Lies for Survival.

#6

Camilla.

Kael grabbed my hand, staring at the nails. I stared at them too, my eyes wide. What just happened?

His blood began to drip on our hands.

“What are you?" he whispered, but the question didn't feel directed towards me.

I didn't know what I was. Black nails? I'd never seen that in all my life, and definitely not on my own fingers.

Slowly, they shriveled, and transformed back into my short human nails.

Kael looked at me, his brows drawn together. If anything, he looked disoriented.

His Adam apple bobbed up and down as he got off me.

"You're dismissed until I have need of you.”

I rose to my feet, bowed, and walked out, closing the door gently behind me.

I looked at my fingers once more. They looked like strangers. Did that really happen?

Somewhere deep within me, hope began to spring like a freshly blooming flower.

Was there more to me than I thought?

~

It was dawn when I finally found Filius on the archery grounds.

He was in his sleeping robes, instead of proper archery attire, and those arrows, not one of them missed the mark.

I walked up to him, and swiftly, he turned to me, an arrow aimed directly at my head.

I raised my hands in the air, "It's just me."

He lowered his bow and released the arrow.

"You should be standing at Kael's door waiting to be replaced.”

“Something happened."

He pulled his robes together, and tightened the knot.

“And you couldn't wait? You just had to come running?"

“Can I ask a question?" I asked, and he gave a sigh, looking down at me with this expression that seemed to say, ‘You're such an interruption. Can you just leave?’

“If I say no, will you keep your question?"

“Why do you dislike me?"

His brow shot upwards, and I can swear he found me a nuisance.

“So what you did all night while guarding Kael was think of how to come up with a dumb question like this? Really?”

"It's not dumb. Even when I was the Luna…”

"Keep your voice down.”

"You always frowned at me, and looked at me with such disdain. Also, did you always know it was me even with my veil on? How did you know it was me you saved when I fell down?"

“Is that what happened? That had you rushing here?" He asked, his ice cold gaze piercing deep into me.

Or did he just have a permanently scowling face?

No. It wasn't just the way he looked at me. It was the way he spoke to me like he'd rather not have anything to do with me. Yet he saved me.

Why did he save me?

Loyalty?

"No. That was a different…"

“I'd rather you get to the topic, Luna, and if you would have an answer, then yes, I'm not exactly someone who is intrigued by you or sees any reason to desire your approval in any way."

“Ah," I cleared my throat, “Did you have to say it that way? Whatever… I don't care. What I wanted to say was that I hurt Kael. I slashed him across his cheek, and the most bizarre thing apart from the fact that I've never felt my wolf before is that my nails were black. I've never seen anyone with black nails in all twenty…”

He suddenly took me by the shoulders, “Do it again."

“What? You mean the slashing?" I asked, looking into his electric blue eyes.

“Yes."

Looking up at Filius from this close, how did I miss the fact that he was still so young? Well, not as young as Kael and me, but now I could see why he was among the top three wolves of the palace the wolverines couldn't stop talking about.

“I don't know how I did it."

“How did it happen?"

I narrated the event just as it had happened, and Filius listened with rapt attention. He was so gripped by my story that his fingers did not stop tightening my shoulders.

Eventually, he released me.

"Meet me here tomorrow.”

"Why? Do you know anything about what happened?”

"Meet me here tomorrow, Luna.”

~

That afternoon, I was called in by Kael. I figured it was about time he asked what exactly happened the previous night.

I walked into his main chamber with my head bowed.

"Lift your head,” he commanded.

I did so.

Kael was sitting carelessly on the throne in his chamber dressed in black silk robes, his crown lopsided on his head. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and he looked restless.

"Ah, the pretty little thing is here,” he said, watching me with such a condescending look, I felt disrespected.

He continued, "Now, first, what were you trying to do when you walked into my room last night without me calling for you?"

My tongue felt dry.

“You did call for me." The lie tumbled past my lips without my approval.

What the hell? Camilla!

Kael rose, stepping down from his throne slowly, his piercing gaze fixed on me.

He didn't stop until he was directly in front of me. Then his hand found my chin.

“I did not call for you last night."

“You did! You were having a nightmare, and then you called for me. You were all sweaty in your bed, and asked for your tonic, and so I went searching for it.”

"And what about the wound you inflicted on your King?”

"I… I don't…"

“Explain convincingly, or have your head hung on a pole."