Pain stabbed through my heart. I had hoped to face my father, to make him explain why he had kept me locked away. Now I would never get answers.
"You'll pay for that too," I promised.
Luther stepped closer to the stone table. "You still don't understand what's happening, do you? Why you were kept hidden all these years?"
I glanced at Lyra, who had quietly moved to circle behind our enemies.
"Enlighten me," I said, holding their attention.
Luther put his hand on the table. "The prophecy wasn't about you killing the packs or saving them. It was about you becoming the vessel – the right host for The Mother to return to this world."
Viktor nodded eagerly. "Your father knew. That's why he kept you separated, untrained, weak. He thought he could prevent the prophecy by keeping you away from other dogs."
"But he was wrong," Luther continued. "The Mother always finds a way. And now that you've awakened your power and refused her first attempt at possession, you're even more perfect."
