His Forsaken Luna-Chapter 121: Taken (2)

My heart thundered at Pyrrhus’s words. He was confirming what I’d wondered about. As I stared back at these beautiful, deadly and ancient beings, I wondered what they wanted to do about it. They went through all of this effort to drag me into this abandoned cabin, somewhere they all looked out of place.

With a calm expression, I focus on Cazimir, my limbs shaking a little as I stare back at those otherworldly eyes. "Why am I here?" I drawled, clutching tightly at my courage, hoping it stayed.

Pyrrhus scoffs and starts creating small fireballs, watching them casually. My gaze fell on Cazimir again as I felt his heavy gaze.

"Make a deal with me," Cazimir says, his words hush not only those in the cabin but the animals outside. Prey knew when a predator was nearby, and this wasn’t any different.

Something in me, perhaps the wolf I’d only just received and was already weakened by magick, screamed at me not to make a deal. "You dragged me into the middle of the woods to make a deal with me?" I held Cazimir’s gaze. "You could have sent a letter."

Asa smirked, tilting her head at me. Elwin and Pyrrhus glared, their magick flaring at my audacity to speak to their leader like this. It was daring, but I needed to figure out how to get out of this without dying, without my friends or the kingdoms being overtaken. The struggles of a Forsaken Princess that now suddenly has a wolf and mystical powers from beings I thought as little more than a fairytale.

Unlike the others in the room, who seemed ready to set me alight and strangle me with vines, Cazimir merely smiled. The corners of his lips tipped up, but that smile did not reach his eyes. It made me shiver, especially when the room started to darken again.

"I could have," Cazimir mused, his head tilting the slightest, those ethereal eyes reminding me of a predator beneath that smooth and sultry skin. "But Beasts do not understand the language of old."

An obvious jab at me and my kind for forgetting a being like them. "You need to give me some answers before I make any deal with you. Removing these chains would be preferred as well," I pointed my head behind me in the direction of the silver sizzling away at my skin. Honestly, I am not sure where this confidence comes from.

They were ancient beings with obviously great power that could kill me in seconds. But they haven’t because they want to make this deal with me. They went through all this effort to see me.

Pyrrhus’s flame-like eyes flicked to me, the flames dancing at my words. "How demanding," he muses, then looks to Cazimir. "She is a... ’Princess’ after all." He says it mockingly.

His mockery was an easy breeze compared to the years of torment I’d faced. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"She cannot go anywhere," Pyrrhus says, still watching Cazimir, waiting for his command. Their leader barely inclined his head as he scrutinised me.

I tried to keep my heartbeat steady as Pyrrhus came to unchain my wrists. His touch made me gasp. My hands were frozen, used to the cold. Pyrrhus’s were so warm I’d almost grasped at them to stop the pain in my fingers.

"First," Cazimir begins, his voice smooth like running water around jagged rocks, calming, yet those eyes and his presence wouldn’t fool me. "You must understand why you are here."

"What’s this all about?" I pressed. "Why me?"

Pyrrhus moved back, but he remained close enough in case I tried anything. Cazimir’s expression shifted for the first time, just a slight softening of the sharp edges that had defined him up until now. "You are the last of the royal bloodline," he said, each word measured, the weight of them heavy in the air. "The last one we can use to secure what we’ve worked for."

I furrowed my brows. "I do not understand."

The smile on his face didn’t fade, but there was no humour in it. "Centuries ago, my people foresaw this day coming. We would fall to the rebels and so we needed a backup plan to one day rule over the kingdoms again."

My blood ran cold. "You’re planning to take over?"

"Not just take over," Cazimir corrected, his tone soft but filled with conviction. "We are the rightful rulers. Your ancestors knew this, and so they made preparations. They planted one of us, a Fae, into the royal bloodline to ensure that, one day, we would be able to reclaim what was stolen from us."

I blinked, trying to absorb his words, but they felt like a dagger in my chest. "Wait, what are you saying? One of you—you’re saying that one of your kind is in the royal bloodline?"

