Chapter 70 End of Contract
Dahila’s POV
The sounds of the battle didn’t stop immediately.
Even after the loud clashes faded, the silence that followed felt worse. It pressed in on my ears, heavy and uncomfortable, like something was still waiting to happen.
I stood near the window, my fingers still gripping the stone ledge. My hands were shaking, but I didn’t even remember when it started.
The courtyard below looked ruined.
Smoke still rose into the night sky, and parts of the gate were completely destroyed. I couldn’t see clearly through the darkness and the flames, but one thing was obvious.
It was over.
At least for now.
My heart was still beating too fast, refusing to calm down. Every second that passed felt stretched, like I was waiting for something else to go wrong.
For another attack.
For another roar.
For something worse.
I swallowed hard and stepped back from the window.
Where was Dagnoth?
That question kept repeating in my mind over and over again. He had been out there this whole time, fighting. And I had been here, doing nothing.
Safe.
The thought made my chest tighten painfully.
What if he was hurt?
What if—
The door suddenly burst open.
I flinched, my heart jumping into my throat as I turned quickly.
Dagnoth stepped inside.
For a second, I couldn’t move.
I just stared at him.
He was covered in blood.
My breath caught, panic rising instantly, but then I noticed the way he stood. Strong. Steady. His eyes found mine immediately, sharp and focused.
He was alive.
Relief hit me so hard my knees almost gave out.
“Dagnoth…” my voice came out softer than I expected.
He crossed the room in a few quick steps, stopping right in front of me. His gaze moved over my face like he was checking for injuries.
“You’re safe,” he said.
It wasn’t a question.
I nodded quickly. “I’m fine. I stayed here like you said.”
His shoulders relaxed just slightly, but the tension in him didn’t disappear completely.
“Good.”
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
I wanted to ask him everything at once.
What happened? Who was that? Are we safe now?
But the words got stuck in my throat.
Instead, I reached out without thinking and touched his arm.
“You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.”
It didn’t look like nothing.
Before I could say anything else, the sound of footsteps echoed from the corridor. Loud. Fast. Angry.
The door, still open, made it easy for them to enter.
Three of the older Lunas walked in without waiting to be invited.
Their expressions were not calm.
They looked furious.
My stomach dropped immediately.
“There she is,” one of them said sharply, her eyes locking onto me.
I froze.
Another stepped forward, her gaze filled with something between anger and disgust.
“This is her,” she said. “The one bringing all of this upon us.”
My fingers curled slightly at my sides.
“I…” I didn’t even know what to say.
The first Luna pointed at me, her voice rising. “Since she came here, nothing has been right. The attacks, the unrest, the curse getting worse. And now this war.”
Each word hit harder than the last.
“She is cursed,” another added. “And now our pups are suffering because of it.”
My chest tightened painfully.
Pups.
My eyes moved instinctively toward the small resting area where my children were sleeping peacefully, unaware of everything happening outside.
Guilt crashed into me all at once.
What if they were right?
What if all of this really was because of me?
“I didn’t mean—”
“Enough.”
Dagnoth’s voice cut through the room instantly.
Sharp.
Cold.
Dangerous.
The Lunas went silent.
Slowly, he stepped forward, placing himself slightly in front of me. Not fully blocking me, but enough to make it clear where he stood.
His eyes darkened as they moved across them.
“You will not raise your voice at her like that again.”
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The air in the room felt tight.
“She is the reason we are under attack,” one of the Lunas said, though her voice was lower now.
Dagnoth didn’t hesitate.
“No,” he said firmly. “She is not.”
There was something in his tone that made it clear this wasn’t up for debate.
Still, the tension didn’t disappear.
It just shifted.
I took a small step forward, my hands trembling slightly.
“Maybe…” my voice shook, but I forced the words out anyway. “Maybe they’re right.”
Dagnoth turned to look at me immediately.
“If all of this is because of me,” I continued, my chest tightening with every word, “then maybe I should just go.”
The words felt heavy, but once they started, I couldn’t stop.
“Whatever is coming… whatever they want… I’ll take it. If it means this stops, if it means everyone is safe—”
“No.”
He didn’t even let me finish.
The word was firm.
Unshakable.
I blinked, surprised by how quickly he said it.
“No,” he repeated, his voice softer this time but just as certain. “You are not going anywhere.”
“But—”
“I already told you,” he said, stepping closer to me. His gaze held mine, steady and serious. “I will take care of you. Until the end.”
My breath caught.
Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten in a different way now.
Not fear.
Something deeper.
More certain.
“You don’t understand,” I whispered. “What if they come back? What if it gets worse?”
“It will,” he said.
There was no hesitation.
No false comfort.
“It will get worse.”
A chill ran through me.
But then he continued.
“And I will still be here.”
His words settled over me slowly.
Strong.
Steady.
Unmoving.
“I gave you my word,” he added. “And I do not break my promises.”
Silence filled the room again.
The Lunas didn’t argue anymore.
They couldn’t.
Not after that.
Slowly, they stepped back, their expressions still tense but no longer confrontational. One by one, they left the room without another word.
The door closed behind them.
And just like that, it was quiet again.
I let out a shaky breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.
My heart was still racing, but something inside me had shifted.
Dagnoth didn’t move away.
He stayed right in front of me, close enough that I could still feel the heat from his body.
“You’re safe here,” he said quietly.
This time, it sounded less like an order.
And more like a promise.
I looked at him, really looked at him.
At the blood, the exhaustion, the strength still holding him together.
And for the first time since the battle started…
I believed him, was still scared of what was yet to come.
What was kael actually planning and what gave him the guts?