His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 126: Elora’s Magick

It wasn’t until Asa and I were left alone in the cabin that the true weight of my situation settled in. I had been fooling myself, thinking I had any control at all. Asa wouldn’t just escort me back to the palace and act as my maid. She would be there to keep me on a leash. To ensure I didn’t rebel. She was a constant reminder that I wasn’t free or even close to being in control of my fate.

Asa may act friendly, but I knew it was just that—an act.

The silence of the cabin was deafening as the night settled in. I had no idea when I would return to the palace and what I would do from there. How can I tell Alaric I won’t be returning with Eryx now? It was all so messy.

Why me? I wallowed in my self-pity just a while longer. Only for a little while, then I will pick myself up again and re-strategize.

The door creaked open, and my attention snapped to the entrance. Ciro walked in, the faint glow of moonlight visible behind him, filtering through the woods. His hood still covered those sharp features. He walked with purpose, his eyes scanning the cabin and smirking at Asa’s and Pyrrhus’s answering glare.

"I’ll take the watch tonight," Ciro said, his voice low, casual, as though he were stating an obvious fact. He didn’t look at me, but I could feel the shift in the air the moment he stepped into the cabin. He was here for more than just keeping watch.

Asa didn’t say a word, just nodded and moved toward the door.

"Enjoy your night," Pyrrhus smirked at me, glancing at Ciro. "If he bites... you can stake him."

Stake? I blinked at the wording as the fire Fae chuckled, putting his hands in his pockets as he swept out of the cabin elegantly.

I rose, trying not to shift uncomfortably in his presence. After our last discussion, I’d become warier. None of the Fae mentioned or acted on my attempt to turn Ciro on them, but it didn’t make me relax either.

Ciro settled into a chair near the fire, his eyes flickering to me as he stretched out; his body relaxed, but his posture tense, like a wolf waiting to pounce. I couldn’t stop the flicker of unease that crossed my chest. There was always something about him—something unsettling that made it impossible to fully relax in his presence.

Was it because he fed on people and drank their blood? I wanted to ask if he ate hearts as well, considering the reports of the Blood Wraiths acts, but it seemed a little too personal to ask, or he might laugh at me or make my death painful.

After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice so calm that it was almost unnerving. "How are the children?"

The question took me by surprise, and I stiffened slightly. My mind instantly raced to the children—those innocent faces that had seen such cruelty so young. Their faces flashed across my mind; one in particular, Xan, crossed my mind. I wondered if he was up to no good or if he felt safe.

"They are unharmed," I replied carefully, trying to keep my voice even. "They’re healthy. They’re being cared for."

Ciro’s eyes flicked to me, a curious glint appearing in them. "They walk in the sunlight?"

I paused, not understanding what he was asking at first. But then it clicked, and the question took on a different weight. "Yes..." I said slowly, trying to process what he was really asking. "Should they not be able to?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, the words swirling in my head. He seemed so fascinated by the idea that the children were able to walk freely in the light as if they were something special. But why?

The marks on their skin flashed through my mind. The strange sun sigils that had been etched into their flesh, the ones I hadn’t been able to understand. I hadn’t asked the children about them, too afraid of the answers they might give, but now I was terribly suspicious of Ciro and if those marks meant something important.

"Did you leave those marks on them?" I asked, the question coming out colder than I intended.

Ciro looked at me for a long moment, his gaze shifting with an almost amused curiosity. "It worked..." he said softly, almost to himself. "Elora’s magick worked. They are not crazed either?"

I blinked, trying to process his words. What did he mean by that? Elora? Magick?

"No," I answered, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. "They are healthy and well. They’re not... like you said. They are fine."

Ciro smirked, though it lacked any warmth. "They are fine because the magick worked. You have no idea what that means."

I stared at him, unsure of what to say. What had they done to them? What kind of magick had they used on those children? And why did Ciro seem so... proud of it?

Something wasn’t right.

I couldn’t help the chill that ran through me. Whatever they had done to those children, it had worked. Clearly, it had as Ciro was beaming and the most expressive I have seen him in the very short time I have known him.

It had given them the power to walk in the sunlight? The very idea left me confused. Of course, they could walk in the sunlight...

"What have you done?" I whispered, my voice thick with disbelief. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the answer, but I needed to know. He and his kind had already tried turning some of the children, and they turned into crazed, hungry creatures that ended up turning a few of the servants.

Ciro just looked at me, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he leaned back in his chair, his hands resting behind his head as if the answer to my question didn’t matter in the slightest.

"And why do I need to tell you anything?" Ciro asked, his eyes gleaming coldly. The excitement that brightened those ruby jewelled eyes had vanished, and his usual expression had returned-- crossed between a predatorial coldness and someone at ease.

"Those children are in my care now... If you’ve done something..."

Ciro tilted his head to the side. "They are nothing more than experiments. And why are you worrying about them when you are the one in the most danger?"

I glared at him. "What do the marks mean? What is the significance-"

"I’m sure you’ll figure it out in time," he said softly, interrupting, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "But that’s not what I’m here for tonight."

I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

Ciro’s smirk deepened, and his eyes glinted with a mix of amusement and something darker. "I’m not here to explain everything to you, Princess. I’m here to give you a chance."

"A chance?" I repeated, my voice wary. "A chance for what?"

"To escape," he said, standing up slowly. "You can leave. Go to the East, follow your lover if you wish. But you’ll be alone. We won’t follow you... for now."