The Matchmaker - The Arrax Saga Book 1 Chapter 229

The pack gathered early, the scent of bread and broth still lingering from breakfast. The courtyard was alive with quiet movement. Saphira stood with Nikolas at the edge, watching as the chosen group assembled. Their faces were solemn, but there was a steadiness in their eyes that gave her strength.

“Ready?” Nikolas asked quietly, his hand brushing against hers.

Saphira nodded, though her chest tightened.

They set out together, the morning sun climbing higher as they left the safety of the Arrax grounds. The path stretched before them, winding through forest and stone, the air crisp with late autumn chill.

For a while, silence held them, each lost in thought. The crunch of leaves beneath their boots was the only sound. Then Finn broke it, his voice carrying a faint smile. “Feels strange, doesn’t it? Walking toward the Matchmaker without the uncertainty of what we will find.”

Jed gave a short laugh. “It does, but it feels right.”

Amara walked close to Saphira, her healer’s satchel slung across her shoulder. “I packed extra supplies,” she said softly. “Herbs, salves, bandages. Just in case.”

Saphira glanced at her, warmth flickering in her chest. “Good thinking. They’ll need comfort as much as healing.”

Zafira, walking beside Asher, squeezed his hand. “I am so proud of you for coming,” she murmured.

Asher’s jaw tightened, but gave her a small smile. “It’s what Mum would want. I’ll see it through.”

Saphira’s heart ached at his words, but pride stirred too. *He’s finding his strength again.*

By late morning, the Matchmaker loomed ahead, its white walls stark against the sky, shadows clinging to its edges like old scars. The air grew heavier as they approached, memories pressing in, each step weighted with what had been endured within those walls.

Nikolas slowed, turning to the group. His voice carried authority but also care. “Jasper, Talia, Finn, Amara, take the extra pack members and gather everyone in the main hall. Make sure they know they’re safe now. Speak to them, calm them if you can.”

Amara nodded, determination in her eyes. “We’ll bring them together.”

Nikolas’s gaze shifted to Jed, Raven and Circe. “You’ll come with us. The warriors already here will join us too. We’ll dispose of the poisons first, every vial, every trace. When it’s done, we’ll meet everyone back in the hall.”

Raven’s voice was sharp, resolute. “They won’t harm anyone again.”

Jed’s hand flexed at his side, his jaw set. “We’ll burn it all. Nothing will remain.”

Saphira looked at them all, her heart aching but steady. *This is the beginning of something new. The end of what was.*

Nikolas’s hand brushed hers. And with that, they stepped into the Matchmaker, ready to face its shadows.

The chamber was colder than the corridors, its stone walls slick with damp. The air carried the metallic tang of rust and the sour bite of decay. Shadows clung to the corners, stretching across rows upon rows of shelves that disappeared into the dark. Each shelf was lined with vials that glimmered faintly in the light, thousands of them, silent, deadly, waiting.

Saphira’s stomach twisted as she stepped inside, Nikolas close beside her. *This is what they built. What they used to decide who lived and who died.*

Raven’s breath caught audibly, her eyes narrowing as she lifted her hand toward the shelves. “So many,” she whispered, her voice sharp with fury. “All this… for cruelty.”

Circe moved forward, her expression unreadable but her eyes burning with quiet rage. “They thought themselves gods,” she said softly. “But this is nothing but rot.”

Nikolas’s jaw tightened, his voice clipped, commanding. “Stand guard,” he ordered the warriors who had followed them in. “No one touches a vial. Raven, Circe, this is yours to destroy.”

The two witches exchanged a glance, silent understanding passing between them. Then they stepped into the centre of the chamber. Raven raised her hands, her voice low as she began to chant. The air thickened, humming with power. Circe joined her, her own words weaving into Raven’s, their voices rising and falling in unison, like two currents merging into one tide.

The vials began to tremble, a faint glow sparking within them. One by one, they cracked, the liquid inside bursting into flames before evaporating into harmless mist. Shelves rattled violently, the sound echoing like bones breaking, a chorus of endings.

Saphira’s breath caught, her chest tight. She reached for Nikolas’s hand, her fingers trembling. “It’s ending,” she whispered, her voice breaking with relief and dread.

Nikolas’s gaze stayed fixed on the shelves, his jaw set hard. “It has to. I want to see every last one gone.”

The chanting grew louder, the air vibrating with energy. Raven’s eyes blazed, her face taut with focus. Circe’s silver hair whipped around her as the magic surged, pulling the poison from its vessels, unravelling it into nothingness.

One by one, the shelves emptied. Glass shattered, dust fell, and the deadly legacy of the Elders dissolved into smoke that vanished into the air.

Finally, silence fell. The chamber was bare, the shelves broken and blackened, the poisons gone.

Raven lowered her hands, her chest heaving, sweat beading at her brow. Circe’s voice faltered into silence, her shoulders trembling with exhaustion.

Saphira stepped forward, awe and sorrow mingling in her chest. “It’s done,” she breathed, her voice hushed.

Nikolas nodded, his jaw easing for the first time. “No one will ever use them again.”

Circe turned, her eyes meeting Saphira’s, her voice quiet but heavy with truth. “The Core always wanted to control the world. But this… this was the heart of their cruelty.”

Saphira’s chest ached, but she lifted her chin, her voice steady despite the tremor in her heart.

Nikolas squeezed her hand. “Now we go to the hall. They need to hear they’re free and they need to believe it.”

And together, they left the chamber, the echoes of shattered glass behind them, walking toward the waiting pack, and the promise of something new.