Chapter 20 Mysterious smoke
"In a neighboring kingdom, along with more victims," Conrad replies.
I feel all that weight being lifted from my shoulders and sigh with relief. By sheer luck, I wasn't caught.
"What are we going to do?" I ask, touching his face.
"Don't worry about anything. A specialized team is already there, taking care of everything. I don't want you near those things; black magic is very dangerous," he says, kissing one of my hands. "Stay here, away from all that, just planning our first tradition. The most important thing right now is to finalize our union."
I just nod, smiling. He grabs me with his arms and hugs me. I cling to him, shrinking into his body. By the goddess, the last thing I should do is lie to my mate.
But what other choice did I have? Over Conrad's shoulder, I stare at the pillow. Underneath it was my biggest secret. Something that could make me lose the most important thing in my life.
"The colors used are white, green, and blue. They indicate purity, fertility, and longevity for the new Luna. But what has to stand out is white." The party organizer says while showing me options for party designs.
Of course it's white. The pure would rub it in the faces of everyone else who isn't pure. Why did I feel that party didn't suit me? I would be Luna, but nothing there matched me. I wasn't pure and wouldn't live long if anyone discovered my secret.
"Let me choose everything. You would be incapable of throwing a party worthy of my son." The queen arrives, drawing everyone's attention.
Everyone in the room bows before her. I look at everyone's expressions and they seemed somewhat uncomfortable. I look at my mother-in-law, who was already staring at me with disgust. I sigh wearily.
"Thank you for your good intentions in helping me with the party, so that everything is worthy of your son." I speak the last sentence ironically. "But this party is mine. So that everyone can get to know me and I can get to know them too. I don't see why I should hand over the whole party to you. After all, I will be the next Luna." I conclude firmly, even though I feel a lump in my throat.
"I admire your self-confidence, caretaker." She says after a long laugh. "My son is no fool, he'll soon realize your miserable plan to climb the social ladder. The truth is, you will never be a Luna, this kingdom will never bow before a caretaker, and even if the moon goddess descended here and guided you, you wouldn't have the capacity to organize a simple recognition party!"
She says it all at once, with the hatred very well expressed in her facial expressions and speech. That hit me hard. Because my logical side knew it was true. I knew I wasn't the right person to rule that kingdom. But I was too weak to leave Conrad's side, too weak to admit the truth.
"Aunt Solange!" I hear a sweet voice echoing through the room.
I look towards the door of one of the castle's living rooms and see Selena entering gracefully. My mother-in-law, who previously seemed like Lucifer himself, now has a happy smile on her face.
"My sweet Selena!" she says cheerfully, walking towards her and embracing her.
I stare at the scene, perplexed. They both seemed intimate, almost like a mother and daughter. I look around and realize that everyone is staring at her, now with an expression of enchantment. As if admiring the relationship between the two. I shrink back on the sofa, feeling like a fish out of water.
"How are you? Why did it take you so long to visit me? Tell me all the news!" Solange says euphorically, bombarding Selena with questions.
I see Selena look in my direction, a calm smile on her face.
"Actually, I came to see Maya," Selena replies to Solange, who glances at the two of us with disgust.
"Why?" she asks, looking desolate.
"I volunteered to be Maya's lady-in-waiting and teach her everything I know," she replies, still with a calm and peaceful smile on her face.
With each word Selena spoke, my mother-in-law's hatred seemed to grow.
"What were you thinking, Selena? Serving a caregiver? You should have been chosen by my son, and you should have been the one organizing your own acceptance speech!" she shouts furiously.
I stare at the two of them, perplexed. Selena should have been chosen? So there was already some kind of expectation that Selena and Conrad would get married?
"Please, Solange. Don't say that!" Selena pleads, appearing ashamed. "Just because our families are allies and Conrad and I have known each other since we were little, doesn't mean we have to get married. Conrad has found his mate and should have the freedom to live his bond," she says innocently, as if she were making a great sacrifice.
Then I see it again. That pink smoke. Flooding the room, abundant and surrounding Selena. That's when I understood the meaning. That smoke was a warning, an alert. Not only confirming that Selena never wanted to help me, but also stating that there was dark magic in her.
The magic within me, just like Harper's, warned that she used dark magic. Not a specific voice, it was more like a simple certainty of it. Selena wasn't a hybrid; I would feel her magic coursing through her veins, just as I feel my own.
That smoke was just proof that she wasn't as pure as my mother-in-law thought. It immediately occurred to me what her reason was for dabbling in dark magic. Even I, who belonged to dark magic, wasn't proud of it. So what were her real intentions?
Was she trying to cast some kind of spell to lure Conrad? Or worse, did Selena have some connection to the various dead wolves and traces of dark magic? She wasn't a hybrid, and it's no surprise she doesn't have a guidebook like I do. Was she stupid enough to get involved in something she doesn't understand?
The questions came rushing down on me. What should I do?