Chalice.
"Why did you start the fire, wench?!" The guard whose mouth slled of booze and decay spat in my face, his features a mixture of ugliness and filth as he stared straight into my eyes— so deep that I wondered if he could see into my soul.
His hands fastened around the whip in his hands and he raised it over his head. But hell, I didn’t flinch. For the life of , I could swear that I didn’t even notice him.
Why?
Because I knew that he could never hit with it. That he was afraid that I still possessed a bit of power around here— estranged Luna or not.
This thought was what fueled to shake my head and smile at him, revelling in the way his nostrils flared and retracted.
He was mad. That I was sure of. And his anger was what I intended to use against him.
"My cell was cold," I spat, "...I needed a little heat."
My response probably didn’t sit right with him because then he bared his teeth at as he ca to crouch in front of , and from this vantage, I couldn’t help but notice the golden flecks in his eyes... the moles and freckles scattered across his nose... and the way his eyes would twitch every now and then.
He hissed; "So how do you feel now that the so-called ’heat’ you wanted burned you and took so of your hair in the process?"
The jesting... the sarcasm in his voice made raise my hands slowly and carefully place it at the back of my head where it hurt the most.
A wince slipped past my lips when the skin there sizzled so painfully that it caused tears to leak out of my eyes.
And do you know what he did?
He watched. He smiled. He bead the largest smile and pointed to my head, to a spot where obviously I couldn’t see, then spat; "You have a bald spot."
More tears leaned out of my eyes.
"...And if you do not start talking right now, I’ll make sure that that wouldn’t be the only bald spot you have."
The ice in his voice rattled to no end. It made my body shudder and made goosebumps spread across my skin. I lowered my lashes to hide the tears falling down my face, and with trembling lips, I hissed;
"I don’t know how I started the fire."
"Lies... lies! Lies from the pit of hell!"
"So days ago, I’d asked the guards for so petrol to clean out my wounds. I knew they would never give thylated spirit so I had settled for the easier option..."
I purposely let my voice trail off and hiccuped just then in order to appear more pitiful. And when that seed to be doing the trick as most of his frown had smoothened out, I continued;
"And just yesterday, I wanted to create a fire from stones. I had totally forgotten about my petrol in my cell, and... and... you should know the rest."
A beat of silence settled between us as he took a step back—
And goddess, it was obvious that he had believed . I could swear that it was pity I saw in his eyes before he dragged in a deep breath and muttered under his breath;
"What is the rest that I should know?"
"Petrol and fire... that causes fire." I said softly, sighing.
"And you think I am a fool that would easily just believe that that was how it all happened? That it was an accident? And then miraculously, your cuffs fell off your hands during the mini stampede?"
"Y-yes!" I cried.
"You’re a bloody liar!"
My throat clamped shut just as the corners of my eyes stung with more tears. Even my body felt like it was vibrating with an intensity that I couldn’t quite control.
And in that quiet... in that mont when all I could hear was the way my heart hamred against my chest, I blad myself for getting caught. But I blad that stupid girl more for leaving to rot when my weight began to weigh us down.
After the explosion and my near death experience, she’d pushed through the crowd to co save . But then, as if the moon goddess was against my freedom, the guards caught on to us quickly. They began to chase us through the thick forest leading to the river where we’d initially hoped to make them lose our scents.
—And when I beca too heavy a burden for her to bear, she’d reluctantly left behind— not like I believe that she’d been reluctant to do so.
I could still rember the worried look in her eyes. I could still feel the way my heart shattered when she lowered to the floor, her voice small as she whispered;
"I’m sorry, Luna."
"Bitch! Bitch! You used to call bitch!" I hissed, "why are you calling Luna all of a sudden? Why are you being so polite now that you’re about to betray ?!" My voice had broken into sobs as I cried out these words; but she didn’t stop. She didn’t even spare another glance!
A loud pained cry tore out from the back of my throat as I watched her continue down the thick grass, and with each step that she took, the heavier my chest felt until she was no longer there... until she’d successfully disappeared.
I cannot fully rember what happened next, but all my fuzzy brain could muster was how I had been fighting against the pain searing through practically everywhere on my body.
Then the guards hands as they hoisted up like I was nothing but a sack of potatoes.
As they carried away, I couldn’t protest. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t expose her! Goddess, I couldn’t even open my mouth.
I felt stiff. Hurt and enraged.
And that anger was all I felt now as I glared into the ugly face of my torntor.
He bead a smile at as if realizing the thoughts in my head. And with a forced smile, he drawled; "I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way. Jon, fetch the burning rod!"
Usually, I would laugh, thinking that he couldn’t do it. That he could never do it, especially since he still respected as his luna.
But the na of his accomplice sent a chill down my spine.
It was the na of the man who I knew could hurt ... a man who’s been intent on hurting from the get go.
My breath hitched in my chest when a tall handso figure stepped forward and in his hands was indeed a burning red rod.
He smiled— the type that could freeze my bones— and then he hissed; "Hello Chalice, we finally et."
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