Chapter 57: Crescent Lure!!

**Nora’s POV**

Rorik came inside the cell, “You called me?” he asked as I lifted my head in his direction.

“Please come, sit near me”, I gestured to him.

“You need something? I have a meeting to attend!” He gave me a precarious look as if suspecting me.

“Okay, leave”, I snapped, trying to look away from his piercing glare, “Of course, I am a witchy traitor of this kingdom; nobody likes me now. I see how everyone has discarded me in a day like a lump of shit.”

He sighed, turning towards me, sensing my distress, and sat beside me, “It’s nothing like that. I am all ears. Tell me. But let me make it clear, don’t ask anything unreasonable from me. You already know that you are my weakness,” he said holding my hand. The warmth and depth of his touch were all I needed now. I felt broken, but his caress was already acting as a healing herb to me. I instinctively put my head on his shoulders, my fingers playing with his knuckles.

Since the last few days, precisely after my first visit to the old palace, I started feeling a strange attraction towards Rorik. Of course, I love Ronin, but something is there that attracts me to Rorik. Their mom already said that both the princes would attract me, but what if it’s the other way around? What if I am also feeling the attraction towards both of them? Perhaps that’s what happened to Rebekah and their mom as well. Or maybe Rebekah prefers Rorik while Nora prefers Ronin? Whatever! My body has no control over my feelings going haywire.

“I just wanted to tell you that I may have pointed a gun at you, but I had no intention to kill you. I will die before I can even think of harming you,” I spoke.

“I know”, He replied. Just two words of emotionless reaction pierced me through with an arrow of guilt.

“It’s just that I wanted Dasan to live as well”, I gulped with my fingers stroking his involuntarily.

“Why do you want him to live?” he asked, shifting his graze on my face.

“I don’t know. The darkness surrounded me, and Rebekah took over. My instincts were not in my control. The deep shadow in the back of my mind asserted that he was not a bad man. My instincts fought against each and every fibre of my body to save him,” I muttered.

“Yes, of course, your darkness. Do you expect everything you do should be forgotten over that? Okay, I agree Dasan must be a good man. But what about your words of threatening my uncle? You know what hurts me most is your behaviour towards Ronin. As I came here, he was in the meeting with the council, fighting and arguing with each and every member, even with his family, so that you could remain alive. He cares more for you than his babies. I know you are doing this in Rebekah’s compulsion but try to fight it. You are not like her.”

“I can’t control her as her visions are the only ones which will take us to Land of Azra, which you all want me to. And regarding my hatred for Ronin? I don’t know why Rebekah hates him; maybe it’s rooted in her hate for Ornith. She hates all the serpents, so I can’t control the urge to hate or think of killing him when Rebekah takes over me. I am losing it; I am done fighting. My mind and my body are not supporting each other. Just kill me and get over with it” I couldn’t stop the flow of bustling tears flooding my eyes.

“I am sorry”, he said as he braced me in a deep hug, “I should have known better before blaming you. I should have considered what you must be going through before accusing you.”

“It’s okay”, I mumbled.

“You were telling me something about a secret?” he asked.

“Yeah, but I don’t remember now. I don’t have all the memories of Rebekah. Some come only when she takes over me and reveals in bits and pieces,” I said. He nodded his head in understanding.

“Mom was asking about Crescent Lure? Do you have any idea about it? Maybe, your granny told you something as according to Ozarius’s book, it was with Rebekah the last time she was spotted,” he asked.

“No, my granny didn’t say anything to me about it. You have already gone through my stuff, and all I can offer you now is my body. Go ahead, search me, if that’s what your mom has asked of you,” I snapped, showing anger and trying to remove my dress.

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean it; I was asking if you have, then give me? You can trust me,” he replied.

“One more thing, how long are you planning to keep me here? I can’t sit here in one position; besides, I am not feeling good, this morning sickness is taking over me, and I am damn hungry,” I complained him as a maid entered the cell with a tray of food.

“I knew, so I had already informed maid,” he said as he took the plate from the maid and gestured her to leave. He brought it to me and started feeding me. My eyes swelled with tears, and he must have noticed it.

“What happened?” he asked, “Is something else bothering you?”

“Nothing, it’s just the overflow of emotions, hormones of pregnancy to blame for. I am missing my parents badly. Don’t know if I will ever be able to see them?” I grimaced, wiping out my tears.

“Of course, you will. Once we are done with the Azra thing, Ronin and I are planning to send you back to Earth,” he said.

“You mean after snatching my babies?” I asked him in an accusing voice.

“Yes, and believe me, that is the only best and the available option”, he snorted, trying to look away.

