LUNA: The Witching Hour

27: One Witch, Two Demons

I did three things as soon as Midnight left me alone in his office.

I stared at the urn.

Took Bluezold.

And opened the small box.

Alam ko naman na hanggang ngayon, masakit parin. What I was hoping I wouldn't have to experience was Midnight's utilization of my grief. He used it against me. Took advantage of my weaknesses and tried to consult me in doing something I wouldn't want to be doing. Even though he had clearly stated that the final decision would be mine, I knew better than to neglect Midnight's orders.

Wrath of the Seven Deadly Sins wouldn't tolerate a useless pack member.

And where do I stand to protest? When I took the blood oath myself-- when I already pledged my life to him, as my King. What rights do I have to disobey the King just so I could save myself from the past? I do not. As soon as I drank his blood as he did mine that night, my life was tied to his already.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Hopeful that I was too broken--- that I could no longer feel anything---- but I was wrong. My heart pounded like hammer against metal, it runged and reverberated through my veins with an icy touch. The familiar pain came back. The kind of pain that could make you sick and throw up. Where all the blood in my face drained and I couldn't keep my knees from buckling. I felt cold. Very, very cold I started to tremble. All the energy in me suddenly vanished I wasn't able to stop myself from slumping down into the oversized chair behind me.

It took all of my strength to calm myself down and settle.

But that too didn't happen.

Horrible images filled my head as my vision started to blur. Fire. Dragon. Sword. My chest tightened. The loud roar of Tiberius. The light. Midnight's dagger. Sage's last words. My throat dried up and I felt it being squeezed for some reason. The coven. The Queen. The cry of my baby. A twinge of pain occurred in my head and my hand instantly went up there. My mom. The sword in her chest. The journal. My father. The truth. I couldn't breathe. Everything felt so close. I couldn't breathe.

Air.

I needed air.

Every bone that I owned bit back as soon as I forced myself to stand up--- strode forward to shut the lid of the box that revealed the bones of my child, stopped the urge to shove the King's things on the table away, and turned around to get the hell out of this room when Killian appeared on the other side of the door.

"Calm down, Sahar" It wasn't the usual strict tone Killian had been using to me these days, it was like he had read the atmosphere and saw through my eyes the unwanted hurt, refraining himself not to fight it with the same aggression. "Breathe. You're okay"

"I'm not," I said, my teeth gritting. "Kailangan kong lumabas, Killian"

He observed my face for a while, "Okay, lalabas tayo"

"His Majesty told you to watch over me?"

"Yes" Ika niya sa kalmadong boses, "He just wanted to make sure—"

"That I wasn't going to do anything stupid" I finished his sentence for him. Kahit naman hindi ito ang lalabas sakanyang bibig. Ngunit halata namang ito ang dahilan kung bakit narito si Killian ngayon para bantayan ako.

Killian's lips turned into a grim line, his tightly tucked wings behind him twitched. "Kung ano man ang nangyare sainyo ni Zagreus, I just need you to calm down. Walang mangyayareng maganda kapag kikilos kang galit, Sahar"

I didn't have the luxury of time to explain why I'm acting like this or cared enough to be understood. I pushed past him and said, "His Majesty showed me the bones of my child, Killian. Am I overreacting?"