Page 94 of Of Shadow and Moon

I refuse to fall apart now. But it is too late.

I don't feel it until that hand settles onto my shoulder. I only become conscious of it when it tightens to make me face the intruder. It is the blinking that seems to clear my mind as I force my eyes into focus.

A woman stands before me; her features sharp yet beautiful. Her hair is a tumble of fiery red, flowing down her shoulders.

“Hello, Selestina,” she sneers, her voice dripping with mockery. “It’s so good to see you again. Though I do apologize for the...circumstances.”

The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I sense others around me now, bodies that pulse with magic. I turn, but before I can fully act, shadows swirl around me, dark tendrils wrapping around my limbs, encasing me like a prison.

“No,” I whisper, panic lacing my voice. “No. No!”

Before I can resist, the world tilts, and I’m pulled through the shadows, disoriented and helpless. My body slams onto cold, unforgiving marble, my cheek hitting the ground with a crack that reverberates through my bones.

Pain explodes along my jaw.

The tang of salt fills my nostrils, mingling with the stench of fish. I know this scent, this sensation. The Kingdom of Atlacoya.

I force myself up, my gaze sweeping across the grand chamber that unfolds before me. Rows of thrones line the walls, each kingdom represented by its ruler and counsel. At the center stands Nasarea, restrained by four guards, each shimmering with the crest of Atlacoya’s king. Betrayal mingles with confusion in her wide eyes, reflecting my own disbelief.

Marigolds decorate the floor, the walls, almostevery inch of the inside of this grand room. Marigold. The flower of the dead. I see an ofrenda in the distance, with dozens of pictures of witches and mages dressed in elaborate dresses and uniforms lining the altar. I snap my gaze back to the scene unfolding in front of me.

“What is the meaning of this?” I spit, venom dripping from every word. My voice trembles, yet I cling to the edge of defiance. My gaze shifts, searching, until it lands on Alexander, his face cold. Beside him, Diego stands, along with four assassins cloaked in shadow, their identities masked. Diego looks worried. He’s trying to mask it, but I can see right through it.

I lift my chin and really take in my surroundings. Every king and their prince are here. There are even a few royal guards for each kingdom.

Then she steps forward, the woman with the crimson hair. She moves with the confidence of a queen, as if she were woven from fire and midnight itself. She blocks my view of the princes, drawing all attention to herself with a smile that is both angelic and wicked.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this moment,” she says, her voice honeyed yet edged with steel.

I grit my teeth, my rage bubbling just beneath the surface. “Who are you?” I demand. “Why am I here?”

She raises an eyebrow, her gaze sharp and assessing. “The infamous Shadow Reaper,” she drawls, her tone mocking. “The most feared assassin in all five kingdoms.” Her words mimic Alexander’s voice; his cold praise twisted into something cruel.

My eyes dart to the princes, the weight of their betrayal crashing over me again.

I search their faces, hoping for answers.

Tomas and Matheus are frozen in shock, disbelief written across their faces.

Nazriel’s fury is palpable.Oh shit. He probably thinks I killed his mom.I shove the thought away because fuck him.

Kaelion watches with his customary scowl, as if he always expected this of me, as if my treachery were inevitable.

But it’s Rhyker who cuts the deepest. He stands impassive, his arms crossed, his face an unreadable mask of indifference. To him, it seems, I am nothing. Not even worth his disappointment.

The sting of tears returns, but I fight them, locking them away. I won’t break here, not for them, not for anyone.

The woman’s voice slices through the silence, drawing me back to her. “You’ve been nothing but an asset to the Citadel...a decent one at that.” She says with so much fondness, I almost believe her but then, her gaze fills with a dark satisfaction. “A shadow, wielded by those who know how to command it. And now, you’ve outlived your usefulness.”

I clench my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms, steadying me.

Anger seethes within me, my blood pulsing with a fury that is both hot and cold, a fire that blazes in the darkness.

Nasarea thrashes in her restraints, her arms flailing wildly, every fiber of her being rebelling against the bonds that hold her. Streams of ice and water erupt from her hands, each wave a testament to her fury, her desperation.

Alexander stands to the side, his posture rigid. His lips curl into what almost resembles a smirk, but I know better. The glint in his narrowed eyes, the subtle arch of his brow, these are expressions I’ve seen countless times, masks he wears so effortlessly. But beneath the façade, I catch it. Thebarely there twitch at the corner of his eye, the smallest crack in his composure.

He’s holding it together, playing the part of the master magician, the man who controls every thread in his web. But I can see it now, he’s nervous. For once, he doesn’t have the answers. He doesn’t know what’s unfolding in front of him, and the uncertainty is eating away at him. He’s close to breaking, and for a fleeting moment, it’s satisfying to see.

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