Luna. Chapter 87

(Lyra's POV)

"Well, that was dramatic."

Victor's voice came from the doorway. He stood there surveying the chaos, his expression carefully neutral.

"Dad?" I brushed dust off my clothes. "What are you doing here?"

"I figured you'd come looking for alternatives." He stepped carefully through the scattered books. "I was right."

"If you're here to lecture us about safety—"

"I'm here to explain why I hid the book."

That stopped me cold. "Okay. Explain."

Victor found a clear spot on the floor and sat down heavily. For the first time, he looked every one of his sixty years.

"Your grandmother didn't just die young from using her abilities," he said quietly. "She burned out because she made contact with something that was too powerful for her to handle."

"The moon goddess?"

"Something claiming to be the moon goddess. But Elena... she started having doubts toward the end. She thought maybe she'd been contacted by something else entirely."

I felt cold. "Something else like what?"

"A malevolent entity that feeds on celestial wolf power. Something that poses as divine to gain access to abilities it can't obtain any other way."

Kael moved closer to me. "You think whatever contacted your grandmother is still out there?"

"I think it's been dormant for decades, waiting for another celestial wolf powerful enough to be worth the effort." Victor looked at me with worried eyes. "And I think it's been trying to contact you."

"What makes you say that?"

"The dreams. The feeling that something is calling to you. The way your abilities have been manifesting without training." He shook his head. "It's the same pattern Elena described."

I thought about the strange pull I'd been feeling, the sense that something was waiting for me in the darkness.

"So what do we do?"

"We proceed very carefully. With proper protections and experienced guidance."

"Do you know someone who can provide that?"

Victor was quiet for a long moment. "Maybe. There's a witch named Selene who specializes in celestial wolf magic. She helped Elena in the early days, before things went wrong."

"Is she still alive?"

"Last I heard. But reaching out to her means admitting we need help with something I've spent years trying to keep you away from."

I looked at the scattered books around us, then at Asher, who was quietly rebuilding a small tower from fallen texts.

"We need help, Dad. The curse is getting stronger, and I'm running out of options."

"I know." He stood up slowly. "I'll make some calls."

"And the book?"

"If Selene agrees to help, I'll consider it."

It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either.

For now, that would have to be enough.