Eighth-Born Luna (Emily and Nathan) novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Emily’s POV

He hesitated. “I’ll get Cindy.”

A few minutes later, Cindy knock the door.

We walked through the cold halls and out into the mountain air. Everything smelled like smoke from the vines they had burned.

The ritual grounds looked simple in the daylight–just black stone and silver lines. But I knew how dangerous they were.

As we walked down the steps, I looked at her. “Do you know what happened to Stella?”

Cindy looked at the ground immediately. I felt a cold chill.

“What happened, Cindy?”

She was quiet for a long time. Then, she whispered, “I saw the guards carrying her body this morning.”

It felt like the floor had dropped away. “No… Did she alive, or…” My voice broke. Declan had promised me she would live if I stayed. He had lied to me again.

Cindy’s face turned hard. “I don’t know. And what did you think would happen? You tried to run. Did you think he would just let her go?”

“She didn’t do anything!”

“And you’re only alive because he needs you,” Cindy snapped.

Needs. Not loves. Not protects. I was just a tool.

Something about her voice felt too personal. I looked at the silver ribbon around her neck, then back at her eyes.

“Oh my God,” I said softly.

Cindy went stiff. Her hand flew up to cover the ribbon.

“He’s your mate,” I whispered.

The wind blew around us, but neither of us spoke. Cindy looked away, her jaw tight. “My lips are sealed,” she said. But she didn’t say I was wrong.

I felt a wave of horror. All this time the way she watched him, the pain in her eyes when he was near me. I stepped in front of her. “Why? Why are you nice to me if he’s your mate?”

The mask finally fell. She looked so sad it made my heart sink. “Do I have a choice?” she asked.

The question hurt more than a punch. She gave a small, sad laugh. “My wolf loves him anyway,” she whispered.

She gripped the ribbon as if it were a rope. “You still have someone who loves you. Someone who is fighting to get you back. You were taken from your mate.”

Nathan. His name felt like a sharp pain in my chest. I didn’t see Cindy as a guard anymore. She was just another girl in a nightmare.

Her eyes were full of tears, and mine were too. For a second, the walls between us broke. We weren’t enemies. We were just two tired girls.

“I didn’t choose this either,” she whispered.

But then, Cindy went stiff. She wiped her eyes fast and turned away.

When she looked back at me, the girl I had just seen was gone. Only the servant remained.

She stepped closer. “He’s coming,” she whispered. “Wipe your eyes. Don’t turn around too fast.”

My stomach dropped. A second later, the air changed.

I felt him before I heard a single footstep. The rogue guards near the stairs snapped to attention.

And Cindy… her breathing became tiny. Barely there. But I saw her shoulders pull back instinctively. I saw her ingers tremble against that silver ribbon before she hid her hand behind her back..

Mate. Her wolf felt him coming.

Then Declan’s voice cut through the air behind me. “Emily.”

It was low, smooth, and dangerously calm. “What are you doing out here?”

I took a moment to steady myself before turning.

Declan stood a few feet away, a shadow in his black clothes.

Heyes locked onto me instantly. Not Cindy. Me. Always me.

His gaze crawled over my face, catching the traces of salt on my cheeks.

Something in his expression softened, a tiny flicker of something that looked like care. It hurt more than cruelty would have. Because right beside me, Cindy saw it too. I saw her chin drop. I saw the flash of raw pain she tried so hard to bury.

Declan walked closer, his eyes never once drifting toward the girl who was literally made for him.

“What? I crossed my arms, my voice brittle. “You’ve decided to personally supervise me now?”

But it was the look on Cindy’s face that shattered me. She looked away instantly, like seeing his hand on my skin was a physical wound.

He made it sound like a compliment. Instead, it felt like a sentence. His gaze dropped to the mark on my throat, and I saw the pride flare in his eyes.

We’re going to have a very interesting eternity together.”

A chill raced down my spine. That,” he whispered, “is exactly why I chose you.”

My heart gave a jagged thud. “Chose me?”

A slow, dark smile spread across his mouth “Well, yes.” He tilted his head. “I guided my father straight toward you”

Ice flooded my veins. Years of planning and manipulation

Before I could stop myself, the question slipped out. “How is he?

Declan’s expression didn’t change. “My father?”

I nodded. The image of Silas lying on the floor, looking more like a corpse than a man, flashed through my mind.

Declan looked almost amused. “He’s mummifying.”

A chill crawled down my spine.

“He’s locked beneath the castle under a heavy guard,” Declan continued, his voice casual. “Though honestly, he doesn’t need much guarding. He can barely move anymore.”

A heavy feeling settled in my gut.

“He’ll need to feed eventually if he wants to survive,” Declan said, sounding completely calm. “Otherwise… he’ll probably just rot down there over the next century or two.” two.”

Horror twisted through me. I had done that to him. Even if it was Silas, the thought of someone rotting alive because of my power made me feel sick.

Declan watched my face, studying every emotion like I was a puzzle he was solving. Then–as if talking about his father’s slow death meant nothing he offered me his arm.

“Come on, little wolf.”

I just stared at him. My mind was spinning.

“You wanted to know where the crystals come from, didn’t you?” His smile widened. “I think it’s time for a proper tour.”

Beside me, Cindy quietly stepped back. She didn’t say a word. She kept her eyes on the stone floor, looking like she already knew Declan would never offer his arm to her.