replied. "We couldn't get close enough to tell for sure."
Edrick frowned. "Could be scouts. If Valtin's forces are probing our defenses, they'll want to gauge our strength before committing to an attack."
Celeste nodded. "Double the patrols in this area and keep the Crimson Pact informed. If these are scouts, they won't work alone."
The guard saluted again and moved to carry out her orders.
As Celeste and Edrick turned to leave, a sudden chill swept through the air, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She stopped, her hand instinctively going to her dagger.
"Did you feel that?" she whispered.
Edrick's brow furrowed. "What?"
Before she could answer, a low, guttural growl echoed from the woods. It was followed by the unmistakable sound of branches snapping underfoot.
The guards froze, their weapons drawn.
"Form a perimeter," Celeste ordered, her voice steady despite the unease coiling in her chest.
The growl came again, louder this time. And then, from the shadows, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared, followed by another, and another.
"What in the gods' name…" Edrick breathed, drawing his sword.
The creatures emerged into the faint torchlight, their forms monstrous and unnatural. They were wolves—but larger, their fur matted and black as pitch, their teeth bared in snarls that dripped with malice.
"Shadowbeasts," Celeste whispered, her heart pounding.
The lead beast lunged, and chaos erupted.
---