Chapter One Hundred And Sixty Two

Chapter One Hundred And Sixty Two
Lucian's Pov 

I couldn’t help but feel the knot of anxiety twist tighter in my stomach as the hours passed.

Today was the day.

The day we would face Deluna head-on.

I could only hope that my plan wouldn’t fall apart at the seams. There were so many variables, so many ways this could go wrong, but I can’t afford to think about that now. The stakes were too high.

I exhaled sharply, rolling my shoulders to shake off the tension.

Deluna knew us very well. She was always three steps ahead, and that’s why I kept reminding myself, never underestimate her.

She would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, and I had to make sure we were ready for whatever she threw our way.

"It’s persistent, this one," one of our allies spoke, his voice rough but resolute. "Deluna is clear, she won’t back down unless we show her we’re serious. She said I could only protect Naomi with our armies and the armies of our allies in place." He wiped his brow, as if the weight of his words had just sunk in.

I nodded, even though the tension in the air made it hard to breathe. We’d been planning for weeks, meticulously organizing our forces, making sure every move was calculated. But that didn’t mean we were invincible. Not by a long shot.

"We’ll go through the rear," another ally declared, his voice unwavering as he stepped forward, pointing to the back entrance. It wasn’t the ideal route, but it was the safest way to approach without being seen. Our every move needed to be precise if we wanted any chance of success.

One of our team members, his brow furrowed in confusion, raised a concern. Don’t you think that her army is too much for one person to handle in that place? We’ll be walking into a trap.

A ripple of unease moved through the group.

His question hung in the air like a weight, and we all exchanged uneasy glances. Deluna had always been careful about how she presented her power, but this... this felt like something different. Something more.

But as much as it was frustrating, I understood his point. Deluna didn’t want to appear weak, and this was exactly what she hated, the thought of her power being questioned or undermined. It was an insult to her. We would see soon enough whether or not she was willing to show us what she was truly capable of.

When we finally arrived at Deluna’s hideout, a strange setting settled over us.

I was prepared for the worst; an ambush, something violent, a battle. And nothing could have prepared me for what we saw. The place was eerily quiet, and the scent of something rich and savory wafted through the air, making my stomach churn in a mixture of confusion and dread. There were long tables set up in the center of the room, each one neatly arranged with plates of food, as if preparing for some kind of celebration.

The contrast was unsettling. Here we were, about to fight for our lives, and Deluna had created what looked like a feast. It felt like I had walked into a nightmare, a bizarre dream where nothing made sense.

It was wrong.

All of it.

This wasn't the scene of a battle. It was the scene of a feast.

My grip tightened around my sword as my eyes searched across the room. No guard. No sign of an attack. Just this unsettling sight of a table set for a celebration that we had never agreed to attend.

I exchanged glances with Travis and Naomi, and they looked just as unsettled as I felt.

Naomi's fingers curled around mine, her grip firm despite the slight tremble in her hand. I turned to her, offering the smallest, reassuring smile.

"Stay close," I murmured.

She nodded but didn't loosen her hold on me.

I took a cautious step forward, my heart pounding in my chest, when I heard Deluna’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“Welcome, everyone,” she greeted, her voice dripping with sarcasm and venom. 

“You may all have your seats for a meal, which might very well be our last,” she added with a darky chuckle that sent a shiver down my spine. 

The weight of her presence filled the room, suffocating and undeniable. She had planned this. Every detail, every moment, she had orchestrated this to unnerve us. And it is working.

The air felt thick with tension as Deluna's smile widened, her eyes glittering with malice. “This meal was made specially with love by me,” she added, as if this twisted scene were nothing that mattered more than a casual dinner party. Her words hung in the air, mocking everything we stood for, everything we’d fought for.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. She was standing at the head of the table, her arms wide in a gesture of mockery, as though she were the hostess at a feast. It was sickening.

She gestured around the room, her eyes sweeping over our group. "Bringing an entire army to fight little old me? I must say, I'm flattered by all the efforts you've gone through." She said, laughing off.

"Now, sit down, all of you," she commanded, her tone turning dark, colder than ice. 

"Or what?" One of our allies retorted.

"Or someone within us will be murdered before you have a chance to eat... or you’ll die before you even touch your last meal... my meal."

Her words were a threat, one that dripped without danger. I could see the look in the eyes of our men, fear, hesitation, but they didn’t falter. Not yet. They knew what we were here to do, and we would not back down. Not now.

But there was something about Deluna's presence, the way she controlled the atmosphere, that made me question everything. She was playing a game, and we were the pawns. But we can not let her win. Not like this.