Chapter 49 The Wrath Of The Moon Goddess
Damon took a few steps closer and handed the vial to Fernanda. She took it from him with a steady hand even though her heart quivered. This was really happening.
Fernanda gently caressed the body of the vial with her thumb, wondering what would happen if she refuses now. Something told her that wouldn't be a smart decision to make. She could feel Damon's eyes on her, it was as if he was watching her intently.
No, he was. He has his gaze on her but it wasn't just casually. He was watching her every move, curious to see what step she was about to take next.
The room was awkwardly silent, Fernanda could literally hear her own heartbeat. It felt like the whole world was on pause for that particular moment, which was understandable considering that she was about to make a life altering decision.
“Are you... having second thoughts?” Damon asked, slightly tilting his head to the side. The question made Fernanda flinch a little, “No no of course not! ” she immediately said back, holding the vial tighter in her hands as she moved a bit away from him with a small sigh.
The gesture made Damon's face twitch a little. “It is just that... I was wondering what happens next after I activate my powers as the catalyst in the prophecy.” Fernanda said, her lips lifted up with a quivering smile.
Damon nodded, perfectly understanding where Fernanda was going with the question. “I understand you Fernanda. I knew you would ask something like this and that's why I gave you those books to read about the prophecy and the roles of a catalyst to the realm. Our very much fractured realm.” Damon explains.
”If only you had concentrated better on reading those books–“
“I did!” Fernanda cut him off, her lips pressed into a thin line. “I concentrated. trust me I did which is why none of this makes sense!” She said again. Damon paused, obviously taken aback by her sudden blurt but cleared his throat immediately after.
“What doesn't make sense to you Fernanda? I thought we were past this. I thought you've accepted the truth about your identity.” Damon looked genuinely confused.
“Believe me when I say I truly have. But you still haven't answered my question Damon.” Fernanda pressed further. “Which is!” Damon was starting to get frustrated now. “What happens next after I drink this liquid and activate my powers Damon!” Fernanda said, her tone rising.
“And then we get to work, we fix the realm by restoring balance back to it.” Damon's reply had a sharp edge to it. The look on his face told Fernanda he wasn't so thrilled with her question.
Which was why she didn't stop, “If I may ask, what is your idea of fixing the realm? Of restoring it's balance?”
No answer.
“I'll answer that for you. You want to get rid of the Lycans, you want to destroy them all.” Fernanda said, her voice shaking with unease. She knew she was playing a dangerous game but she was willing to take the risk.
Damon scoffed and shook his head, ”You are being unreasonable with your assumptions Fernanda. I told you everything! If I wanted the Lycans gone I would have found a way to do that a long long time ago.“ He was furious now and rightfully so because that was a blunt accusation.
But Fernanda wouldn't have arrived at that conclusion if she hadn't been observant. "No." She whispered, taking another step back. “I read all the books you gave to me, every single one down to the last page and something just didn't sit right with me after having read everything there was to read.” Damon's expression got darker each second Fernanda spoke.
“It was stated in the books several that the catalyst only awakens when the one who holds the power has found the purpose and is ready for it. The catalyst power was never meant to be forced out. So it made me wonder, if my powers were sooner or later going to activate by itself why does this exists then?” Fernanda raised up the vial.
Damon's face had became hard now, ”You don't know what you are talking about,” he told Fernanda but she continued anyway. “I also came across another statement in the book which made mention of phoenix tears and how dangerous it is for whoever bears the mark of the catalyst. And also, how it is used to make whoever drinks it do the bidding of the first person they set their eyes upon!” Fernanda was no longer holding back now, she was genuinely frustrated.
“These are phoenix tears, aren't they?!” Fernanda yelled at him. She was breathing heavily now. “Yes they are.” Damon replied her. There was a certain shift in his tone and demeanor that Fernanda caught all too well because the room suddenly got darker, as if shadows leaked out from the corners.
“This was never just about restoring balance to the realm for you, was it?” Fernanda asked rhetorically, shifting backwards as Damon started approaching her.
“Yes it is. Restoring balance to the realm was all I ever cared about. It would always be my greatest priority. But let's face the truth Fernanda, the Lycans and werewolves were the reason why balance was destroyed in the first place.”
“They fought countless of meaningless wars against each other and for what?! They knew the more they fought against each other, the weaker our realm becomes and yet they never stopped. The Lycans only cared about dominance and power.” The closer Damon got to Fernanda, the angrier he became.
Fernanda knew she had stirred the hornet's nest because Damon spoke of the Lycans as if they were the most rotten creatures he knew about. Like he had a personal resentment towards them. He looked so livid and pale and that scared Fernanda so much.
“They take lives as if it's the easiest thing to them to do. Arrogant and unreasonable, driven by a primal instinct to assert dominance wherever they go, they are the reason why Lunareth became damned in the first place, so you better drink from the bottle now Fernanda!” Damon spat, his eyes getting darker by the seconds.
