“What?!” Belladonna yelled, grabbing Ama’s wrists tightly with rage. “How could not tell me?!”
“How dare you disrespect me?!” Ama snapped her hands away from Belladonna’s grip, fury blazing in her eyes as she started getting bigger, losing the frame she had fitted herself into.
Belladonna stayed firm, her anger refusing her to feel fear. How dare they drag Aniya into this? How dare they? If she had known, she wouldn't— By Ignas, she wouldn't have done this!
To ruin another’s life for the sake of her happiness? Never!
No.
Then Ama stopped, looked at the castle, and was back to normal in a flash as if a thought had flashed into her mind to make her reconsider. “I will spare you the wrath of my mate only this once. You will not disrespect me again,” She said firmly but those were words Belladonna couldn't hear.
They sounded like echoes in the background. Anger changed into fear, not for her but for Aniya.
She fell to her knees and wept.
“You must reverse it. Please, I am begging. Ask for something else. Anything that is just me and I will give it.”
“It is done already. Pass the test and all will be well. Have you no faith in yourself?”
“Please! Aniya. She is my sister, she does not deserve this.”
“You will be the one to decide that.” AMA turned away from her and her beastly pet followed behind her, along with the giant guards that Belladonna had somehow forgotten about. “When this is over, you will thank me.”
Belladonna couldn’t tell how much time she spent at the large and tall doors of the castle, on her knees with tears welling up in her eyes, as she thought of Aniya, then Eli, then Arlo, then her, the likely test she might be put to and the possibility of passing it.
Eli’s words bounced around in her mind so many times she couldn’t count it. Maybe he was right about Ama, maybe he wasn’t.
So much time had passed that her tears had now dried up. The pressure on her shoulders weighed them down. Finally, she got up on her feet and turned away from the door, she was met with a woman who got off the back of her beast and approached her.
Belladonna was certain she had never seen this woman before. A smile was plastered on her face, her silky white dress sweeping the floor. Just like every creature her, she was taller than Belladonna was, shrinking slowly with every step she took towards her. There were others behind her but they stayed on their beasts - four-legged beasts that looked nothing like horses but more like saber-tooth tigers.
“I really thought I would find her here with you, with how excited she was in the message for my help.”
Belladonna blinked. It was obvious who she was, with the striking similarities she had with Ama, only with softer features, but Belladonna trusted nothing and she would rather have her say it. “You are….”
“Luna, Ama’s sister. She told me everything, and I wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t told me that your failure might take a mate from one of my own. A Luna protects her own and by implication, I will protect you. With me by your side, the test will be the easiest thing you’ve ever faced.”
Belladonna glanced sharply at the castle door where Ama had disappeared behind. Her hopes arose, she wondered if the creatures of this realm were different and not as conniving as the humans in her realm. Still, the pressure was a lot.
Alaris had once told her about the Moon Goddess who protects the Lycans and chooses their mates. It had sounded like something from an unbelievable story but now, it was starting to feel very real.
Belladonna took Luna’s hand and together. They rode the same beast and soon enough, they passed an opening that appeared right in front of them and disappeared once they made it past it; just like that, they were in the Moonrealm.
The ground here seemed normal and here what was in the sky was the Moon. It seemed awfully close and frightening too but it definitely wasn’t as close as it looked.
From what Belladonna gathered, Luna seemed to be the Queen of her realm - Moonrealm. Also, everyone here seemed to love her, they smiled when they saw her and poured her flowers. It felt peaceful here.
Luna ushered her quickly into a room in the Castle. “You should rest tonight. I am certain dying is no easy thing for mortals. We begin training for your trials tomorrow.”
“I don’t need rest, I need to know. Please, tell me what kind of tests await me.” Belladonna was adamant and Luna gave in.
“Your test will be in three folds.”
Belladonna listened attentively.
“I will be teaching you much of what you already have experience with throughout your life. How to move things with your mind, how to create magic with your soul. Only that now you have no life, no magic of dead brides, no borrowed gem to help you. All you have is your soul.”
Belladonna clenched her fists behind her. How much of her life did Luna know about? How much did the entire realms know about? Because it seemed everyone knew.
“Everyone knows. Your story is very intertwined with one important High Being, the Kore. It is no fault of yours.”
“The Kore. How? What about the Kore is so connected to me?”
“It is not so much as it is you, as it is Xinora.”
Of course. Belladonna knew that since they had dragged Xinora away from that boat but she needed to know the whole story.
“Please, tell me. This might help.”
“I intend to tell you but all in due time. Of all the things that I plan to teach you during these three moons, the Council will test you on only any three. Obviously, I will not be part of the council, neither will Ama and her mate. The Council must be independent of overwhelming influence.” She shrugged and smiled. “Your teacher will never want to fail you, also the one who stands to gain at your loss will never want you to win.”
Belladonna nodded.
“Now to the second test, this will be determined entirely by the Council. I don’t know what it is.”
That made her feel very uneasy. How would she be able to prepare for that?
“But the third one I know and here is where I will tell you about the Kore and
why you must avoid it at all cost, or shall I say, the curse of the Kore.”