Nalu: The Lone Slayer

New Life

Lucy's POV
It's been seven years since that day. The day I was taken from my mother and brought to this hell hole. Even after what Jude said, I don't entirely believe my mom is dead. I mean, she can't be. I can still feel her presence.

Maybe I'm just imagining things. Maybe I'm just a hopeless girl looking for someone who actually cares. Speaking of, I have found someone. As it turns out, unfortunately, Jude is my birth father. By law, he has the right to take me back to his home. That probably wouldn't be the case of people knew what he was actually doing to me.

Anyway, my birth mother, Layla, died of depression not long after Jude left me in the woods. Coincidentally, she was a Celestial mage, which may be why I am so strong with my Celestial Dragon Slaying. She also had a few golden gate keys. One of them, she left to me. That was the the water bearer. Her name is Aquarius, and while she may have a temper and she doesn't like many people, she's always there for me. She takes care of me. She's some of the only family I have left.

Anyway, as I walked away from the dungeon lying underneath the Hearfilia mansion, I felt extreme shame at myself and my actions. Since the day Jude had found me in that cave with my mother, he had used me and my magic as he pleased. Often it was just as influence and threats. Other times it went further than that. He actually used me as his muscle.

At times, I was very rebellious. I didn't want to hurt people for him. That's when he would threaten me. He threatened to take Aquarius away from me, and while I know he can't do anything to her, what would happen if he found a way to do just that. What if he found a way to hurt her. I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

More often than not, I also thought about Draco. What would he think of me? Does he know that Melody is gone? If so, does he hate me?

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a hand being waved in front of my face. I looked up to see my mermaid spirit. She looked down at me with a concerned look on her face.

"Lucy? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just thinking."

She gave me a sad smile and said, "About them."

It was a statement, not a question. She knew me so well. She knew that I wanted them to be here.

Before I could respond, I heard a knock on the door. I quickly sent Aquarius back to the Celestial World. Jude quickly learned that Aquarius had a temper, and he didn't like that. He told me that if I wanted to keep her, I wasn't allowed to summon her in the house. Only for intimidation against enemies.

I heard the door open and turned to the woman standing in it. She was a maid. Her name is Spetto. She's often the one to come and get me when Jude wants to speak to me.

"Miss, your father wants to see you in his office."

I almost scoffed at the father part. What kind of father beats their kid half to death for every little thing they do wrong? What kind of father uses their child for money and intimidation? What kind of father kills their childs mother? What kind of father leaves their month old infant alone in the woods with nothing?

A person who shouldn't be a father. A person who should be hated and imprisoned. A person... a person who should die a very slow and painful death.

Once I reached the doors of "my father's" office, I knocked and waited for a response. Eventually, I heard a miffled response from the other side of the door, telling me to come in.

I opened the door and walked in, see Jude staring out of the window behind his desk. He didn't even look back at me when I walked in. He already knew who it was.

"Lucy." He spit out my name as if he was disgusted by it. "I have had a meeting with a business almost as powerful as my own. The owner has a son. He offered me a proposition. He would like our two companies to become partners. The thing is, he wants you to marry his son. So, in two weeks time, that is what you will do. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

He turned around and slapped me as hard as he could. My head was jurked to the side, but I didn't even flinch. This is nothing compared to everything else he has done.

"What have I told you to call me?"

"I am sorry." I answered, emotionlessly. "Yes father."

He nodded and turned back to the window. I took that as a signal to leave. I turned and left the office, heading back to my bedroom.

The second I entered the room and had the door closed behind me, Aquarius summoned herself to my side. She saw the look on my face and immediately wrapped her arms around me, allowing herself to lean on the bed for support.

As I began to cry into her neck, I felt her embrace become tighter. I heard her give a low growl, but knew it wasn't towards me. It was towards Jude.

Slowly, she reached for my chin and made me look at her. When she saw the red mark on my cheek that was certainly going to be bruised over by tomorrow, she snarled.

"One of these days," She started under her breath, "I'm gonna kill him."

"Don't." I whispered.

She sighed, but there was a gentle smile on her face. "You are too damn kind, you brat."

I smiled. "Yeah, maybe."

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, she said, "Have you ever thought about running away?" My breath hitched for a moment. Truthfully, yes, I had. Plenty of times actually. I just never had the chance. "I'll take your silence as a yes."

I nodded. "I have. I just never had the right moment to go."

She smiled at me, trying to comfort me. "Well then, now you have me to help. Tonight, when you see me constellation fully form in the sky, call me. That's when I'm at my strongest. If we need to fight our way out of here, we will." I opened my mouth to argue but she gave me a pointed look that kept me from saying anything. "Lucy, you are very important to me and you have done so much to help me. This is me returning the favor."