Second Chance for the Barren Luna (Talia and Jason) novel Chapter 351

Talia’s POV

“I’m sorry,” Dalila muttered. “She wanted to know, and I thought…”

She broke off as Camilla kept glaring at her. Hattie stood, put a hand on Dalila’s shoulder, and led her toward the kitchens, leaving me alone with the old woman and a half-filled plate.

“Please don’t be upset with her,” I said. “I am the one who asked.”

“I’m not angry with her, but she needs to learn to control her emotions,” Camilla said with a sigh. “She means well. She loved them too, the ones we lost. Dalila mourns by getting angry.”

“Then, was she overreacting?” I asked. “Did Morgana really kill…”

“What she told you is true,” Camilla said, cutting me off. “I won’t waste your time pretending or talking about the ugly details of the past. I’m leaving with you at dawn because this needs to be finished.”

“You don’t have to be the one to do this, Camilla,” I said. “You don’t owe Morgana your life on top of everything she’s already taken from you.”

“Do you think I am so easy to kill?” Camilla asked.

“No, I just meant someone else could do this. You don’t have to carry this alone,” I replied.

“I owe something to everyone she’s hurt, because I didn’t see what she was becoming until it was too late. I trained the hand that’s now reaching for your throat. So it’s my job to stop her,” Camilla said.

For a moment, her face tightened, and she looked away. “If I had paid closer attention, maybe none of this would have happened,” she added, her voice weighed down by guilt.

She checked if the plate was still warm. “This is getting cold. Your mate needs to eat, and so do you. Go back to him. We have a long journey tomorrow. There will be time to talk then.”

I nodded and left, knowing that forcing a conversation with her would not happen tonight.

When I got back to the infirmary, I told Nolan what had happened as we ate, explaining what Dalila had told me and that Camilla wouldn’t change her mind.

“Good,” he said, when I finished.

“What do you mean by good? None of this is good.”

“It’s not good what happened to her. But it’s good she’s coming with us.” He put his fork down. “A witch that strong, who wants Morgana dead? I’d rather have her with us than against us.”

“She’s not doing it for us.”

“No, but she’s on our side, and that’s better than her being against us. You’d do the same. In fact, you did when you killed Jason. You should understand how she feels,” Nolan said.

“She is going to hate us for a week,” I sighed.

“She can hate us from a safe and well-defended Bloodmoon.”

In the morning, the whole coven came out to see us off. Hattie said no one could remember that ever happening before, especially not for wolves. They stood in the pale morning light at the edge of the trees. Nolan walked to the car on his own, slowly but without help. I knew it was hard for him, but I let him do it.

“Come back when this is over,” Hattie said, taking both my hands. “You are the only wolves who have ever been welcome here, and I would like to keep it that way.”

“We will. I promise.”

“You had better.” Dalila pulled me into a hard, brief hug. “Go kill her. And then send me a word, because I’m not going to sleep right until I know it’s done.”

I nodded and said, “We’ll end, Morgana. You have my word.”

Camilla turned at the edge of the trees and looked back at Hattie and Dalila. Her long, steady gaze made them both stand a little straighter.

“Hold the coven,” she commanded softly. “Guard each other. I will be back when it is finished.”

The witches bowed, and we returned the gesture before slipping into the car. Leaving the shadows of the Lost Woods behind, we began our journey to Silverfang.