Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Four

Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Four
Travis' Pov

I stood frozen, my breath caught in my throat as the weight of DeLuna's words settled over us. 

The world around me blurred, as if reality itself had fractured. 

"What just happened?" Lucian's voice cut through the silence. 

His words were barely more than a whisper, his raw shock evident in every syllable. 

I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. "I don't know. Did she just say she was the Shadow's leader?" 

Lucian tightened his grip on the knife he held, causing his hand to bleed. 

Before we could process what was happening, the men surged through us, forcing us to fight. Alexander quickly made a break for it, disappearing out of sight. 

I swung my blade thoughtlessly as I slashed through Alexander's men, or were these DeLuna's? 

My mind was a chaotic storm, grappling with DeLuna's betrayal. 

Earlier that night, when we arrived at the Shadow's hideout, I had dictated our plans. DeLuna was supposed to stay behind to search for Naomi. When war broke out, she would quietly get her to safety. 

I had been a fool. 

The teleportation potion she rubbed on my skin, after making me drink a part of it, felt like a cruel betrayal. 

Now, here we were, trapped in the enemy’s den, face to face with the woman I had trusted the most. 

The woman I had admired. 

My breath seized, my pulse hammering painfully against my ribs. I had defended her, vouched for her. 

Maybe even......

No. 

I forced the thought away, but it was too late. The truth had solidified itself in my mind. 

She was the enemy. 

I knew Lucian was disappointed in me, especially now. I didn't know what had happened. 

"So, now what's her plan with Naomi?" Lucian asked, after we managed to pull away from the fight. 

"I don't know, Lucian. I'm as surprised as you are." 

"Where's Alexander?" he asked again. 

I still didn't know. 

Lucian’s face darkened as he stormed out of the ruins of the Shadow’s mansion. We made our way back to the car that our men had brought. 

The silence in the car on the way back was suffocating. The streetlights flickered like dying stars, their dim glow casting fleeting shadows across the road. The streets stretched endlessly ahead, the tires humming softly against the pavement. 

Both of us were lost in confusion, unsure of what to do next, or what DeLuna's plan was. 

I stared out the window, my reflection barely visible in the glass. 

"How had I been so blind?" 

How had I not seen her deception lurking beneath her smile? 

How couldn’t I read between the lines? 

Now, what does she want with Naomi? What games is she playing? Were we all pawns in her schemes? What does she hope to achieve with all of this? 

Those questions kept swelling in my mind, with only DeLuna to provide answers. 

Just then, my phone rang, breaking the silence. 

"Hello?" I spoke into it, but there was no answer. 

"Hello?" I repeated. 

"Hi, Travis," the voice spoke, and I immediately recognized it. 

Deluna.

"What kind of sick trick are you playing? Did you just do that to scare Alexander, or are you really the Shadow's leader?" 

"What crap, Travis? Am I, or aren’t I? Doesn’t it look like that? You guys just keep undermining my power. Tonight, I showed you what I’m capable of. And if you want Naomi alive, you better do as I say." 

"Deluna, I’ll kill you when I get to you," Lucian spoke, making Deluna break into loud laughter. 

"I’ll kill you if I get to you," she mimicked mockingly. "Come get me if you can. Don’t try acting smart. Remember, I’ve lived with you. I know how you think. I know how you behave. So, if you want to see Naomi alive, do as I say." 

She ended the call abruptly. 

"What mess have we gotten ourselves into?" 

When we arrived at the mansion, Lucian slammed the door behind him, his frustration palpable. 

"I hope you're not mad at me, Lucian," I said, hesitating. 

"No, I'm not. I knew you were unaware of her plans. You weren’t the only one deceived." Lucian said.

"I'm so sorry that had to happen," I said, guilt seeping into my voice. 

"No, it’s okay. We never saw it coming." 

Lucian's eyes suddenly flickered with realization. "Emma!" 

"Yes, Emma," we both said in unison, rushing inside the mansion, searching frantically. We finally found her tied up in a room, her arms and legs bound behind her. 

"Emma!" Lucian shouted, rushing to untie her. 

"What happened to you, Emma?" 

Emma began to sob. "Master Lucian, I’m glad you’re alive. DeLuna isn't what you think she is. Stay away from her, please." 

"She found out I was going to come to you earlier today, so she tied me up here. I tried warning you." 

"Where is she? Stay away from her. Where is she?" 

"She's not here." 

Emma looked terrified.

"Oh, you guys should stay clear of her." 

"I thought you went to get... Naomi from the Shadows. How did it go?" 

"Well, it was going well until DeLuna revealed her true identity. I knew she was hiding something." 

"What happened?" Emma asked, her eyes searching mine.

"DeLuna...?" I said, hesitating a bit.

"DeLuna is the Shadow’s leader," I said. 

Emma gasped in shock, "What? I knew she was up to something evil! I never knew she was the Shadow’s leader." 

"Yeah, we’re just as shocked as you are. And Naomi...?" 

Emma asked, "Yes, about Naomi...?" 

"DeLuna has her." 

"Oh God, I hope she won’t hurt Naomi." 

"We can’t be sure. She hasn’t revealed her full motives yet. We don’t know why she wants to control an organization with Naomi." 

"Oh God, this is bad. What are we going to do now?" Emma asked, fear creeping into her voice. 

Just then, my phone rang again. 

"Hello?" I spoke into the phone. 

"I'm going to attach a message filled with my terms and conditions. If you want to see Naomi alive, Lucian, that message is specifically for you. Do as I say."