Noctura

fifty four

lost chapter

TAPPING HER nails on the small table in front of her, she stares down at the note in front of her.

Just a few simple lines, enough to hopefully send an entire AAN division into panic.

That's the goal, at least.

She doesn't know if it'll work, but she can only try. If it does work, the AAN will be busy worrying and panicking about the note and what it means that they'll be even more unprepared for the war that's coming to them.

A war that she is leading.

Carefully, she puts the note in an envelope that has AAN written on it. She seals the envelope.

She stands up from her kitchen table, stashing the envelope in the pocket of her long coat. Her heels click against the tile on her kitchen floor as she grabs her purse and heads out of her apartment, closing the door behind her.

She begins making her way down the street, heading for the AAN building. Her apartment is close enough to the building that she can walk to the building.

After some time of walking, she sees the AAN building. Her pace slows as she puts her hand in her pocket to feel the envelope in there.

Once she gets to the steps of the building, she sees that there aren't many people around. There are a few people walking by the building or moving down the stairs.

Perfect.

She walks up to the front of the building, nonchalantly drops the note, then keeps walking by. She goes back down the steps, smiling to herself.

Now, she has to go back to her castle. Her people are there, waiting for her. They want to hear what she has to say. They want to hear her plan for the war against the humans.

She sneaks her way through the streets. Once she sees the old, run down hotel, she quickly glances around before going inside the building.

There are dozens of eyes on her as she's closing the door, all standing in the dining hall.

Those eyes all belong to the Malums.

She smiles. "Welcome, Malums. I see you've been expecting me." She takes off her jacket, getting comfortable. "I just delivered a note to the AAN. They're going to start panicking about it and that's when we'll attack. The Malums in other sectors are going to the attack the other AAN division buildings. We'll attack the fourth sector one."

"When are we attacking?" A Malum shouts.

"Tomorrow night!" She answers. "We attack tomorrow night."

"But aren't they trained?" Someone asks.

"Yes," she responds. "They are trained to kill us. But we are still stronger, more deadly. We have a large army. And I have a secret weapon."

Murmurs ripple through the crowd in the dining hall.

"I have a Noctura stronger than any other!" She shouts, ceasing the murmurs. "She was once a human, but now she is a Noctura. She's stronger than any Noctura known to man."

More murmurs ripple through the crowd, this time louder.

"Her name is Kaila Hale." She grins at the crowd. "And she is not the only one. There's another Noctura I've discovered who was once human and he's just as powerful as Kaila."

"Where are they?" Someone shouts.

"Kaila is safe with us. The other... I have a plan to get him to us. I'm going to have to use some dirty tricks, but it should go well. A certain friend of mine knows him, and that's going to be my way in."

The crowd begins to shout and cheer.

She smiles. We finally have a plan. The war is coming.

As everyone continues chanting and cheering, her dark red lips turn up into a smile.

This is it. She, Mariela, thinks.

The war is starting.