The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon (Celine and Bastian) novel Chapter 83

The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon

Chapter 83

‘Hello, Mr. Silas. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The man hugs me as if he’s known me all his life and, before I can react, shamelessly pulls me away from both his son and grandson and starts walking with me. His arm wraps naturally around my waist, and he leans down slightly to speak in a low voice.

I’ve always wanted a granddaughter, but that nuisance of a son only gave me another nuisance as a grandson. I’m happy to meet you and welcome you into my home.”

A smile finds its way onto my lips.

Now I can understand Bastian when he said Silas Thorn was even worse than his father.

I expected to meet a grumpy, rough, dominant werewolf.

A barbarian, exactly as Bastian had described throughout the journey.

Instead, I find myself walking beside an impossible old man who wraps a warm, protective arm around me as though I’ve been part of this family for years.

Without a doubt, the Thorns can intimidate anyone.

But with me, they’re different.

Magnus welcomed me like a daughter, and Silas seems to have decided to adopt me only minutes after meeting me.

Everything I never had with my real family, the Moon Goddess seems to have multiplied in affection through the Thorns.

The protests from Bastian and Magnus behind us draw a small laugh from me. I listen to them argue, insult each other, and blame one another while we make our way through the enormous stone corridors.

For the first time in a very long while, I feel exactly where I’m supposed to be.

And I have the strange suspicion that this is only the beginning.

Silas Thorn opens a large dark wooden door covered with ancient carvings of vines and thorns. He steps aside to let me enter first, and once I’m fully inside what appears to be a reading room, he closes the door behind us and calmly locks it.

“What we need to discuss is none of those idiots’ business.”

For an instant, a thousand images flash through my mind. Bastian trying to break down the door, Magnus arguing with his father, both of them demanding to be let inside.

Yet, to my surprise, none of that happens.

Silence reigns on the other side.

“No one will bother us for quite a while, little wolf. Sit by the fire. You must be cold.”

I appreciate him mentioning it because I truly am freezing.

“How do you know who I am, and how do you know about my sword?”

I drag one of the armchairs closer to the freshly lit fireplace. The warmth immediately surrounds me, and I feel my muscles beginning to relax.

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13.12 Tue, Aug 18 )

The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon

Silas lets out a low chuckle and sits down across from me. He crosses one leg over the other and rests his arms on the armrests with that arrogant case that seems to come naturally with Thorn blood.

“I can understand why my grandson went crazy over you. You’re direct. In that, you’re quite a lot like him.”

His gaze drifts toward Erebus, resting beside the fireplace.

“Bastian is a great man, Mr. Silas. Just a little… intense.”

My cheeks warm when he nods in amusement.

“My grandson is a great man and he’ll be a better king than either his father or I ever were, of that I’m completely certain. But let’s not talk about things we already know. You asked me two questions, and I’m going to answer them, although first need to tell you a story. Would you like to hear it?”

“Of course, sir.”

Silas rises and walks toward one of the enormous bookshelves covering the walls. His fingers slowly run across the spines of dozens of ancient volumes until they stop on one in particular. He carefully pulls it free, and a small cloud of dust drifts into the air.

It’s a thick, very old book.

The yellowed pages look so fragile that I’m afraid they might tear from a simple touch.

Before returning, he pours two cups of hot chocolate and places one in front of me. The sweet, comforting aroma mixes with the scent of firewood burning in the fireplace.

He sits back down, settles the book on his lap, and opens it as though he knows exactly which page he’s looking for. After a few moments of searching, he nods to himself and begins to speak.

“Thousands of years ago, the Moon Goddess saw an angel fall from the sky. As he descended, another angel attacked him relentlessly until both vanished into the clouds and one of them finally crashed into this world, gravely wounded and on the verge of death. The other simply watched him with hatred from above and abandoned him there to bleed out.”

Silas turns a page with unexpected delicacy before continuing.

“The Goddess descended to help him. She healed his wounds and remained by his side for days. That angel, unable to understand why anyone would do such a thing for him, wept in her arms and swore to become her eternal warrior. But she told him she had no need of an avenger, neither for herself nor for her children. She told him he was free to choose his own path. Before leaving, she simply gave him two swords, because she knew he was a warrior.”

His gaze slides toward Erebus.

“One was Erebus. The other was Helel.”

A shiver runs down my spine.

Silas turns another page and watches me for only a second before continuing.

“Although the Goddess told him he owed her nothing, the angel chose to protect werewolves and humanity. Fairies. vampires, demons… it didn’t matter. If a creature threatened the innocent, he descended upon it with the same fury he had felt when he was cast out of Heaven. A Heaven that belonged to another god. The same god most humans still worship today.”

The silence that follows lasts several seconds.

I hear only the crackling fire, the soft tapping of snow against the windows, and our breathing in the stillness of the room.

13.16

Tue, Aug 10

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The Second Chance Of The Rejected Moon

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