THE MOON COURT

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

Iris POV 

It’s been three days and I can’t sleep, because the dreams are all the same, Charlotte reaching out to me and green fog covering her face. 

‘Mom help!” 

Her voice rings in my ears and I stare at my hands and as I feel the presence behind me. I try to calm down as the tingles irrupt over my skin. 

“Why does it never end?” I ask and feel his breath on my neck. 

“We weren’t born for a normal life, but we will find her Iris,” 

Lucas' voice is certain and yet his anger surfaces clearly. 

He folds his arms around my waist pulling him against him and I lay back on his shoulder and look at him. 

“I have a strange feeling,” I whisper as he kisses my forehead. 

“Eric and I can feel it too.” 

I nod and close my eyes. 

“I wish that they could come back and guide us like the beginning,” he says and I nod. 

“Calla and Oades said the moon court will have wars, I just thought we would have more time.” 

“Me too.” 

I stay quiet and listen to both our hearts beating. 

“Charlotte is alive,” I whisper and Lucas nods. 

“We will find her, you and I can leave in the morning and head west with some of the warriors,” 

Someone suddenly screams and I recognize it as little Fredrick. 

Lucas and I dart up the stars and find Hannah cradling him on the floor. Her red hair standing in all directions make it clear that she has just woken up.

“What's wrong?” I ask and quickly kneel on the floor next to her. 

“He has always had nightmares, but something is wrong! Eric is gone with Nicolas to search for Charlotte and I can’t find Anastasia. I don’t know what to do!” 

My heart aches for Hannah, she and Gerard was expecting their first child two months after my coronation, but then the child was a still born. They’ve been struggling to get pregnant again ever since. 

I try to take him, but his eyes jump open and they're glowing as he screams, “Mamma!” 

Hannah let’s him go as he suddenly lifts off the ground. He starts to float right above our heads and Lucas and I share a confused look. We knew he had goddess blood flowing through his veins, but we were certain it would stay dormant in this world. Anastasia could  only use some of her powers, because Calla thought it would help balance this world. 

“This can’t be right,” I whisper and Lucas nods. 

“Mamma!” Fredrick screams again and suddenly starts to fall. 

Lucas catches him and his eyes return to their natural green. 

“Uncle Luca,” he whispers and then presses his face into Lucas’s chest and starts crying. I brush his red hair and see something strange on his neck. A tattoo? 

“What is that?” Hannah whispers and Gerard suddenly comes running up the stairs. 

“Anastasia has disappeared! She looked like her old self, her snakes on her body and her eyes glowed and she shot into the air!” 

‘WHAT?” Lucas and I say in union and feel Eric coming into range to mind speak. 

‘Eric..” I start to say but he interrupts me. 

“I could feel something was wrong! She’s gone isn’t she?” His voice is laced with hurt.

“How did you know?” Lucas asks and I take Fredrick into my arms holding him close as he looks up at me. 

“She’s been dreaming of her father, I thought he would wait until Fredrick was older,” Eric says and I see Diane standing at the staircase holding Erandri. We could all feel Anastasia's absence. 

“Mamma has gone home,” Fredrick whispers as he wipes at his eyes. 

“He promised us at least fifty years!” Eric's anger is as clear as day as the sun starts to rise. 

“Fredrick is showing signs of power,” Lucas says and Eric is quiet for a moment until we can hear him cursing.

“Does he have a tattoo on his neck?” Eric asks and as Gerard studies the tattoo he looks like he has seen a ghost. 

“Yes there is,” I answer Eric and feel him howl in pain. 

“He’s been remade,” Eric barely whispers through mindspeak. 

“Remade?” 

“I was scared this would happen, I knew his birth was a miracle. Her father warned us.” 

“Warned you?”

“Hadious, the God of the dead, Anastasia's father had warned us that our child would be cursed and the only way to stop his death was to sacrifice half of his birthright,” Eric’s voice breaks. 

“Anastasia’s blood has been removed from him, he is only a werewolf now,” Gerard answers the question we’ve all been wondering. 

“Something must have quickened the process! Something must have happened! Hadious would only call Anastasia back to protect her and would not remade Fredrick until he has come of age!” 

Minutes pass and when we feel Eric’s presence on the castle ground I can breathe. He’s already lost so much, he doesn’t deserve this. 

Eric comes running through the door with Nicholas on his heels; he stops when he sees Fredrick and then as I put him down I feel Lucas arms come around me as we watch Eric and Fredrick cry together at the loss of their wife and mother. Eric’s eyes flash to Lucas and I. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I thought we had years to still figure a way out of it!” Eric says, his voice breaking. 

“Momma is gone dadda, Gone!”