Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Talia’s POV

This was not how I wanted to spend my night.

I thought I would be able to get a good night’s rest, but it seemed that I could not escape Viki’s foolishness.

‘We should just leave her in the dungeon to rot,‘ my wolf growled. ‘It is what she deserves.‘

“I thought Viki left with Jason after you told him to back off,” I said, breaking the silence.

“She spread lies about you, so I decided to take action,” Solon shrugged.

“Solon!” I snapped. “I told you I’d handle it. You can’t always make decisions for me.”

“Yes, I can! I’m your brother, and she slandered you,” he replied coolly. “She deserved to be punished.”

I rubbed my temples in frustration. “Ok. I will meet her myself now.”

I made my way down the dark, damn corridor that led to the holding cells. The scent of mildew and blood clung to the air. It didn’t matter how many times I came down here. It always made me uneasy.

I stopped outside Viki’s cell, where she sat on the small cot. Viki sat hunched on the small cot, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she rocked back and forth. Her once–styled hair was a tangled mess, and her makeup had long since smudged into streaks of black beneath her red, swollen eyes.

The moment she looked up and saw me, her face twisted with rage.

“You!” she shrieked, scrambling off the cot and throwing herself at the bars. Her fingers clawed desperately through the gaps, trying to reach me. “You planned this! You told them to lock me up!”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disbelief. She still was delusional. “Stop playing the victim, Viki. Jason’s not around to

fall for the act this time.”

Her eyes flashed. “You’re trying to turn him against me! You think if you play innocent long enough, he’ll forget everything we’ve been through–but he won’t! He knows what you are!”

And just like that, her voice cracked as she launched into sobs, wiping at her face with trembling hands. It would’ve looked convincing–if I hadn’t seen her pull this routine too many times before.

“Viki,” I said calmly, “you’re not in here because of me. You’re here because of you. You ran your mouth, mocked my broken bond, called me a thief, and dragged my name through the mud. If not, you’d be at home.”

Viki gripped the bars so tightly her knuckles turned white. “They weren’t lies, and you know it! Everyone saw you throw yourself at the prince like a little harlot. You seduced him to get the Rosecrest!”

“I did nothing of the sort,” I interrupted coolly. “And whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter. The fact is, you’re here. And if you don’t stop your lies and repent, you’ll stay here.”

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