Blue Moon Eclipse

Chapter 8

Lotus POV~~

The door opens for the ninth time, with the same maid bringing me something to eat. It's the only way I can track how much time has passed. Thompson has only come back once. He had taken the chains off the wall and beat me until I passed out. I woke to the maid cleaning my wounds. She always brought soup. My guess is that they don't want me to starve, but they also don't want to give me access to something sharp. It's not like I could grab it, I'm chained to a wall. I tried talking to the maid, appealing to her humanity. She merely motioned to her mouth and throat and shook her head. I'm guessing she's mute. So every time she comes in, I ask her only yes or no questions.

"Have you seen the girl they are trying to use against me?" A head shake.

"Do you know anything about where she is?" A nod.

"Do you know if she's hurt?" Shake. I drop my head back in defeat. She brings a spoonful of soup to my lips. I eat in silence until the door opens again and the poor maid freezes.

"Good. At least you're feeding her properly." Thompson is back. And there is clear fear in her eyes. "Isobel. Come here." The maid stands fearfully and sets the bowl on the ground. She does as she's told.

"What are you going to do to her?" I ask.

"Nothing. I have a story to tell you. And Isobel is a main character." He laughs, running his hand down her face.

"Creep." I say, and her head snaps to look at me. She mouths the word no at me as he laughs.

"Well, you see. This here is my mate. She betrayed me years ago. Right after you were born, actually. You see, the day my brother, your father, exiled me from my home, he took everything from me. So it became my mission to take everything from him." A wicked smile plays on Thompson's lips. "So I sent my Mate to be his wife's midwife." I look over at the woman beside him. Her head is hung low, and her hands clasp in front of her.

"Midwife? You were there when I was born?" Her eyes snap to meet mine, and she nods a very small yes. He stomps to my side and leans toward my face.

"Quiet! I'm telling a story." He hits me again, sending stars through my vision and leaving the taste of blood on my lips. "I told her. No. I ordered her, the moment you were born, she had a choice. She could either kill you," I gasp as he says it. "Or she could bring you to me. I had thought that, being my Mate, she was loyal only to me. How mistaken I was." He turns and walks toward her. As he does, she shrinks back toward a corner.

"Well, what happened then?" hoping to draw his attention back to me and telling the story was a long shot. But fortunately for her, it works. He chuckles and turns back toward me.

"She was treated nicely. And she liked how much kindness they showed. So when it came time for her to do as she was told." He glares over his shoulder at her. "She instead told them exactly what I'd planned. She told them everything," he yells the last word as he turns and throws her against a wall. "So, I was left with no other option. I had just wanted to come home. And she ruined that for me. I sent my man in to burn the wing to the ground. She saw him, of course, and rushed to your nursery. He made the mistake of letting her get away. I killed him for it later." He shrugs nonchalantly. "My brother's wife died in that fire. I told everyone that he did too." He laughs as his hand motions for someone to enter. The door swings open, slamming against the wall. I jump and squint my eyes against the harsh light streaming in. Two guards hold up a third man between them. He looks broken and tired. His eyes lift to meet mine, and they look sunken in and dead.

"Rina? Is that you?" Hope fills his raspy voice, and a slight shine appears in his eyes. Thompson scoffs.

"No, Ordovic. Meet your daughter. Lotus Marigold." He smiles wickedly as my name leaves his mouth, and the broken look returns to my father's eyes. He seems so sad.

"Dad? I have a dad?" I croak, tears welling in my eyes.

"Not anymore." Thompson pulls a knife from his waist and walks over to him. "Say goodbye, Princess. You'll never know your father now." Desperatly, I do the only thing I can think of.

"Coward." The word leaves my mouth, and I instantly regret it. He freezes mid swing.

"What. The. f**k. Did you just call me?" His head slowly turns, and I can tell I just pissed him off.

"I said. You're a coward. Killing a man while he can't defend himself is a coward's way." I say, defiance in my voice. In a single swift movement, he flicks the knife, and it sinks into the wall inches from my face.

"You think you're so clever. Do you think you've saved him? He's been begging for death since Rina died. And now you've condemned him to die publicly. Take him back to his cell. I have some arrangements to make." Shoving the guards out of his way, Thompson storms off. A puzzled look is all I see from my father and Thompson's mate as they all leave and shut the door behind him. Closing my eyes, I desperately try to mind link with Antonio.

"Antonio. Please, if you can hear me, my father is alive. I think Thompson is going to execute him publicly. Please hurry." I repeat this over and over in my head. Praying to the Moon Goddess that he will hear me.