“And this is Silverkit.”
“Silverkit.” Willowbreeze relaxed against him, her cheek resting on his. “They are lovely names.” Her breathing eased. Curling herself around her kits, she rested her nose on her paws and closed her eyes.
Crookedstar buried his muzzle in her pelt. “You rest now, my lovely.” He slid into the nest and wrapped himself around her. “I’ll keep you warm.” He closed his eyes and breathed in her soft scent.
“Crookedstar?” The den rustled as Brambleberry crept in. She leaned into the nest and touched his pelt. “I heard the names you gave your kits. They’re beautiful.”
He lifted his head. How long have I been here?
Brambleberry’s mew was no more than a breath. “I’m so sorry. Willowbreeze has gone.”
“No!” Crookedstar sat up with a jolt, realizing that Willowbreeze’s pelt was cold to the touch. “No!” He scrambled from the nest and burst from the den. “No!” His yowl ripped through the camp. “I never promised you this!” Shocked gazes flashed from his Clanmates. He raced out of the camp, pounding the wet grass as he pelted into the willows. “Mapleshade!” he roared. “Where are you? Is this another of your sacrifices? Is this so I can be the greatest warrior ever? I don’t want to be the greatest warrior! I take it back! I take back my promise! If this is what I must suffer, I don’t want it!”
“Crookedstar!” Oakheart’s yowl rang through the trees.
Crookedstar collapsed, panting.
His brother’s pelt brushed his. “What are you talking about?” Oakheart pressed against him. “What did you promise?”
Crookedstar shook him away. “I can’t tell you!” Guilt raged through him. “I can’t say!”
Oakheart smoothed his pelt with his tail. “Come back to the camp, Crookedstar. Our Clanmates are worried.”
Crookedstar pushed himself to his paws. He padded blindly after Oakheart, back to the camp, into the clearing. Sunfish was squeezing out of the nursery, Silverkit dangling in her jaws.
Crookedstar ran toward her. “Where are you taking her?”
Sunfish flinched away, her eyes wide. Brambleberry darted between them. “She’s taking Silverkit to the elders’ den where she’ll be safe from infection. She’ll nurse her and keep her warm.”
“What about Willowkit and Minnowkit?” Crookedstar demanded.
“They’re asleep in the nursery.”
“And… and Willowbreeze?” Her name stuck in his throat, choking him. Brambleberry’s gaze flicked past him. Crookedstar turned and saw Willowbreeze’s body already laid out in the clearing, rain drenching her pelt. With an agonized moan, he barged into the nursery. “I’m going to stay with my kits,” he growled.
He curled into the nest with Minnowkit and Willowkit. They were trembling with fever and coughing as he tucked himself around them and held them tight. “Hush, little ones. I’ll take care of you.”
Anxious mews erupted outside.
“It’s all right.” Brambleberry soothed her Clanmates. “He’s grieving.”
Crookedstar flattened his ears and held on to his kits. They coughed, jerking against him, fragile as prey, mewling and squirming as the nursery grew darker. Night fell and Crookedstar heard paws scuff the clearing and soft whispers stir the air as his Clanmates sat vigil for Willowbreeze. Crookedstar lapped gently at his daughters’ pelts until they grew quiet. Relieved, Crookedstar closed his eyes.
“Crookedstar.”
He woke up, blinking against the dawn light filtering through the roof. Mudfur’s dark pelt moved beside the nest. Crookedstar sat up. Minnowkit and Willowkit tumbled away from him. Crookedstar stretched out a paw to nudge them back into the nest.
Mudfur touched Crookedstar lightly with his muzzle. “They’re dead, Crookedstar.” He stared down at the tiny bodies. “They’re with Willowbreeze now.”
Crookedstar hardly heard what he was saying. He pushed past him, out of the nest, out of the nursery. He stumbled blindly across the camp, ignoring the grief-stricken mews of his Clanmates, seeing nothing but a blurred sea of pelts as he staggered toward his den.
“I’m so sorry!” Fallowtail’s cry trailed after him.
“Not the kits, too!”
Crookedstar blocked out Graypool’s desperate wail as he burst into his den. Collapsing in his nest, he buried his nose in the moss. It smelled faintly of Willowbreeze. Swallowing back a yowl, he screwed his eyes shut. Whatever he did, he couldn’t escape his promise! He couldn’t take it back. I’m destined to lose every cat I care about! Memories swirled—tragedy after tragedy: Willowbreeze; his kits; Rainflower; Hailstar; Oakheart’s betrayal; Bluefur’s sacrifice. Mistyfoot and Stonefur don’t even know their real mother! His promise was a stone flung into the river, sending never-ending ripples not just through his life but through his Clan’s, through everything! All because of Mapleshade!
Mapleshade! A growl rumbled deep in his throat. I’m coming for you, Mapleshade. He dived into sleep, willing it, wanting it, and woke in the Dark Forest.
Mapleshade was watching him. “Crookedstar.” Her mew oozed with satisfaction.
Rage scorched through him. With a roar, he leaped at her. Silverhawk’s death bite was seared in his memory. Swiping the old she-cat sideways with a hefty blow, Crookedstar lunged for her throat.
She ducked away, growling. Pleasure lit her eyes. “You think you’re stronger than me?” she hissed. She darted forward and reared up at him, slamming her forepaws against his cheek.
He staggered, lifted by the force of her blow, and stumbled to the ground. He spun away in time to knock aside another strike. Claws outstretched, he hooked Mapleshade’s pelt and flung her backward. She scrabbled at the dark earth with her hind legs, recovering her balance in a heartbeat and throwing herself at him, forepaws stretched out, claws glinting like pike teeth. Crookedstar ducked and slid underneath her, swiping her hind legs away. Then he turned and leaped, twisting in the air, kicking out his hind legs, swiping with his fore, landing on her back as she struggled to find her paws. Mapleshade groaned beneath him but he held her hard and snapped his teeth around her spine.
She pushed up with a force that shocked him. Crookedstar lost his grip. Flying backward, he turned, reaching for the ground. It hit him before he found it, knocking the breath from him. He grunted as he felt her weight on his back. Her claws pierced his pelt as she pinned him to the earth.
“Go on then, kill me!” Crookedstar hissed. “I’ve got nothing left to live for.”
“Oh, no.” Mapleshade’s honeyed mew dripped in his ear. “Letting you live is far better revenge.”
“Revenge?” Crookedstar twitched. “What did I ever do to you?”
Mapleshade jerked him backward and stared into his eyes. Her gaze flamed with hate. “You were always destined to become leader of RiverClan. It was never anything to do with me. Your path was marked out by the stars countless moons ago.” She thrust her muzzle closer. “But who cares about destiny except fools? I should have been ThunderClan’s leader! But ThunderClan cast me out when I took a RiverClan mate.” Her lip curled. “Familiar, eh? Oakheart isn’t the only traitor you know.” She gave Crookedstar a vicious shake, her claws hooking deeper into his flesh. “Our kits were perfect!” Her eyes blazed harder. “But they drowned. After ThunderClan cast me out, I tried to carry them across the river to their father’s Clan. But the water snatched them from my grasp and carried them away.”
Crookedstar tried to wriggle free.