Chapter 43 Aftermath
Aftermath
“Get up.”
Luna’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of a stern voice.
She yawned and went to stretch her arms, unaware she’d even nodded off, until her motion jerked to a stop; chains tugged against her wrists. She groaned. “Why didn’t you come earlier?”
A while after Nina had left, Marion returned to the basement, but no matter how many times she called her, Marion refused to acknowledge her.
“You’re fine.” Marion’s tail twitched. “You don’t need help.”
“Umm . . . Considering where I am, I’d say otherwise.”
Whatever lesson Marion was trying to teach, Luna was finished learning.
How she wished she was waking up in Damien’s arms right now.
A sorrowful smile briefly touched her lips.
Those arms had always given her warmth and protection, and now, because of her poor judgment, he and his family were going to suffer the consequences.
The thought made her heart sink. Would he ever forgive her for ruining his chance to bring his sister home?
Luna rose, her legs shaking. “I can’t even explain what happened. Everything’s a blur.”
Marion barely glanced her way as she opened the cell door. “It’s too early in the morning for stories, Nina.” She grabbed Luna’s hands and flipped them over to unlock the cuffs.
Nina?
Panic clutched Luna’s heart, stilling it. That couldn’t be what she heard. “Why are you calling me that?”
Marion stared straight through her, unmoved. “Would you prefer I call you a different name?”
“I’m not Nina. I’m Luna.” Her voice cracked around the words, her hands moving to her heart like that could somehow prove it.
With one hand holding Luna’s wrists, Marion took out a key and unlocked the cuffs. “Mhm, sure you are.” The reply was far too sarcastic, too dismissive, for Luna’s liking. “And I’m a queen.”
The cuffs fell with a hard clack, and Luna’s stomach twisted. She forced her shoulders back, trying not to look as small as she felt.
“Well, that was fun.” With a not-so-gentle shove, Marion turned Luna around. “Game’s over, though. It’s time to get moving.”
Marion went to bind her wrists together, but Luna pulled away. “It’s not a game,” she said, breath catching. “I am Luna. Why don’t you believe me?” Was she having another nightmare? Surely this couldn’t be real.
Marion whistled sharply.
A set of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall, then Gregory appeared, sweat forming on his brow. “I’ve been waiting by the door in case you needed help . . . I figured you might.”
Luna’s knees nearly buckled as the reality of the situation dawned on her. They thought she was Nina. That meant . . . Skies above, no.
They were going to exchange her.
“Nina has informed me that she’s actually Luna,” Marion explained to Gregory with a hand on her hip, lowering her voice like it was a joke, “and she’s rather convincing.”
Gregory stifled a laugh while Luna fought against the bile stinging the back of her throat. Dipping his chin, he peered through his lashes at her. “Not your lucky day, Nina. I just finished having breakfast with Luna upstairs. We know you’re you.”
“That snake—” Luna hissed, her upper lip curling. Nina wasn’t supposed to be able to use her magic, it didn’t work in the temple.
“Don’t call her that,” Gregory snapped. In two quick strides, he closed the distance between them, his hands clamping down on her arm so tightly his fingers pressed painfully into her flesh.
“You might not care that you’re her mother, but she’s the only one who gives a shit about you. Show some respect.”
And what a mistake that was. The pit in her stomach hardened as anger took hold and Gregory forced her hands behind her, binding them tight with rope.
“No! You don’t understand,” she pleaded.
His ears didn’t so much as flick towards her as he pushed her forward, marching her towards the stairs.
She tried again. “I’m Luna.” She craned her neck back to look at Marion.
“You gave me five minutes last night to visit Nina, and she tricked me. I’ve—” Her voice was cut short by a cloth being rammed in her mouth.
No. No. No. No! The gag muffled her screams. This couldn’t be happening—they had to believe her! Tears welled in her eyes, warm streaks sliding down her cheeks.
Gregory let out a huff as he secured the gag around her face. “Nice try, but these tricks aren’t funny anymore.”
There was nothing humorous about this.
Violently, she shook her head back and forth, begging now with her eyes, but they ignored her still and marched up the stairs.
Her heart pounded. She kicked and bucked at every step, locking her legs, forcing them to drag her. She had to delay this; she had to buy herself time.
Haven’t I suffered enough lies and heartache?
Upstairs, the scent of cinnamon and warm oats clung to the air. The table was set like a memory Luna never got to have. Sunlight slanted through the windows, fruit were sliced into delicate spirals, and steam rose from a bowl of oatmeal.
And at the center of it all sat her.
