Eclipse On Luna

Chapter-7

[Irene Miles’ POV]

All the ladies panicked. Some were breathing nervously, some fidgeting and some pacing around. “Let us all calm down, sit together and have a chat. Let’s hear from each other. I am sure everyone has a lot to say,” I said, and the ladies agreed.

We cleared the tables and chairs from the main hall and all of us sat on the floor in a circle. We shared stories, laughter, tears and all we had in our hearts because we were prepared at our best, but we were also expecting the worst. The change in the game schedule was an alarm that Kage was aware of Zane’s hidden attack. 

None of us slept that night. We were nervous. I had given my daggers to Erica and Alana. I thought they would need it more than me. Moreover, they were the top amongst other ladies in combat, so killing was on their part.

Thalia knew what kind of game it would be, since she had witnessed it herself many times. But she didn’t know what happened to the ladies who survived the game. According to her, we would be thrown into a confined private forest of Umbra palace. The condition of the game was, the ladies had to save themselves and stay alive until they reached the red door, which would be an exit from that confined forest. But along the way, there were deadly animals, plants, and traps all over the forest. To make things even worse, archers would monitor every lady from high above and shoot them with arrows if they stopped running.

I thought we had two days so we could decide before the games if we wanted to escape before the games or try to survive that cruel game. But it was too late to think. If we tried escaping before the games, chances were all of us could survive, but the security would be insane because they would expect us to try one last time to flee. I didn’t understand what to do. During the escape we could die, during the games we could die. Death was inevitable in either case, so which death was worth risking our lives for.

“What do you think? Should we try to escape?” I asked, skimming my eyes over each one of them.

The ladies remained silent. They were all nervous, some even started crying. My heart was getting heavier with every passing second. So many thoughts stormed my mind that it was difficult for me to remain calm as well. 

What would Zane do in such a situation? I thought. Would he escape, or would he wait for the games? Survival in games would be perilous with the traps and all, but not while we try escaping. At least there wouldn’t be wild animals, hidden attacks, traps, or planned routes. Of course, escaping would be the right choice here.

“Let’s escape!” Alana broke the grim silence. “Let’s give it a last chance. Death is in either case. A death while we try our best to escape would be worth it. But giving in to them and entertaining them in the game would be the most shameful death any of us will ever have.” She stood up and entered the room. She brought all the weapons we had created during our training time. “We didn’t train for nothing. It’s time to reap what we sowed. Let’s give our lives and our fate one more chance. What do you say?” She looked at everyone in the room, one by one. A few of the ladies got up and picked up the weapons.

“Let’s do this.” Niya said, getting her poison needle out.

“Right! If you are going to die in either case. Let’s ruin the taste of their mouth and die. Better than dying in that game and becoming an eye pleasure for those monsters. We die trying to escape,” Erica said. One by one, all the ladies got up. 

They armed themselves with every resource we had accumulated. 

“If we have to escape, doing it in the darkness of night would be better.” Thalia was ready too.

“Thalia is right, let’s get ready, everyone. Get your weapons and let’s go. I will be in the front. Let me go out and check the alternative escape route we have discovered.” Alana said in an excited voice. Of course, it was a flight condition. Adrenaline was pumping into everyone’s blood. 

“I will come with you,” Julie said.

“Me too,” Niya and Erica joined in.

“I will get the poison darts ready,” Thalia went into the kitchen with several other ladies. Everyone there was working together. The unity that they didn’t have in the earlier escape was in this one, but would that be enough? I thought.

I kept pacing near the cottage gate. It wasn’t what I planned. Now everything was on me. Zane couldn’t make it here so soon. I am sure they made the abrupt decision deliberately. Even Zane’s soldiers who had infiltrated the game staff couldn’t make a move without his orders. That would take at least a day. I took in a deep breath, rubbing my numb palms together. 

Can I protect all of them without being discovered? What should I do? Should I make a move now? If I do that, Kage will escape easily. Attacking them during the games was the only way of catching them red-handed and immediately stripping Kage as an Alpha. But if they successfully escape, which I hope they do, Kage will escape too. Zane was right. There was no way we could do anything before the games. We must attack during the game. Chances are we might escape, but if we fail, they will drag us into the games. Then there would be no escape. I have to be ready for both the outcomes. 

What if I take control of Zane’s soldiers and order them to remain on standby, but then I will have to reveal myself? We are back to problem number one. If I reveal myself and any other soldier except Zane’s came to know, Kage can use this opportunity to get a penalty for my interference or worse — strip me from my post for the crime of interfering with Umbra pack’s internal affairs. All alpha committees had scary rules to keep all packs' integrity and privacy safe. He can easily disguise the complete game as some entertainment and walk out unscathed. 

