Fated To Three, Betrayed By All… Until She Rose.-Chapter 282: Bloody liar.

Chalice.

"Why did you start the fire, wench?!" The guard whose mouth smelled of booze and decay spat in my face, his features a mixture of ugliness and filth as he stared straight into my eyes— so deep that I wondered if he could see into my soul.

His hands fastened around the whip in his hands and he raised it over his head. But hell, I didn’t flinch. For the life of me, I could swear that I didn’t even notice him.

Why?

Because I knew that he could never hit me with it. That he was afraid that I still possessed a bit of power around here— estranged Luna or not.

This thought was what fueled me to shake my head and smile at him, revelling in the way his nostrils flared and retracted.

He was mad. That I was sure of. And his anger was what I intended to use against him.

"My cell was cold," I spat, "...I needed a little heat."

My response probably didn’t sit right with him because then he bared his teeth at me as he came to crouch in front of me, and from this vantage, I couldn’t help but notice the golden flecks in his eyes... the moles and freckles scattered across his nose... and the way his eyes would twitch every now and then.

He hissed; "So how do you feel now that the so-called ’heat’ you wanted burned you and took some of your hair in the process?"

The jesting... the sarcasm in his voice made me raise my hands slowly and carefully place it at the back of my head where it hurt the most.

A wince slipped past my lips when the skin there sizzled so painfully that it caused tears to leak out of my eyes.

And do you know what he did?

He watched. He smiled. He beamed me the largest smile and pointed to my head, to a spot where obviously I couldn’t see, then spat; "You have a bald spot."

More tears leaned out of my eyes.

"...And if you do not start talking right now, I’ll make sure that that wouldn’t be the only bald spot you have."

The ice in his voice rattled me to no end. It made my body shudder and made goosebumps spread across my skin. I lowered my lashes to hide the tears falling down my face, and with trembling lips, I hissed;

"I don’t know how I started the fire."

"Lies... lies! Lies from the pit of hell!"

"Some days ago, I’d asked the guards for some petrol to clean out my wounds. I knew they would never give me methylated spirit so I had settled for the easier option..."

I purposely let my voice trail off and hiccuped just then in order to appear more pitiful. And when that seemed to be doing the trick as most of his frown had smoothened out, I continued;

"And just yesterday, I wanted to create a fire from stones. I had totally forgotten about my petrol in my cell, and... and... you should know the rest."

A beat of silence settled between us as he took a step back—

And goddess, it was obvious that he had believed me. I could swear that it was pity I saw in his eyes before he dragged in a deep breath and muttered under his breath;

"What is the rest that I should know?"

"Petrol and fire... that causes fire." I said softly, sighing.

"And you think I am a fool that would easily just believe that that was how it all happened? That it was an accident? And then miraculously, your cuffs fell off your hands during the mini stampede?"

"Y-yes!" I cried.

"You’re a bloody liar!"

My throat clamped shut just as the corners of my eyes stung with more tears. Even my body felt like it was vibrating with an intensity that I couldn’t quite control.

And in that quiet... in that moment when all I could hear was the way my heart hammered against my chest, I blamed myself for getting caught. But I blamed that stupid girl more for leaving me to rot when my weight began to weigh us down.

After the explosion and my near death experience, she’d pushed through the crowd to come save me. But then, as if the moon goddess was against my freedom, the guards caught on to us quickly. They began to chase us through the thick forest leading to the river where we’d initially hoped to make them lose our scents.

—And when I became too heavy a burden for her to bear, she’d reluctantly left me behind— not like I believe that she’d been reluctant to do so.

I could still remember the worried look in her eyes. I could still feel the way my heart shattered when she lowered me to the floor, her voice small as she whispered;

"I’m sorry, Luna."

"Bitch! Bitch! You used to call me bitch!" I hissed, "why are you calling me Luna all of a sudden? Why are you being so polite now that you’re about to betray me?!" My voice had broken into sobs as I cried out these words; but she didn’t stop. She didn’t even spare me another glance!

A loud pained cry tore out from the back of my throat as I watched her continue down the thick grass, and with each step that she took, the heavier my chest felt until she was no longer there... until she’d successfully disappeared.

I cannot fully remember what happened next, but all my fuzzy brain could muster was how I had been fighting against the pain searing through practically everywhere on my body.

Then the guards hands as they hoisted me up like I was nothing but a sack of potatoes.

As they carried me away, I couldn’t protest. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t expose her! Goddess, I couldn’t even open my mouth.

I felt stiff. Hurt and enraged. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

And that anger was all I felt now as I glared into the ugly face of my tormentor.

He beamed a smile at me as if realizing the thoughts in my head. And with a forced smile, he drawled; "I guess we’ll have to do this the hard way. Jon, fetch me the burning rod!"

Usually, I would laugh, thinking that he couldn’t do it. That he could never do it, especially since he still respected me as his luna.

But the name of his accomplice sent a chill down my spine.

It was the name of the man who I knew could hurt me... a man who’s been intent on hurting me from the get go.

My breath hitched in my chest when a tall handsome figure stepped forward and in his hands was indeed a burning red rod.

He smiled— the type that could freeze my bones— and then he hissed; "Hello Chalice, we finally meet."