Luna’s breath caught.
Not Nina. Her.
Only it wasn’t her anymore.
She hadn’t seen her own reflection in weeks. Not since before the camp, before everything broke.
Her skin, once pale from a life spent beneath umbrellas, was now sun-kissed and glowed with a healthy tan.
But the rest—skies—the rest.
Her cheeks had hollowed. Deep shadows bruised the skin beneath her eyes, making them look sunken and tired. The blue of her irises—once bright, full of light—had dulled, like someone had snuffed out whatever spark had been there before.
She looked as broken as her soul felt.
Her once-pristine skin was marred with thin, silvery scars and memories of shackles, of loss, and of hands that didn’t let go. There was something wrong in the way her shoulders curled inward, like she was bracing for pain . . . as if she didn’t believe she was safe here, even now.
Luna stared, heart pounding. That was her body. Her torment. Her survival.
And her mother wore it like a costume.
Luna staggered, the breath rushing from her lungs. “Damien—” she rasped, eyes darting. He wasn’t here, but of course he wasn’t.
Nina didn’t even flinch under her gaze. She simply looked up from her bowl and blinked slowly, as if she hadn’t stolen everything. As if she wasn’t wearing Luna’s face.
For a heartbeat, her eyes skimmed past Luna without recognition, as if she, too, were noticing the changes her own body had undergone in the last few weeks.
Then she smiled.
Not kindly. Not with guilt, nor even shame.
But with the quiet satisfaction of someone who’d won.
Gregory’s hand tightened on Luna’s arm as Marion stepped in behind. And just like that, Nina dropped the smile.
“Oh,” she whispered, spoon clattering into her bowl. “Is this . . . It’s really happening?” Her voice broke and tears filled her eyes, like this was her nightmare instead of Luna’s.
Luna snapped.
She screamed into the cloth and lunged forward, struggling against Gregory’s tight hold on her, but she only made it a step or two.
“Please don’t struggle,” Nina said, voice cracking perfectly. “It only makes it harder on me.” She rose, stepping closer, as if debating whether to embrace Luna or hold back.
But Luna knew better, there was nothing warm about her mother, this was all for show.
Unshed tears shined in Nina’s eyes as she glanced at Marion, then Gregory, and finally Corey. Whatever she saw in their faces made her lips tremble. “There’s nothing else that can be done.” She shook her head, as if in defeat. “You have to accept your fate.”
Her fate? Ha. The irony was almost painful.
Anger curled Luna’s fingers into fists, her fingertips pressing hard into the palm of her hands.
Nina was doing an excellent job of pretending to be her; no wonder she’d deceived all of them. Looking at Nina was like looking into the mirror and having your reflection come to life.
“Damien assured me we would have a future together, remember?” Nina added, the words rushing out of her mouth. They were the same words Luna had said yesterday, only now they were being used against her—mocking her.
“Just do what he says and you won’t be harmed.” Was that advice or more jeering? Luna couldn’t tell.
Luna stomped her hoof, sick of the bullshit spewing out of Nina’s mouth.
Nina stepped backwards, hiding the anguish in her eyes behind her hands. “I can’t watch this.”
Corey emerged from the kitchen, holding a bowl she had been mixing ingredients in, and Nina’s teary eyes met hers. “It’s too hard. Will you come get me once it’s over?”
“Of course, sweet cheeks,” Corey purred.
Without wasting any time, Nina dashed down the hall, heading to Luna’s room, making a show of sobbing the entire way.
Corey and Marion exchanged a look of sympathy, then Corey said, “I’ll stay behind, in case she needs someone.”
“That’s probably a good idea,” Marion said as Gregory steered Luna out of the apartment into the creepy, cobwebbed hallway.
The moment they entered, the candles on the walls flickered on, dimly lighting the space.
The fact the temple maintained its interior apartment so exquisitely, yet neglected these halls, was intriguing.
Perhaps demons hadn’t abandoned the temple after all, like Damien had thought.
Despite their physical forms being locked away, their spirits seemed to be free to roam and cause destruction wherever they saw fit.
Luna’s expectation to find her happy ending here now seemed beyond stupid.
She should have known she’d find only cruel wickedness inside of a demonic temple, and nothing else.
Speaking of wickedness, more waited outside.
The Darkened One’s men stood in their hybrid unicorn form, but instead of a single horn, three jagged horns protruded from their skulls.
Clad in red and black armour, they formed a ring around a black carriage. Flames licked its sides and curled over its roof. Small figures darted along the sculpted details, screaming as the demonic flames burned without actually burning.