MR. ORLANDO

MAYA

When he said those words, calling me Philomena right in front of the graveyard gates, my heart dropped straight into my stomach.

I froze, my throat going dry as I braced myself for Maria's sudden explosion. But by some incredible stroke of luck, Maria did not hear him. She was already busy shouting orders at a group of security guards near the stone archway, her back turned to us. That lucky oversight saved my ass that day.

While Maria was distracted, I quickly signaled the old man to step behind a stone pillar in the corner, out of her line of sight. My hands were shaking as I reached deep into the hidden pocket of my dark cloak and pulled out a small wad of cash. I had a few dollars with me that I had managed to slip out of the palace dresser earlier that morning. I did not count it—I didn't care how much was there. I just shoved the entire stack of bills straight into his withered hands, pressing them tight against his palm.

"Please," I whispered desperately, leaning in close so only he could hear me. "Keep your mouth shut in front of her. I will come back to talk to you privately."

The old man, Mr. Orlando, looked down at the money in his calloused hands, then looked back up at my face with a slow, knowing nod. He pocketed the cash silently just as Maria spun around and strutted over to us, her heels clicking angrily against the gravel path.

By the time we walked up to the main burial site, Maria was already fuming. There were about five security guards standing around the perimeter, but Mr. Orlando was the head caretaker of these ancient grounds. The tall, old, lanky man stood tall, planting his wooden staff firmly in the dirt, and flatly insisted that my grave would not be chained today.

He completely refused to let anyone touch the marble tombstone.

"You cannot lay heavy iron chains upon this royal tomb today, Luna Maria," Mr. Orlando said, his raspy voice firm and unyielding. "The spiritual soil is unsettled. Doing so right now will bring a curse upon the land."

Me? I was just standing there staring in silence, my mind racing. I didn't say a single word because I honestly did not know the full effect of chaining a tomb. Was it meant to trap my reincarnated soul? Would it sever my connection to the telekinetic powers I was just beginning to master?

Maria's eyes flared with anger. She tried to use her power and authority as the Luna of the pack, stepping up to the old man with her chest held high.

"I am the Luna of this territory!" Maria snapped, her voice echoing across the quiet tombstones. "You take your orders from me, old man! I ordered those chains to be wrapped around Philomena's grave today, and you will obey!"

"My authority over these sacred grounds comes from the ancient pack ancestors, not from your office," Mr. Orlando replied, without even flinching. He looked her dead in the eye and refused to budge an inch.

Seeing that the old caretaker was not going to break, Maria let out a harsh, frustrated hiss.

Mr. Orlando then turned to Maria with a calm, stoic face. "If you must perform this binding ritual, come back in seven days. The moon alignment will be correct then, and the earth will allow it."

Maria grumbled under her breath, crossing her arms tightly. "Fine! Seven days! And it better be done the moment I return!"

Before we turned to leave, Mr. Orlando caught my eye behind Maria's back. He subtly held up three fingers against his staff, signaling me to come back in the next three days—four whole days before Maria would return with her iron chains.

We walked out of the cemetery and got into the back seat of the royal car.

As the driver started the engine and pulled onto the dirt road, I sat huddled against the door. I never stopped worrying about the effect of the chains on my tomb. What if chaining my past body truly bound my spirit forever? What if it stripped away the telekinesis that was my only weapon to save Edward?

To make matters worse, I was somehow terrified to go to the cemetery all alone in three days. I may be the reincarnated spirit of Princess Philomena, but in this life, I was still a young, vulnerable woman, and returning to a spooky, isolated graveyard filled with dead silence scared me to my bone.

In the car, I was so cold and quiet, staring out the tinted window at the passing dark trees.

Maria turned to look at me, taking my silence the wrong way. She assumed I was terrified by the spooky atmosphere of the grave side. A mocking, arrogant smirk spread across her face.

"Don't worry, Maya, you will get used to it," Maria boasted, leaning back against the leather seat with a smug sigh. "It's always creepy around the dead. But don't worry—by the time I chain Philomena's tomb in seven days, her dead spirit will finally become completely powerless. She will never trouble us again."

I kept my face completely still, looking out the window, hiding the dark smile that crept into my own mind. She has no idea that the soul she is trying so hard to chain is sitting right next to her.