He nodded, his starlight eyes fixed on me with that same cold detachment. "That’s right. For generations, a Fae has lived in the royal line, sometimes unaware, most waiting, for the moment we could claim what was ours. We were unaware you were still alive... Your mother’s execution was sort of... a catalyst. Plans were set in motion. We tested the North’s forces..."

"Much weaker now than back then," Pyrrhus adds in amusement from beside me.

"Tested the strength of the palace without its King..." Cazimir continued in that silky, deadly voice. "Then Pyrrhus reported back a Were sensing his magick’s strength. You... are the last direct descendant who can be used to further our plans."

The floor beneath me felt like it was slipping away. I couldn’t breathe. The Fae had been planning this for centuries, embedding themselves within my bloodline, waiting for this very moment. And I had never suspected a thing. My ancestors had made sure that when the time came, they would use me as a vessel to take over the kingdom.

"Did my mother know?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Did she know?" She’d been executed; had there been some truth to the reasoning?

With a single nod, Cazimir answered. "No. Her death was unfortunate, truly saddening." His expression was expressionless. He did not look sad.

I gritted my teeth, trying to focus. My heart hammered in my chest, but a new fire flickered within me. They had no idea what they were messing with. They must know I would not simply give in to this.

They’ve dealt with Weres for centuries; surely they knew our stubbornness? Or were they that arrogant... I stare at their cold features. No, it wasn’t arrogance but sheer power.

"I won’t let you take over," I said, the words sharp despite my fear. "I won’t let you destroy everything."

Cazimir’s expression softened, though not out of kindness. It was almost as if he were amused. "You don’t have a choice. You will cooperate, or we will make you. You’re not the first royal we’ve played this game with. And you won’t be the last." He waved a hand dismissively, and his gaze flicked toward Pyrrhus, who stepped closer.

Pyrrhus, with his fire-licked eyes, raised an eyebrow. "She still thinks she has a choice," he muttered, almost to himself. "She thinks she can fight us."

I met his gaze, defiant. "I don’t have to fight you. But I will not become a puppet for your twisted plan."

Cazimir’s eyes narrowed at my stubbornness, but instead of growing angry, he seemed... pleased. "Good. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge." He paused, his smile returning, again it was bland, not reaching his eyes yet so frustratingly beautiful. "But we need your cooperation, Princess. You will help us make this happen. You are the key to our success. The last piece of the puzzle."

My mind raced, trying to grasp what they wanted, how they would use me. And then, like a bolt of lightning, the realisation hit me.

"They’re not going to kill me, are they?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper, but the truth rang out in the air like a bell. "Not yet."

Cazimir tilted his head slightly. "No, not yet. We need you alive. But we need to ensure you see things our way. Once you realise your place, you will help us without hesitation. You will bring the kingdom to its knees. In time, it will all be ours." His gaze flicked toward the others. "The Fae will reign."

The blood drained from my face. All these years—my life, my family, everything I had ever known—had been manipulated. They had planned for me. I had been the pawn in their game for centuries, even before I was born.

"And if I refuse?" I asked, my voice shaky but fierce.

Cazimir smiled, but it was cruel. "Then, you won’t live long enough to regret it. We’ll find another way."

I cannot allow this! I could feel my caged wolf trying to scratch and bite at the chains of magick concealing her.

Cazimir’s gaze flicked back to me, sensing the shift in my demeanour. "You think you can fight us?" he asked, his voice almost a purr of amusement. "With that little wolf inside you? It won’t be enough."

I met his gaze, every ounce of defiance I had left surging to the surface. "You don’t know me," I said, voice low and steady. "And you sure as hell don’t know what I’m capable of."

For the first time since entering the cabin, Cazimir’s smile faltered, just for a moment. Then, it was back, colder, sharper.

"Then show me. Show me what you’ve got."

And with that, the room seemed to darken further, the air thick with the weight of the magick swirling around us. I could feel it—the pressure, the power in the room—like the calm before a storm.

I was in a room with ancient beings with no fighting skills, no magick, and my newly found wolf locked away. I stared back at Cazimir’s twinkling gaze. He called my bluff.

"So about this deal..." I attempt at diffusing the situation. But something outside the cabin made all the Fae stiffen.