Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 29

Estella

I paced frantically outside the healer's quarters, my footsteps echoing in the silent hallway. My fingers twisted and tore at my hair, pulling strands loose in my anxiety. I couldn't bear the waiting, the agonizing uncertainty. Every muffled sound from within the chamber, every creak of wood, sent a jolt of fear through me.

I glanced at the door repeatedly, my heart pounding with a frantic rhythm. The healers had demanded I wait outside when I nearly broke the arm of the small female who had tried to move me away from Kyros's bedside.

He had to be alright. He just had to be. After everything we had been through, after finally finding each other again, I couldn't lose him now. Not when I had just realized he was my mate, my other half, the missing piece of my soul.

I had brought Kyros back to the palace, his unconscious body carried atop Lynx’s Haccu while I held him in my lap, his blood soaking my clothes, my skin. Dark, crusted stains marred my hands and arms, a grim reminder of the violence he had endured. I hadn't thought about the consequences, the risks I was taking by bringing an Elorian prince into the heart of Tenebris. All that mattered was saving him, ensuring he received the care he desperately needed.

Now, as I waited, the weight of my actions settled upon me like a physical burden. What if he didn't survive? What if his injuries were too severe? What if the acidic poison that tainted his scent was too fast, too potent for our healers to counteract?

The thought sent a wave of nausea through me, and I leaned against the cool stone wall, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I glanced down at my hands, the bloodstains under my nails, a stark reminder of his vulnerability, of my own helplessness. I had scrubbed them raw, but the metallic scent of his blood lingered, red crescent under my nails, a haunting reminder of the connection we shared, the bond that defied the boundaries of our worlds.

I had been meeting with Proteus and the council, giving them an answer. I had decided to accept the marriage, to sacrifice my own happiness in exchange for the lives of the Elorian royals. It was a decision that tore at my heart, a bitter pill to swallow, but I knew it was the only way to prevent further bloodshed, to protect Kyros, to honor the memory of my siblings.

I had just finished uttering the words, "I accept your proposal," when a piercing howl ripped through the air, a cry of distress that sent a jolt of fear through me. It was from the Haccu bonded with Lynx.

I didn't hesitate. I sprinted towards the sound, my mind filled with images of my sister injured, captured, perhaps even dead. I didn't even shift, my legs pumping with a desperate urgency I had never known before. The thought of losing Lynx, the one of the last remaining members of my family, was unbearable.

I had finally found Lynx, clinging to the brambles at the shimmer. The scent of her terror and tears were thick in the air. Before I could even ask what was happening, she reached back and yanked me forwards, her trembling hands pointing to something beyond the shimmer.

My breath hitched in my throat. There, in the harsh light of Eloria, I saw Kyros, his body battered and bruised, his side soaked in blood, locked in a deadly battle with Raedon. The metallic scent of Kyros's blood, thick and cloying, reached my nostrils, and a wave of nausea washed over me.

When Kyros stumbled and fell, my world shattered. I couldn't hear anything over the roaring in my ears, couldn't see anything but the crimson stain spreading across his tunic. "Open the thorns!" I screamed, my voice raw with desperation. I didn’t care about anything other than getting to him. I didn’t even stop to think about Lynx’s power as she forced the thorns to move for me.

Instinct took over and I shifted into my Haccu form, my body morphing into that of a powerful wolf, my fur bristling with a primal fury. I needed to reach him. To protect him and I would tear apart anyone who stood in my way.

I hadn't hesitated before letting the shift take over, my Haccu form springing forward through the shimmer. I hadn't let myself think about the slight pain this form caused, the echo of loss that resonated through my very being. This was something Astra and I had shared, a bond forged in our twin souls, a form I hadn't dared touch in nearly five years.

But now, as if Astra's spirit gave me strength, the wolf-like form burst from me, a vessel of vengeance and love, driven by a primal need to protect the male who lived in my heart.

"Your Majesty," a smooth, soothing voice interrupted my reverie. Lynx, who had been leaning against the opposite wall, her gaze fixed on my restless form, rose to her feet. I, startled from my thoughts, turned to face the healer, Jesa, who emerged from the room.

"We have done what we can," Jesa said, her voice soft yet firm. "Now, we must wait. His body is healing, but it is a slow process. The injury was severe, the poison and electrical currents took a toll on his heart."

My heart pounded in my chest. "Can I see him?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. The need to be near him, to see him with my own eyes, was overwhelming.

Jesa nodded understandingly. "I think that would be best," she said, her gaze filled with compassion. "But be warned, he is still unconscious. And his recovery is uncertain."

I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. I didn't care if he was unconscious. I just needed to be near him, to feel his presence, to offer him my strength.

I gave Jesa a shallow nod, the lowest bow I would ever give, before slipping into the room. Lynx followed, her own eyes red-rimmed from unshed tears. A sob escaped my lips as I approached the bed, my gaze falling upon Kyros's still form.

The healers had removed his tunic, revealing his torso bathed in the flickering torchlight. The bandage wrapped around his midsection was a stark contrast to his smooth, tanned skin. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath, a fragile rhythm that mirrored the erratic beating of my own heart.

