I could tell that Candido was surprised at my declaration. Norton went still and quiet. Sibyl flushed and whirled around on me. More than the anger, there was fear there. Her gaze dropped to my chest briefly. She bared her teeth in a vicious snarl at me. But her eyes were haunted. Was she thinking about the vampire and his plans? Was she afraid of him?Had he threatened to kill her if all of this didn’t go according to his plan? It would almost make sense why she seemed so desperate, but when I thought back to how they were in the woods, I doubted it. Whatever she was getting from him was at Candido’s expense and I just couldn’t have that.I looked back at Norton and found him just as angry though his fear seemed more subdued than hers. Maybe he was being threatened, but he was also manipulative and fully able to ask for help instead of working against Candido like this. Him selling off pieces of his territory was probably a ploy from the vampire, or maybe it was just him making a way
Candido walked us out through the crowd of people who were snapping photos left and right and escorted me back to the Team Gamma jeep. He opened the door and ushered me inside as people whispered before climbing in after me. A bit of fear went through me. What happened now? Would he be upset about what I did?I turned to him. His jaw was set firmly. His eyes flashed with moonlight, but I couldn’t let his anger stop me.“Candido, I—”He turned to me, focused on me so intently that I could barely breathe. I felt my cheeks heat as he pulled me across the seat and into his lap.Then, he kissed me. I was shocked. My whole body went still before he cupped my jaw and licked into my mouth, drawing a soft, breathy moan out of me. He grunted, pressing his lips more firmly against mine and holding me in his lap. The partition whirred as it went up, and the front two doors opened.When he pulled back, I was dazed and breathless, panting softly. Candido’s face was flushed, but his voice was calm.
I didn’t know what to do or say. I was just lost and alone in Candido’s office. I looked around, remembering most of the moments I had spent in here, stealing a bit of his time for myself. Could I stay in this house? Could I stay at his side when he found this woman he spoke of? Could I ever let him go? I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t want to think about him and this woman that would spend the rest of her life with him. Everything in my heart was crying out in agony at the thought, yet I could feel myself distancing from it. There were so many things that could change, so many unknowns, and so many issues that I just couldn’t solve on my own. But there was time. Candido said he’d met her weeks ago, but that was before the moon before my birthday. What if he was feeling something that I simply wasn’t old enough to feel yet? He could have confused me with someone else. Even if it was a different person, he didn’t know her. He knew me. He loved me, no matter what h
“… do away with Pandora quickly. I don’t have time to waste. Are you out yet?”“Almost.”I gasped, and my eyes widened, hearing Francium’s voice. Out of what? What was he doing down there? I knew he was connected to all of these attacks, but I didn’t ever think he would do something like this.“F-Francium?” Claire asked, her voice soft and hopeful. “Francium, what’s going on? Untie me.”“I… I can’t.”“Wh-What do you mean you can’t?” Claire asked. “Francium, please, whatever is going on, you don’t have to do this….”The man laughed, “And that’s where you’re wrong, Pandora. He does have to, and whatever dalliance you two have been up to, I’m sure was nice as it lasted.”“Please,” Francium said weakly. “I don’t… I don’t think I have to kill her. Couldn’t we just erase her memory?”“Could you?” He asked.Francium said nothing. Did that mean he had powers, or he didn’t have powers?“I didn’t think so. The pills do enough, but they certainly don’t make up for a poor gene pool… Don’t ask me
I couldn’t say how long I stayed there, crying on the floor of the library, listening to Francium sobbing through the phone, but it was a long time. The crack in the New Moon’s panel hadn’t shrunk or grown, but it seemed to grow darker above me.Soon, I heard movement. There was no more sobbing or words, but I heard him walking away from the phone. I listened and waited to hear something else, but there was nothing but silence. TThen, the call dropped.I felt my resolve start to build.I couldn’t stay here.I couldn’t let anyone know what had happened.The campus wasn’t safe, and there was nothing more that I could do.I stood and walked slowly through the halls, walking back the way I had run. I found my shoes and noted the new damage in the halls, great, wide cracks in the mortar. The gilded edges of the hallways had been cracked and revealed the dark stone beneath it.As I exited the academy, I said nothing to the Team Gamma-2 members, and they said nothing to me.One of them spok
Night fell over the estate, and I left my room to get something to eat. There was no sense in a hunger strike now. I needed my strength to move forward with finding Francium, that vampire, and avenging Claire. The guilt still weighed on me, but as I was getting my mind clear enough to do something about it, I found it easier to push it aside.My feelings about Candido were something different. His words still rattled around in my head. Fate and destiny, the decree of the Moon Goddess and all that. I thought I would never go back to doubting her existence. She’d led me to Candido and dropped me into this impossible situation.The only good thing was that Sibyl would never be his wife, but it was hardly a conciliation prize.“Where is he? I demand to see him!” It was Sibyl’s voice. I considered turning back to give her a piece of my mind, but I decided against it. I had bigger things to think about, more things to Sibyl showing up at the estate.“His Majesty has—”“I’m to be his wife! G
His eyes were worried as he approached me, and more tears slipped down my face. I didn’t look at him. Candido sighed.“I… understand you’re angry with me,” Candido said and grabbed a mitten. “But you came into the kitchen for a reason, right? You’re hungry? At least… let me feed you?”I wanted to tell him no. I wanted to tell him that I didn’t want his help doing anything and that I didn’t need it. I wanted to throw words about fate and the future in his face, but my stomach growled with hunger, and I couldn’t trust myself with the task of eating.I’d rather go back upstairs and curl up in bed with this guilt.So, I nodded stiffly. If I left, I’d just be back in a few hours.Candido wasted no time, pulling the brownies out of the oven and setting them aside. He crossed the kitchen to pull out food and warmed it up for me before setting it on the table.He sat across the table from me as I lifted my silverware.“Thanks.” I cut into the chicken on the plate and started to eat.“You’re w
“Well?” Candido pressed after the man didn’t speak for a long time.“I… don’t know,” he looked away.Candido frowned, and I gasped. It all made sense now. Hadn’t Francium mentioned the fact that his father wasn’t a real descendant of the New Moon Pack’s founder? How had she faded into obscurity? Was she in the same position as my mother had been?I worried my lip and glanced at Candido. Had Candido’s mother been the same position? Was she actually a member of the Blue Moon Pack?Or was she the true descendant of the Full Moon Pack’s founder?“This isn’t the time to hide things,” Candido said. “If you know something, say so.”His shoulders slumped. “I haven’t seen his mother since I took Francium from her. I don’t think he’s there. He would know better… I’ve taught him better.”“By letting his brothers abuse him?” I asked.He sneered, “What do you know?”“Enough,” I replied.Candido looked at me and hung up. “You think he’s with his mother.”“Where else would he be?”Who she was and wh