Chapter 348 - 82: Tiny Mercies

Ramon slid an arm beneath her knees and another behind her back, scooping her up into his arms.

Henrik wiped a streak of mud from his jaw, looking around until his settled on Dane.

"Okay," he drawled, running a hand through his hair. "Now what?"

Destiny answered before anyone else could open their mouth.

"Now we lock her in a trunk box with tiny little air holes and ship her back to Silvercrest with her men and her curse."

Henrik stared at her. "Right. So she can infect Vance, and they can all march back here to slaughter us. No thanks—we’re curing her."

Destiny turned on him. "I was being serious."

"So was I."

The priestess stepped forward, her steps quick and orderly.

"He’s right. We need to attempt a cure."

Dane turned to her. "Yes, Destiny you have to try to heal her."

Destiny’s expression hardened into ice.

"No."

"Dane was saved by using your blood and the Heartstone," the priestess reminded her gently.

"That was Dane," Destiny snapped, stepping forward with her hands balled into tight fists. "You don’t know if what worked on him will work on her or how it will affect me for that matter. What if there’s a limitation to how many times I can use the Heartstone?"

"We know the Heart Stone responded to your blood."

Destiny’s eyes narrowed into slits. "And what, exactly, are you asking me to do?"

The priestess didn’t sugarcoat it.

"Give us your blood again. If the stone reacts as it did before, we may be able to draw the Hollow death out of her."

Dane watched Destiny closely as she looked down at Aurora’s limp body in Ramon’s arms. He mistook the look on her face for pity.

"She doesn’t get a single drop of my blood."

Dane stayed quiet. He knew better than to push her right now; the choice had to be hers. And given all that Aurora had done to them, the selfish part of him sided with Destiny cold logic.

Marcus stepped out from the shade where he stood with Kalessie and Sonia.

"Destiny."

She spun toward him. "No."

"Listen first."

"I’ve listened enough!" Her voice cracked with suppressed fury. "She has done nothing but humiliate me for no just cause. She tried to turn Dane against me. She barged into the temple and threw a scene over the stone—and now I’m supposed to bleed for her because she was unlucky enough to get bitten?"

"You aren’t doing it because you forgive her," Marcus said softly.

"Then why should I do it at all?"

"Because she dies if we do nothing. And do you think that will go well for us?"

Destiny turned her head away, jaw set, but Marcus pressed on in a steady, grounding voice.

"You know what this sickness or curse does. You watched Dane suffer through it. You saw what happened as it ate through his body. If Aurora loses control completely, there won’t be anything left of her to save."

"She brought this on herself," Destiny muttered. "She left her fancy castle and came into the wild. Well, you can’t complain when you get bitten in the wild, now, can you?"

"No," Kalessie said, stepping beside her daughter. "She has made terrible choices, sweetling. But she did not choose to be bitten."

Destiny looked at her mother, but Kalessie held her gaze without wavering.

"You don’t have to forgive her. You don’t have to like her. But you can still choose to save a life."

Destiny’s gaze drifted back to Aurora. Dane watched the war raging behind her eyes. Aurora had made her existence miserable since they met, and now she was being asked to sacrifice part of herself to pull her enemy from the evil curse that consumes her. If their positions were reversed, Dane doubted he would be half as merciful.

"We need the Heart Stone," the priestess added quietly.

Destiny looked back at her. "I don’t like this one but. What if I’m putting myself at risk by doing this?"

"The stone responded to your blood before; we need its resonance here if we’re going to pull the curse out of her."

"And if it fails?"

"Then we face that failure when it comes."

Destiny finally turned to Dane.

He held her eyes, offering neither pressure nor pleading, leaving the weight entirely in her hands.

After a long, shuddering breath, Destiny’s shoulders dropped.

"Fine."

Marcus let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Destiny pointed a sharp finger toward the limp Lycan princess.

"But I am not doing this for her."

"I know," Marcus said softly.

She turned back to the priestess.

"I’ll fetch the stone."

Destiny turned on her heel, striding toward the estate.

Dane reached out, catching her wrist as she passed.

"Destiny."

She looked back at him, her eyes fierce yet exhausted.

"You don’t have to thank me."

He slowly released her hand.

"I know."

He watched her disappear through the grand doors before turning back to Ramon.

"Take Aurora to the temple."

Ramon adjusted his grip on the unconscious girl. "What about her escort?"

"They stay here."

The four Silvercrest guards immediately moved to step in, but Dane turned a cold glare on them.

"Nobody follows us into the holy grounds."

"She’s our princess," one argued.

"And she’s carrying a plague," Dane replied, his tone leaving no room for debate. "You wait here until I tell you otherwise."

The guards exchanged frantic glances, but the quiet authority in Dane’s posture anchored them to the spot.

Satisfied, Ramon carried Aurora toward the temple gates, with Blane, Ivy, and the priestess following close behind.

Dane remained in the courtyard for a moment, taking in the ruined celebration. Overturned tables, scattered food, and smashed glass covered the grass, mixed with dark patches of blood where the beasts had struck. A few hours ago, the air had been filled with laughter and wine. Now, they were dragging a half-cursed Lycan into the sacred shadow of the temple.

Dane turned back toward the estate house.

Destiny was bringing the stone. Whatever came next would prove whether the artifact could grant a second miracle—or if mercy had come too late.If you want, I can also do a second pass purely for prose flow, keeping every event and line of dialogue unchanged while reducing the slightly choppy beats.