Faint scars, like silver threads, marred his skin, a testament to the countless battles he had fought, the trials he had overcome. Each scar told a story, a silent narrative of his strength, his resilience, his unwavering spirit.

As I traced a finger over the scar that marred his left brow, a wave of tenderness washed over me. I had never seen him so vulnerable, so exposed. Yet, there was a raw beauty in his vulnerability, a strength in his weakness that drew me in, captivating my heart. His stubble was dark against his skin, the reddish brown strands thicker than a few days ago.

His broad shoulders, his corded muscles, his powerful frame – all testaments to the warrior he was, the protector he had become. And yet, here he lay, broken and battered, his life hanging in the balance.

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision. I couldn't lose him. Not now. Not after everything, I refused to lose anyone else. Not after my heart only just began beating again.

I gently took his hand in mine, his skin cool and clammy against my touch. I leaned down, my lips brushing against his forehead, pouring all my hope, into that single touch.

"Kyros," I whispered against his skin, my voice thick with emotion. "Come back to me.”

I would burn the world for him if it meant he would survive. If he didn't, I would march to the Elorian castle and rip Raedon's throat out with my teeth. I might do that anyways. I knelt by the side of the bed, taking Kyros's hand in mine, pressing it to my forehead.

His skin, rough and calloused, was a stark contrast to my soft, delicate skin. Yet, as I held his hand, I felt a profound connection, a bond that transcended realms and species, a love that defied the boundaries of our worlds.

Lynx knelt beside me, her presence a silent comfort, her hand resting on my shoulder, a gentle reminder that I was not alone in this. The two of us formed a shield around him, warding off the darkness, our combined strength a beacon of hope in the face of despair.

We sat there for hours, our prayers mingling with the soft glow of the moonlight, a silent plea to the heavens, to the Goddess Nyx, to any force that would listen, to spare him, to heal him, to bring him back to us.

A sharp intake of breath drew my eyes open. I rose to my feet, my eyes burning with a dangerous intensity. I turned to face a seething councilman, Proteus, and my mother, who stood in the doorway.

"How dare you bring him here!" Councilman Zev shouted, his face flushed with anger. His voice echoed through the chamber, a jarring intrusion into the peaceful silence that had enveloped us.

I let out a low growl, my rage barely contained. "Mind your tone when you speak to me," I warned, my voice dripping with menace. I stepped forward, my predatory gaze locked onto the councilman. How dare he barge into the healing chamber, disrupting the fragile peace, disrespecting my authority?

Lynx, sensing the tension, nodded, silently offering her support. I could feel her magic thrumming beside me, a comforting presence in the face of this unexpected confrontation despite her drain. I pressed forward, forcing him back into the hall where Proteus and my mother were waiting. The door clicked shut behind me.

"I will speak to you however I see fit!" Councilman Zev shouted, his voice echoing in the hallway, his face contorted with rage. He stepped towards me, his finger jabbing the air, but I stood my ground, my gaze unwavering.

"You are an ignorant child," he spat, his voice laced with contempt. "Bringing an enemy deep within our walls. How dare you!" He raised his hand, ready to strike, but Proteus was quicker. With a swift movement, he grabbed the councilman's wrist, halting his attack.

"Strike her, and you shall lose your hand," Proteus warned, his voice low and menacing. His grip tightened on Zev's wrist, his black eyes blazing with protective fury.

"You forget I am Queen," I began, my voice laced with a dangerous calm. But before I could continue, Councilman Zev cut me off with a sharp scoff, he pulled his hand from Proteus’s grip and straightened his tunic.

"For now," he muttered, his eyes glinting with a challenge that made my blood boil. How dare he question my authority, my right to rule?

"That is quite enough, Councilman," Mother interjected, her voice ringing with authority. She stepped forward, her presence radiating a power that silenced the councilman's insolence. "I believe you forget your place," she continued, her voice taking on the same commanding tone that had once made her the most formidable Queen in Tenebris's history. "You have no right to threaten my daughter. She has complied with your demands, no matter how unreasonable they were."

A wave of gratitude washed over me. My mother, despite her grief, despite her weakened state, was still a force to be reckoned with, her queenly presence a shield against the council's insolence.

Zev, his face flushed with anger, sputtered, "But —"

"She has done everything you have asked of her, Councilman," My mother interrupted, her voice laced with steel. "She has agreed to this ridiculous marriage proposal, she has endured your insults, your threats, your blatant disregard for her authority. I told you this marriage was a bad idea, yet you claim I endorsed this horrid union just to force your way.”

Zev, momentarily cowed by Mother's reprimand, lowered his gaze. He shifted uncomfortably, his fingers fidgeting with the ornate clasp of his cloak. He had underestimated the former Queen's strength, her unwavering support for me. And he had forgotten the power that still resided within her, the magic that had once made her a force to be reckoned with.

"Speaking of, we must make preparations," Councilman Zev declared, his voice brisk and efficient. "I would like to have the ceremony concluded by solstice."

My breath caught in my throat. "That is only two weeks away," I said, my voice tight with barely suppressed panic. "That is a very ambitious timeline."