Fernanda shook her head, ”You say that about them but all I see is a man who has become what he hates, your motives are also currently being driven by hatred and arrogance for the Lycans and I will not be used as a weapon to annihilate a race. Never!“ She stated firmly, raising her hand up and smashing the vial onto the ground with all her strength.
Damon then lost it. He got to her in a flash and grabbed her roughly by the neck, slamming her body frame against the wall. “What. Have. You. Just. Done?” he said with gritted teeth.
Fernanda clawed at his hands as she gasped for breath. She tried to speak but his grip against her neck was too tight. “If you thought I wouldn't see this coming then you are so wrong! I brought backup.” Damon said, pulling out another vial of phoenix tears out from his coat.
“No! Don't do this, I'm begging you! There's always a better way!” Fernanda choked out but Damon wasn't listening. She shut her eyes as pried her mouth opened and was about to force in the content of the bottle.
A blast of energy suddenly came from the entrance and aggressively knocked Damon off her immediately. Fernanda fell to the floor, her visions a blur as she sucked in air into her lungs. “Your highness!” She heard Maya's voice but it wasn't clear enough.
“Your highness! Are you okay? Are you hurt?” She heard again but it was clearer this time, Maya had already gotten to her. “Maya!” Fernanda rasped, pulling Maya into an embrace with a relieved sob. She was still oblivious to Levi's presence in the room.
He was the one who sent a blast of cold energy across the entire room just to get Damon off Fernanda. Seeing what was happening had sent him into rage. He only imagined something worse if it had been Sebastian who saw Fernanda getting manhandled like that.
He stood over Damon, pressing his boot against the chest of the leader of the great order. “What did I tell you the last time? You've really messed with the wrong one.” Levi said, putting more pressure on Damon's chest before knocking him out with a single blow.
Fernanda raised her head from Maya's embrace and gasped when she saw Levi. Her eyes teared up, it was as if she had seen Sebastian himself. Levi's presence automatically made her feel safe. “Levi.” she whispered tearily and he gave her a firm nod.
“I apologize for not getting here sooner, your highness.” Levi stated, his apology genuine as if he was the reason she found herself in this place. “Please don't apologize for my foolishness Levi, everything is on me.” Fernanda said as Maya helped her up.
The three of them went silent for a moment, trying to process everything that had just happened in the past thirty minutes. “So what exactly is going on?” Levi asked, breaking the silence. “Fernanda is the catalyst as prophesied hundreds of years ago by the Oracle," Maya immediately explained, giving Levi a there's-no-time-to-waste look.
The vice commander was at loss for words and could only nod his head in agreement but not after glancing at Fernanda to confirm if what Maya had just said was correct. “She's right. But apparently the powers aren't awaken yet and that was what Damon was trying to do, forcefully.” she told him, signing tiredly.
“This would subdue him,” Maya brought walked towards Damon's unmoving body with two manacles and clamped them around Damon's wrist. “He wouldn't be able to do anything even after he regains his consciousness.” She said reassuringly.
Fernanda didn't miss the way Levi's eyes followed Maya's every movement. His eyes somehow softens when they are on Maya and Fernanda had never seen such an expression before on the vice commander. Levi always looked angry, stoic and bored but now his eyes held this subtle excitement in them whenever he looks at her.
That observation alone made Fernanda smile. She also wondered how they came to be? They conversed as if they once had history. Fernanda was curious but this wasn't the time to ask those questions. She was just happy to have found another reason to stay alive.
“What about... Sebastian?” Fernanda asked, ”Have you heard from him?“
“I haven't been able to communicate with the King, your highness. For days. Which is why we need to get out of this place now, the shadow wielders are looking hard for us right now. We can't risk them finding us here.” Levi replied, pulling Damon's body up.
“What do you plan on doing with him?” Fernanda asked again, confused as to why Levi wanted to take Damon with. “He committed a grave offense against the Queen, he's not going unpunished for that.” Levi answered.
“That's not necessarily, Damon had a motive. He is just misguided. Let him be.” Fernanda pleaded on Damon's behalf but Levi was adamant. “I apologize your highness but I can't. He has to face the consequences of his foolishness.” Levi responded.
“As your Queen, I ask of you to let him be. Please.” Fernanda pressed further. “I can be very persistent vice commander and you know it.” Fernanda said with a small smile. Levi shook his head but did as he was told, he nonchalantly dropped Damon's body onto the floor and shrugged.
“The king would not let him live, he'll have his head.” He told Fernanda, ”I guess I'll have to find a way around that too,” She returned with a shrug of her shoulders.
“How could you still be so empathetic towards him after he almost killed you?” Maya asked Fernanda. “Like I said earlier, he is just misguided. There's a bigger problem we need to tackle that's bigger than everyone of us including Damon.” Fernanda replied.
“The wrath of the moon goddess.”