Es’s blade cut cleanly through the air, slicing the bottle she had thrown mid-flight.
The water inside burst forth in a shimring arc, the droplets scattering like fractured glass. Hence, the liquid t the petals of her weapon, clinging for a mont before vanishing into nothing.
A shiver ran down Es’s spine as she recalled how the weapon had attacked the Alpha of the North without warning. Her instinct imdiately overran her reason, and she flung the weapon aside, retreating behind a nearby pillar before sothing happened.
She peeked from behind the pillar, every muscle tense as she waited. If sothing were to happen– if a more powerful latent magic were to awaken– she needed to be prepared.
But nothing.
Minutes passed, with each one stretching longer than the last. Es’s brow furrowed, and her curiosity outweighed her caution. Edging closer, she bent down and grasped the hilt of the blood petal. She touched the petal, expecting dampness, but the petals remained freshly dry.
"What? It didn’t even absorb the water," she murmured, disappointnt flickering across her face. Unable to believe it, she fetched a bowl of water and plunged the entire blade into it. Aside from so parts of the weapon, the petals stubbornly refused to absorb the water.
"Are you so kind of cursed relic?" Es muttered, sizing up the weapon. "Do you only respond to blood? Like so vampire. Who even created you? Maybe I should test it with animal blood instead?"
"Luna Es?"
The sound of her na pulled her from her thoughts. Turning toward the entrance, she spotted Lady Arabella standing poised beneath the archway, looking graceful and no less beautiful. Es swiftly tucked the blood petal away as the woman approached. They both exchanged polite bows, the gesture brief but respectful.
"Are you occupied?" asked Lady Arabella.
The simple question should have been easy for Es to answer. By all rights, she was busy— her day had been ticulously planned, with every task slotted into its rightful place. Her list of obligations was exhaustingly long, precise, and calculated to the hour.
"Not imdiately," Es admitted, brushing stray thoughts aside. She was supposed to be preparing for her eting with the elders, but she had, at most, twenty minutes to spare before duty called once more.
"Do you need sothing?" she asked instead. "My schedule has been relentless, and I barely have ti to spare. If you have sothing to say, then say it."
Lady Arabella exhaled slowly, unable to comprehend the sudden strength in Es’s voice. She wondered if this was the power that ca with being a Luna. Es looked nothing like the pitiful child she rembered.
Stepping past Es, she finally said, "You might think I’m saying this because I resent the cursed ones, but the truth is that a part of does. However, that is not the reason I’m advising you to leave—"
"I’ve already made up my mind," Es interrupted smoothly, her voice unwavering as she turned to face Lady Arabella. "And nothing you say will change it. I will not abandon Donovan. The two of us... we’re finally together, and all I want now is to stand by his side, to help him in any way I can. I love his people, they were the ones who embraced when everyone else turned their backs while Dahr did as he pleased with my life. And Donovan... he is the one who taught what it ans to make my own choices. He has never forced into anything, and he made realize that this is my life, so I have the right to do as I want with it. He was always there for even when I tried to push him away, and you expect to just leave him?"
Lady Arabella finally turned to face Es fully, studying her with a newfound scrutiny. "Es... are you in love with the cursed Alpha?"
"Who wouldn’t love him?" Es countered, a gentle smile playing on her lips as her gaze softened. "He’s wonderful. He’s beautiful. He’s one of the best things that has happened to . I love him more than I can put into words. So please forget about trying to sway — I will not leave him." Though her words were gentle, there was an undeniable strength in them. "With ti I’ve co to understand that as we live, we lose pieces of ourselves– our reasons, our hopes. But as we continue, we gather new ones. Donovan and Finnian are my reasons now. My hope. And nothing will change that."
Es’s fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt of her blood petal blade, her grip firm yet trembling with unspoken resolve. "He has done so much for ," she murmured, her voice laced with quiet determination. "Now it’s my turn to repay his kindness and patience. If you truly wish to aid , Aunt Bella, then answer two of my questions."
Her piercing gaze shifted, locking onto Lady Arabella’s own. "After Donovan and I lost consciousness that night," she began, "was that when the priest erased our mories?"
At Es’s question, a flicker of sothing– shock, hesitation— flashed in Lady Arabella’s widened pupils. Es didn’t wait for confirmation as she carried on with her words. "Even after everything the royal council did to try and separate us, even without our mories, we found each other again. There’s sothing else I’d like to know."
She pressed on, folding her arms. "Is there a history of fire in our bloodline? Did my father truly summon his wolf with fire, or is there a ritual you’ve kept hidden from all this ti?"
At Es’s insistent inquiries, Lady Arabella went utterly still, her breath caught in her throat.
-_-_-♡-_-_-
"My father had a twin?" The words left Donovan’s lips before he could stop himself. The thought gnawed at him as he recalled the little encounters he’s had with the true bearer, and the words Eugene had said to him the last ti he encountered him. His gaze lingered on Cora, searching for confirmation, but she averted her gaze, fixing them on her lap, her hesitation evident.
Cora wasn’t sure either. All she knew was that she had once overheard Lord Thadius whisper it to soone in hushed urgency.
"Lord Thadius was terrifying," Cora finally said, her voice quiet but etched with the pain of past horrors. "He had a way of knowing when people were listening in on his conversations, and so many servants have lost their lives to his ruthlessness. After getting rid of them, he would fra them to society, either with theft or sothing else."
She swallowed hard. "That fear of him– that knowledge of what he is capable of, kept us in line. But that day— the way he spoke– he wasn’t just less cautious about his environnt. He was afraid."
Donovan leaned back, the suspicion in his voice cutting through the air. "If he was so ruthless about silencing eavesdroppers, how is it that you’re still alive? Don’t take this the wrong way, but there has to be a reason why he kept you alive without giving others the chance he gave to you."
"Cause I was useful to him, " Cora hesitated, unwilling to rember all of Lord Thadius’s evil sches– how he murdered her family and sold her sisters before her eyes. "He threatened , made sure I knew what would happen if I ever spoke a word. so I kept my lips sealed and served him like a slave. I wasn’t ready to die, but before I knew it, he had turned into one of his—"
"You don’t have to worry about Lord Thadius anymore." Leonardo’s voice cut through her tornt. His eyes held none of the cruelty she had grown accustod to, only certainty. "He’s gone. He’s not coming back. You’re free now, Cora, which ans you’re free to tell us the truth he buried, or at least, lead us toward it."
Cora exhaled slowly, steadying herself as she gathered her thoughts. "If Alpha Zephyr truly had a twin, then I can only assu he was the sole family mber that Lord Thadius maintained contact with. I can’t verify my suspicions, nor have I ever seen the person he always t with in secret. But whoever it was—a demon, no less—he struck so kind of deal with them. And he failed to uphold it. That’s why hundreds of demon wolves stord this place that night."
Her gaze shifted between the Morgrim brothers, her expression grave. "Lord Thadius realized I had uncovered his secret, and he tried to silence . If the two of you hadn’t been here, we would have been utterly dood. What happened to the East would have been nothing compared to the destruction we would have suffered."
Donovan took his seat on one of the chairs, his voice asured but firm as he advised. "You need to stay on guard. If you were caught eavesdropping, that ans whoever Thadius was conspiring with saw you too. They know what you know, which makes you a target. Be vigilant."
Leonardo simply frowned, his mind working through the inconsistencies. "But... none of this adds up. The stories don’t align, do they? If Thadius poisoned everyone so the demons could get their hands on Lennox, then what exactly was the deal he broke? The pieces don’t fit together—it’s almost as if they were never ant to. For the first ti, I’ll admit... This makes uneasy."
Reviews
All reviews (0)