“Damn it!” I rubbed my eyes with my palm. “There is no way out, but actually risking it all.”

“Of course, there isn’t, and that is what you prepared all of us for.” Alana came back with Niya and Erica. The other ladies came out of the room. They were fully prepared with everything they could do. All of them were scared, but I didn’t see fear in their eyes. Exactly, that was what we had prepared for. 

I knew it. Despite that, they were naïve and newbies. It would be impossible for me to monitor all of them, protect them and attack Kage at the same time. I needed to communicate with the soldiers. I had to take that risk. But there was only one soldier I knew who was on our side. He was my only way to pass my orders. In an emergency like this, any royal order either from me or Zane was equally valid. But I had no way of creating that royal order.

“Do you have parchment and quill or anything I can write on?” I asked the ladies.

“Miss Assassin!” Alana looked into my eyes. “We will do our best to survive. You don’t need to worry. I know you are tense, we are too…” Thalia kept her hand on Alana’s shoulder and she stopped speaking.

“She knows that. But why are you asking for something to write on?” Thalia asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Never mind,” I said.

“I have this white handkerchief. You can write on it with charcoal.” Julie offered me her handkerchief. “Will this do?”

“Yes. Thank you.” I took it from her, went into an isolated room and wrote my orders with the charcoal with my signature. I used a normal candle to seal the handkerchief and used my ring for royal legitimacy. It was something Zane created. Only Zane and I wore that ring with the royal symbol of the Cariezer pack carved on it. It was as valid as an actual royal symbol or stamp. Sometimes I am amazed by how far Zane can think of. I hope this works. I folded the handkerchief and kept it in my pocket.

The soldiers came. Zane’s soldier was also there. Zane’s soldier was also there and he looked dazed. When soldiers are left alone, they suffer morally if they should act or not. Should they wait for the orders or act according to their will? I understood what he would be going through.

They came with clothes that we had to change into before the game started. My nervousness started increasing even more. All of us reluctantly changed into white above knee stolas. It was designed in a way that revealed our neck, shoulders, back, cleavage and arms. Only a string around the neck and back held it on our bodies. Underneath it, we wore white above knee leather pants. That was the most revealing clothing I had ever worn. The same was for others too.

We wore our weapons again, and this time we had very few places to hide them. It was a blessing that we had created smaller but deadly weapons so we could hide them even under the stolas.

I got out of the room first and, thankfully, Zane’s soldier was guarding the gate alone. “Excuse me.” I called out to him and looked around the stairs and outside. 

“Yes, lady?”

“Can you be my escort?”

“Escort?”

I nodded and put in front of him the back of my palm, making sure he looked at the royal ring I was wearing. Only our army could recognize the value and meaning behind that black, poor-looking ring. 

He peered at me, confused. If he saw my face, he would recognise me right away, but I couldn’t take that risk with so many people around. “When you escort a lady, you bow down and kiss her ring,” I said, pointing at my ring through my eyes.

He hesitantly took my hand and kissed my finger. His eyes went on the ring. He looked at me with a jolt and widened eyes. “You… you are… your majesty?” He whispered. “But…”

“Shh! I can’t explain everything now.” I handed him the handkerchief. “In case the game happens, unseal and follow the instructions. Alpha Zane’s orders might not be on time.”

He knelt on one knee and placed his hand on his chest with a bow. “Yes, your majesty.” He whispered.

“Get up and stop calling me that. No one should get suspicious, make sure?” I said in a suppressed voice.

He got up, “how did her majesty recognize me?”

“You are Zane’s trusted soldier. How can I not? Can you make them leave the soldiers outside?”

He nodded once, bowed, and went out.

“Miss Assassin! What were you talking to him about?” Thalia called from behind. I looked at her.

“Nothing. Just if they will leave or not.”

“Oh…” she looked at me suspiciously. “Is that so? Or were you informing him of our escape?”

“Thalia, I understand your doubts. But you can trust me. That is all I can tell you right now.”

“I do. I trust you. I hope you don’t break. I really hope you don’t break it,” she said in a timid but fearless tone — more like a warning to our friendship.

I smiled faintly. “I am sure I won’t.”

“I won’t inform others about this because I am trusting you. You favoured that soldier once more too. I wonder why?”

“He is helping us escape by clearing the soldiers outside. He is on our side, but only he is on our side. Remember that. Don’t trust anyone else.” I said, and she kept peering at me with a blank expression. Alana and the others came out at that time. We had to wear the clothes to prove to them we were under their control. 

Zane’s soldier came in, “all of you have changed, good. We will come back to take you at dawn. Sleep well, so you can look good in front of our alpha.” He looked at me and lowered his gaze. He, along with the rest of the soldiers, left. 

“You heard it ladies, dawn is our time limit,” I said.