Filed To Story: The Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert
Besides, I already know you can’t fix it.”
Astraea pursed her lips. She knew that too. However painful that was, healing the child now would require turning back the time and the gods had overused their intervention opportunities. This was why she had never done something like this before. You change one destiny and then, when you need to change another, you don’t have a choice to do so anymore.
“I don’t want to leave it like this,” she promised. “Over time-
“Astraea, please, I am not sure I am ready to talk about this.
“I am so sorry, Ria. I would never forgive myself-If I hadn’t used that potion on you during the Luna Trials, it could have been different.”
Riannon placed her palm on top of the goddess’s hand, giving it a light squeeze.
“The Moon Goddess told my wolf that there is no way to know what caused this. Sadly, we will never get the answers. And even if we did, they wouldn’t change a thing in Rafael’s life. Maybe it was the potion, maybe it was Jormungandr’s attack on me, or maybe it was our destiny all along. I personally prefer to blame Joran.”
Ria let out a bitter laugh, but at the same time, tears rolled down her cheeks. She was about to wipe them when Astraea caught her wrist and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Even if my hands are tied to heal him now, I promise you, he will never be alone,” she whispered.
“Will you stay?” Riannon asked, not wishing to let her sister go.
“I can’t,” Astraea bit her lip to suppress a sob. “The divine realm is a mess. Someone is hunting the gods, and no one is safe. The balance is almost broken, and unless we mend it from up there, all realms could crumble. It’s already happened once in the past and it would be best not to repeat it. Unfortunately, I am really needed up there.”
“And what about us?” Riannon asked.
“Fenrir blessed both your countries. You should withstand it even if the South attacks.”
“But what about the demons?” This time, the Western Queen distanced herself. “They attacked us and we barely managed to survive.”
“We are working on that, too. I promise.” Astraea clenched her hand. “I will never leave you alone. Not again.”
“Then why does it feel like losing you all over again?” Riannon let the question slip off her tongue. She was usually more reserved than that, but something told her Astraea would know how she felt, anyway.
“You will never lose me,” the goddess smiled. “And I have something for you.”
Riannon felt a row of beads materialising around her wrist.
“Is that-” She couldn’t believe this.
“They are mostly healing beads,” Astraea told her. “For when your son needs them, or you… if you’ve used too much of your gift helping him.”
“Thank you so much!” She did not know what else to say.
“I wish I could have done more for you now,” the goddess admitted.
“You are not her anymore, are you? You are not Astrea.” The words were like daggers to them both.
“I am, and I am not.” The answer was the truth, a realisation they both had already harboured deep within. “You are family to me, Riannon, but I can’t stay in the mortal realm for long. I have the memories of my first life back, and the rest is returning to me little by little. Now, I am both Astrea and Astraea, but no matter what, you will always be my sister, and I will always come to your aid. One day, the balance will be restored, and we will meet again.”
“1 will wait,” Ria said, tucking her face in her sister’s hair and wrapping her arms around her until she disappeared
Riannon knew more about the rules of the divine world than any other mortal, but still couldn’t help but feel the loss.
Rafael’s tiny arm twitched in his dream and Ria tensed, but when nothing followed, she breathed out in relief.
“It’s all going to be good, Raf Raf,” she smiled at her son, knowing she needed to concentrate on him and his well-being now.
???
Salome placed her hands on the wall to help stretch her back. In the limited space of her modern cell, she quickly realised that keeping herself busy and moving was important not to go crazy. The walls blocked her magic and there was literally nothing else to do in here.
The sound of footsteps put her on alert, but she did not plan to demonstrate this to any of her visitors.
“Hey.” Forrest Romero’s voice made her turn on her heel slowly and raise a questioning brow at him.
“It took you long enough.” She folded her arms over her chest.
“Getting a criminal out of prison during this chaos is not an easy matter,” he retorted with a smirk, showing her a paper in his hands with the Southern seal and stamp. “But I did it, and now you are officially working with me under probation.”
“Yay,” she said unenthusiastically. “Lucky me.”
“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” He moved his fingers, ready to rip the document in two, and deep inside, she knew he’d do it if she didn’t stop him.
“No need,” she shrugged. “I guess working for you is better than staying here.”
“You still have to be careful,” he warned her. “Your new workplace is connected to your bedroom and you are not allowed anywhere else. Sorry, but this is the best I can do for now. We will work on better conditions over time.”
“Fine.” The witch decided not to argue. This was the best any of them could do right now.
Fenrir was gone, and there was nothing for her in Solace anymore. Going back there would be too painful.
At the same time, with her new criminal reputation, going back to her Coven would also be a mistake. This was the best she could do for now. Not to mention that hopefully, thanks to General Romero, she would have insider information to send to her friends.
Forrest took her away from the Alpha Convocation building, but she noted that they didn’t drive for long despite him blindfolding her for the journey. She also had to wear the magic blocking cuffs.
However, he removed the blindfold and handed her the key for the cuffs on their way to her new abode down a lengthy corridor.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking around and noting the old stone walls. It looked like a castle, but the South did not have many castles as far as she remembered.
“It’s probably best you don’t know for now,” he confessed. “
Baby steps, okay?”
“Baby steps?” she scoffed. “Are you serious? I saved your as.s during a demon invasion, and all you’ve done is taken me from one prison to another.”
“And that is exactly why I am doing this.” Forrest opened the massive wooden door before her with a badge, and she realised that the old look of the building was just a façade.
The room with tall ceilings was filled with all the equipment she could possibly need. Jars with rare ingredients, glass bottles for potions, test tubes for experiments, and anything else a witch could have possibly needed for her work were here on massive wooden tables. It was a complete laboratory, and she was impressed by how prepared he had been.
Still, she wasn’t going to show it.
“So, your surprise is more work for me?” She rolled her eyes at the general.
“No,” Forrest shook his head, and now she was finally interested
Salome followed his gaze and only now noticed a dark figure in the corner.
“What are you doing here?” She gasped as tears stung her eyes. She thought they’d agreed she would deal with all of this alone, but here he was.
“I am not officially here. Not yet.” Warg informed her, pushing off the wall. She threw the handcuffs and the key at Forrest before running to her friend.
He caught her, and she felt so safe in his large arms.
Safe and guilty.
Warg shouldn’t have done it. He shouldn’t have come here for her. Not when she wasn’t offering anything in return.
“I am the ambassador from the Eastern Kingdom,” he informed her with a slight curl to the corner of his lips. “It is my job to stay here now and improve the connection between our countries.”
Salome smiled.
. “That’s-amazing, Warg.”
“Sorry, to cut this reunion short, but we need to go now,” Forrest informed them. “It was difficult enough to bring you here today, but over time, we will work on letting you two see each other more often.”
“You do know that no one actually attacked the South, right?” Salome furrowed her brows. “It was Vincent all along.”
“Do you have proof of that by any chance?” Forrest tilted his head and watched the witch cast her eyes down. “I thought not. Until we get the proof, I am afraid my hands are tied. But I do hope we’ll have the support of the East in preventing this war.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?