Maiden of Moonlight | Tedros Pendragon

Chapter 2.4

" What I am trying to cultivate is not blind optimism, but radical hope. "

Junot Diaz

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The Moon glowed, light streaming past the open window and billowing curtains to cast upon the figure laying still under the blue sheets of her bed. Marya shifted, glancing at the clock on the wall to see the big hand on the eleven.

Slowly, she lifted the covers and pressed her feet to the cold floor. It would have to be tonight. She was going to do it. The Montague was going to warn Tedros.

After being caught by the Dean in the washroom prior to Marya's private lesson, the two former-evers dispersed from the two witches. Agatha had finally learned of the butterflies and the power they gave Sader. They were her ears around the castle and Marya had to be careful as she attempted to sneak out. They had been following her everywhere the entirety of the day, even as she sat in Debeautification-a truly horrific lesson-with Professor Anemone, it lay perched on the window sill near her desk.

Sliding on her slippers, Marya leaned an ear against the door to listen for any footsteps in the hall. Pleading with the Heavens for the door to not creak, the brunette managed to slink out of Valor tower in nothing but her silk pyjamas.

The foyer was empty, the silence eerie as she navigated the building and descended more stairs, where the ladder down a tight shaft still awaited. Marya found it odd that it hadn't been sealed off, but she had no time to think of such things as she grabbed a torch from one of the sconces and climbed down the rusty ladder, her eyes adjusting to the darkness of the tunnel with only the small flame as her guide.

On high alert, Marya cautiously made her way through the abandoned passage, her ears perked up for any other sound that wasn't the rushing ravine, dripping stalactites or a curious mouse. Every breath she took seemed to echo, anchoring the fear of getting caught even deeper into her stomach. The brunette had seen the restless princes at the gates of the school and knew they would rip any princess they could get their hands on to shreds. She couldn't imagine what would happen if a vengeful boy got his hands on her.

Marya froze. Perhaps she should turn back. Come back with Agatha instead of being on her lonesome. The brunette turned her back to the Evil castle, taking a deep breath. No, she couldn't do it. It was cowardly.

A hand clamped to her mouth. The Montague released a muffled scream of fright, the torch falling to the damp floor and extinguishing within an instant.

" Sh, sh, sh-"

Marya did not hesitate and bit the boy's hand, his pained yell drowned out by the thundering ravine as she attempted to flee back to Good, away from whoever was going to harm her.

The torch was kicked to her feet, causing her to stumble against the wall and giving the boy enough time to clamp a hand around her wrist.

" Marya, stop this! It's me, Gavriel."

She stopped fighting.

" Gavy? Oh thank the hatter!" The brunette cried, throwing herself into his embrace.

" I'm happy to see you as well, cousin, but what in Merlin's beard are you doing here!?" He exclaimed, anger and concern reflecting in his hazelnut gaze. " You could be tortured by Aric if captured and-"

" I'm here to see Tedros." She cut him off sternly, pulling away to look at her surroundings. " How did you find me? I thought this passage was abandoned."