“Whatever, I don’t even know if I will survive this birthing process? Your mom told me that giving birth to a serpent is painful and risky. She had only one Serpent while both the babies are serpents.”

“Oh really!” he sounded surprised.

“Yes”, I replied.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine”, he said as he closed the distance between us.

“I want to see my parents. Can you show me their photo? It’s in my belongings,” I cooed him but looking at the expressions on his face and feeling the constrictions of his ab muscles touching me over the side, I knew he would decline, “I swear this is all I ask for. I don’t want anything else.”

“Nora, please don’t do this”, he sighed.

“Please, I beg you. Just once. If you have any feelings for me, then do this thing for me,” I told as he raised an eyebrow.

“What do you think? I don’t know about your feelings? It is all written over your face. I know of the strong urge you are fighting to resist me. It’s something you are not in control of. Mine, Ronin’s and your destinies are linked together. The attraction which you both have for me affects me as well, and it’s getting stronger the more and more Rebekah takes over me,” the words were still slipping from my mouth as he held me tightly and pressed his lips onto me. His kiss reeked of pain and suffering rather than aggression. He laid me on my back as he roved over me, nibbling my neck and collarbone, making sure of not putting his weight on my stomach. I could feel his hardness over my thigh as I dug my nails on his back.

All of a sudden, he pulled away from me as if a sudden feeling of guilt panged his heart. He stood up, adjusted my clothes and moved towards the door, “Tomorrow, we are leaving for Land of Azra. I will send your family photo with Meghan and Liam. But all I can give you is five minutes. They will hand it over to me after that as the council meeting can get over soon any time. Nobody should know of this,” he said and left as I sighed, rearranging my clothes.

Shortly afterwards, Meghan and Liam entered the cell.

“Nora,” Meghan said, but my graze hit on the frame which she was holding in her hands.

“Thank God, you got it”, I gasped excitingly as I gestured them to come near me.

“What is this for? Rorik said that we had only five minutes. Is everything okay?” they asked.

“Yes, did you get what I asked you for?” I asked impatiently.

“Yes”, Meghan replied as she pulled out her hairpin from her hair, snuck out a small pointed needle from it, and handed it over to me, quite confused.

I took it excitedly, but my fingers were still shaking as I inserted it into an almost invisible hole at the side of the frame as it tugged open and a small packet slid on my lap.

“What is this?” they asked with their eyes widened in shock. I ignored them as I pulled out a small piece of paper from the packet. It was a letter from my granny which she sent me on my eighteenth birthday. My eyes focused on the last few lines of the letter.

*“Nora, the dreams of the Serpent which are haunting you are showcasing you your destiny. I may not be able to guide you, to defend you against him, but all I can give you is a weapon to fight him. This weapon is the only thing that will help you fight against him, whom you will face soon. Make this a part of you as if it’s your soul; never part away from it as you are the rightful owner of the Crescent Lure.

I always love you, Re,

Your Granny, Nhala”*

My eyes flickered with wetness as I read those words.

“Does Re stand for Rebekah?” Liam asked.

“Yes, I was confused at that time about it, gushing it as some error, but now everything is clear to me. My granny was Rebekah’s acquaintance. She was here on this planet long before,” I said, rubbing my eyes.

“She supports Rebekah, and Ronin is against her; I don’t know whose side should I take on,” I said as I pulled out the other content of the parcel, a small chain with a small white diamond in its centre. It was so ordinary that no one could take a second glance at it.

“Crescent Lure”, I snorted out as I held it in my hand.

“What!? But it doesn’t even look like a crescent shape. It’s so average; how can you call it legendary?” Meghan grunted.

“Rebekah was clever. If this necklace is legendary and Ronin’s mom wants it so badly, something must be about it. Maybe Rebekah made it this way so nobody could suspect. She even gave a false name to conceal its identity. In this way, she can easily protect the necklace from falling into the wrong hands. She was smart,” I spoke.

“So, are you planning to hand it over to them?” Meghan asked.

“No way! I was tempted to give it against our freedom; it could be probable leverage, but their witchy mom wants it so badly, and I am in no mood to go easy on her. My granny said to all keep this with you as this is a weapon, so I will not give them this before I know its powers and use. If I am given the responsibility, then I will have to make sure it doesn’t go in the wrong hands,” I said as I put the letter back in the frame and closed it.

“Meghan, keep this with you. I can’t keep this with me, or they will suspect. I don’t know how to use it or the purpose of this. But I will ask you for it soon when I know its powers,” I said as I handed over that necklace to Meghan.

They both nodded and left.