Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Five

Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Five
Naomi's Pov

I came to a sad realization; I was lost in a glimmering world filled with inclement coldness, dismal light, and, more importantly, thick herb-scented air. A scorching throb grazed my aching head as I struggled all the more to focus on the previous night. This could not have been Lucian's mansion or the Shadows' quarters.

The walls were stone and cold, ancient and damp, with cracks all over formed like veins on some fading skin.

The air was thick with something heavy, something I could not name. My tongue was bitter; it seemed I had been drugged. 

And then it all came flooding back. 

DeLuna. 

The one behind this entire thing. Darkness blotted her betrayal, sharp and cruel. My fingers curled to form fists, and I grunted as I sat up, ignoring the pain shooting throughout my body. 

DeLuna was at the far end of the room, bent over a wooden table where something was grounded into a thick paste. The odor was intolerable, harsh on the nostrils, so much so that it was canine-like. Her humming, melodious in nature, floated above the stench even in the horridness of it, so disrespectfully horrible she had just inflicted on everything I thought I knew about her. 

DeLuna must have seen my stirrings; she pivoted toward me with a glimmer of mirth in her eyes. 

"Oh, you're awake."

My voice barely got past the lump in my throat when I glared at her. "DeLuna... Tell me this is not true." My voice was hoarse, but I didn't care. "I trusted you." 

"Oh, poor Naomi," she said mockingly, a cruel laugh escaping her lips as she put down her tools and approached me slowly. "That was a bad deal." 

Her smile was too wide and pleased, almost as if she had been waiting for this moment. 

I pushed myself upright, my muscles stiff with the effort. "Why?" My voice quivered with anger. "Why would you do this? You helped me... you helped us. What has changed?" 

DeLuna's gaze darkened as she tilted her head. "Sit down, Naomi. I will tell you why I did it." 

I hesitated. This was no time for arguing; there was still no escape for me, not yet. If I had to understand her, it was possible, just possible, I might find a way out. 

Arms crossed, she sighed slowly. "I lost everything, Naomi. My own kind. My people. Do you know what feeling it is?" 

Her voice quavered, but what I heard was not sadness. It was venom, rage. 

"I was the last one standing. I went through agonies; I went through torment. And what did the world do? It turned away. It scoffed at me." Hollow laughter escaped her lips. "'The little witch, DeLuna. A joke. A puppet. A whisper in the dark." Then her jaw clenched. "That was then. Now this is the life I chose." 

Something stirred within me at her words, but I could not accept them. 

"You are not the only person who has suffered, DeLuna," I said. I held her gaze as I spoke. "I lost my parents too. I have seen cruelty, betrayal, and loss; but that didn't turn me into this. I didn't lose myself to revenge." I inhaled shakily, forcing my voice to remain steady. "You are better than this." 

There was a flicker of humanity in her expression for just a moment. 

Then it was gone. 

"No, Naomi," she shook her head. "This is who I am now."

I stared at her, searching for the friend I had once known. But all I saw was a cold gleam of someone who had abandoned their presence for power.

She stepped closer, her eyes gleaming with unholy essence. "And I have already spoken to Lucian and Travis about my terms. If they don't want to see you dead, they'll have to meet my demands."

My stomach twisted.

Lucian.

Did he think I was a part of this? Did he think I had betrayed him too?

"I just hope he doesn't believe I'm in on this," I whispered under my breath, my heart beating fast.

Deluna smirked, as if she could hear my thoughts.

"Well, well, well." She twirled a loose strand of her grayish-blue hair between her fingers.

"Since everyone seems to want a piece of you, I think I'll settle for the highest bidder."

I swallowed hard.

There was no humor in her voice, only cold calculation.

She took a step closer, her presence overwhelming. "There's still a chance for you to join me, Naomi," she said, her voice almost gentle. "You're strong. You have seen the darkness of this world. Why fight against it when you can rule it?"

A shiver ran down my spine.

She was serious.

I cleanched my fists. "I would rather die than become like you."

She clicked her tongue, disappointed. "A shame."

I looked around, searching for anything I could use. But the room was barren, just a table with strange potions and mixtures on it.

The door behind Deluna was locked and there were no windows.

I was trapped.

I gathered some imaginary strength. "What are you going to do with me?"

DeLuna blew a sigh, very theatrically. "It depends. If Lucian and Travis play nice, you go free," she said, pausing to let the words linger while a cruel smile formed on her lips. "But if they don't… well, let's just say I have other plans." 

Her words sent shivers down my spine. 

I felt like fighting her, running away a thousand times over, but alas, the escape route was sealed. 

DeLuna turned and went back to her work, humming softly once again. 

I couldn't help but stare at her while my mind raced away. 

This was not the DeLuna I knew. 

Or maybe… perhaps she had been like this all along, and I was too blind to see it? 

My chest constricted with memories of the past, my parents, their love, their loss, Lucian, how he had come in and saved my life. How I had fought to live through all of this. 

And here, once again, I was caught. 

Incarcerated. 

Broken. 

Betrayed. 

A lump formed in my throat, but I held back the tears. 

I would never let her win. 

Somehow, I was going to find a way out. 

I just needed to hold on. 

Even if this was just the beginning of my nightmare. 

Even if I had to fight with everything until I could barely stand. 

I will survive. 

I had to.