Moonlit Vows Of Vengeance-Chapter 45: Double Of Us

The sky was awash with deep indigo as the palace gates disappeared behind them. Lucas rode slightly ahead, his expression unreadable, while I followed in silence. The memory of his outburst in the throne room still lingered, though the king’s words echoed even louder in my mind: "We needed to find the remaining pieces now, or the world will fall into chaos."

We didn’t speak much as we left the capital, only exchanged glances and brief nods. The path ahead led to the Desert of Mourn, where the next fragment was hidden

beneath the sands in a forgotten shrine. It was a place where the veil between the spirit realm and the living thinned, a place that had driven many mad.

As night deepened and the moon hung heavy above, we stopped near a small river nestled between dunes. Lucas set up camp while I tended to the horses. The silence between us had stretched long enough.

"You’ve been quiet," he said finally, handing me a canteen. "Are you still angry?"

I took it and sat down by the fire. "It’s not about anger. It’s... everything that just happened, I’m still shaken up.

He sat beside me, his shoulder brushing mine. "I wasn’t in control."

I looked into the flames. "It hurt. Not physically. But seeing you like that... it scared me. I was very scared that maybe I was going to lose you forever."

His fingers brushed mine tentatively.

"Athena, I’d never hurt you. Not by choice."

A soft wind swept over us, rustling the sand like whispers. I turned to him slowly. "Then tell me the truth, Lucas. Why did you behave like that at the festival?"

He hesitated for a beat before sighing and leaning back on his elbows. "Because I was jealous, alright?"

I blinked, surprised by his honesty.

"You and Marcus... You two looked close," he muttered, then rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, not that I have any right to be jealous. But I care about you, Athena. Deeply."

"As a friend?" I teased, nudging him with my elbow.

He smirked. "Yes. As a friend who maybe thinks about punching a certain someone when he sees you smiling at him."

I laughed, the tension easing out of me. "Wow. Possessive much?"

"Only a little," he said, holding up two fingers. "Tiny bit."

"And here I thought you were all stoic and noble."

He gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I had to keep up appearances. Can’t let the werewolves think I’m actually with feelings."

I chuckled, leaning back beside him. "You’re ridiculous."

"Yeah, but you smiled. Mission accomplished."

We stared at the sky in comfortable silence for a while.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks... for being honest."

"Anytime," he replied softly. "Even if I look stupid doing it."

I turned to him with a grin. "Especially if you look stupid doing it."

We both laughed, the sound echoing gently through the still desert night. For the first time since the Moon Temple, something inside me felt a little lighter.

We didn’t talk about destiny or fragments or death. Just cracked jokes and shared quiet glances beneath the stars.

When we finally lay down to rest, the ease between us, the gentle, unspoken bond reminded me I wasn’t alone.

Tomorrow, we will face spirits and dangers unknown.

Tonight, we were just two wolves beneath the moonlight.

By midday, the warmth of camaraderie from last night had begun to fade beneath the punishing desert sun. Lucas and I trudged forward, the sand now giving way to cracked terrain that shimmered with mirage-like waves. Pale mineral veins slashed through the surface, glittering faintly like threads of frost beneath the light. A valley yawned ahead, one filled with upright stones that rose like ancient sentinels. They looked weather-worn, each etched with markings that pulsed ever so slightly as if they were breathing.

We had reached the Singing Bones.

Neither of us spoke as we passed between the first two pillars. A strange sensation settled over my skin, like being watched from every direction. The wind shifted, carrying with it the faint sound of humming. But no, it wasn’t just humming. It was voices—soft and almost melodic—whispering our names.

"Athena..."

"Lucas..."

Lucas stiffened beside me. I reached instinctively for the blade strapped to my thigh.

"Don’t." He put a hand on mine. "Not yet. We don’t know what this is."

The deeper we ventured, the louder the whispers grew. Not angry, not welcoming—just persistent. The stones vibrated with sound, each one resonating like a tuning fork in the core of my bones. I glanced at Lucas. Sweat trickled down his temple, and his jaw was tight.

Then, I heard it.

"Why do you pretend not to care, Athena?"

I stopped cold.

"You fear he’ll leave you, just like the others."

The voice wasn’t mine. It wasn’t Lucas’s. But it was me. And the moment I turned, I saw her.

A mirror version of myself stood just a few feet away, eyes dark with knowing. She wore the same armor, had the same face, but there was something off—like her presence warped the air around her.

Lucas shouted, "Athena, look out!"

A second form had appeared near him—his double, cloaked in shadows, sneering. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"You’re scared of her, aren’t you?" his double hissed. "She’s stronger than you, and you know it."

Lucas drew his sword, circling his twin. "What is this?"

"They’re not just illusions," I said breathlessly. "They’re... us. Our doubts."

My double lunged.

I barely blocked her blade in time, the clang reverberating through my bones. She was fast—I was fast—and the familiarity of every move she made chilled me to the core. Her attacks mirrored mine perfectly, every feint, every slash, every pivot. But her words cut deeper than her weapon.

"You think Lucas will betray you again."

"Shut up."

"You didn’t trust him at the Moon Temple. And you won’t trust him again."

I snarled and parried another strike. "You’re just a shadow."

"Am I?" she asked, smiling. "Or am I the part of you that knows the truth?"