Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Rejected Luna : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

“Are you in pain?” The whisper, faint, shaky, and forbidden, came from behind the stone pillar. Luna went cold. As she held the bread tray, it swayed and almost spilled crumbs onto the chilly marble floor. Eyes flitting between the dimly lit hallway and the shy figure stepping out of the shade, she turned. A little maid, as pale as a candle flame, came forward. With trembling hands, she held a half-loaf of coarse bread to her chest. "Alina." The one who was continually moving like vapor, evading attention, and lowering her gaze when the guards shouted was the silent one. Luna had noticed her a couple of times in the servants' hall, carrying linens that were excessively heavy for her small stature. In the dim hallway light, her eyes now held a rare quality in this setting: sympathy. Luna clenched her throat. "You ought not to," Alina interrupted abruptly, looking down the hallway, "I know." But since the morning, you haven't eaten. He observes everything, but She thru

Breathe, Luna. Breathe, please. The brush of quivering fingertips across her cheek accompanied the voice's wavering in the darkness. Luna opened her eyes a little. Stone, iron, and an ancient scent of dust and candle wax filled the air. Her eyesight was swirling while she lay on the chilly floor of a little room, and then the world gradually began to take shape once more. Through a barred window, a thin light crept in, cutting like a blade across the walls. She knew the space; it was one of the storage rooms used by the servants under the east wing. empty. Ignored. For now, safe. "Alina?" Luna forced herself to stand up, and her voice broke. With her hair disheveled and her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, the young maid's pale face lingered close. Alina said, "He left you there, in the corridor." "I pulled you out after waiting for the guards to switch posts. It was burning you, I thought. She covered her lips with her hand when her voice broke. Luna gave a shak

Why, Luna, do you wince whenever I glance at you? Roman ran a finger along the edge of her jaw and spoke in a gentle yet menacing tone. Luna was silent. With a tray in hand, she stood by the long oak table, feeling her heart pound beneath her skin. His chamber seemed to come to life with the uneven shadows cast by the hearth fire, as if it were breathing alongside him. The air was thick with the rich, heavy smell of wine and cedar. Not wanting to agitate the predator observing her, every sense advised her to remain motionless. Half-lidded, Roman reclined in his chair. With an almost lazy tone, he said, "You tremble." "Am I really that scary to you?" She pushed herself to the side and placed the silver goblet in front of him. Her voice betrayed her, but she said quietly, "I'm not afraid." A faint smile that never made it to his eyes was on his lips. "Luna, lies wear you out. However, I guess fear has its purposes. It prolongs the life of the prey and sharpens the sense

First came the tremulous, gentle sound, like a song rising from broken throats. By daybreak, it shook the fortress's corridors. Luna awoke from a restless slumber, her dreams still hazy with the buzz of chains and crimson light. Silence that didn't feel right filled the air, making everything heavy. There was no peace. There was the silence that precedes a horrible event. Then it came to her once more. The vocals. Low and rhythmic, a desperate chant that was repeated again and over again, voices scraping against despair, it floated through the crevices in her door. Her heart was already racing when she put on her cloak and entered the hallway. There was a lack of movement among the guards. They weren't keeping an eye on the doors. The eastern yard was the destination they were all heading for. There had been an incident. Her bare feet were silent on the stone floor as she followed. The music became louder the farther she traveled; it was a hymn of resistance rather t

“If I die here, at least I’ll die trying,” Luna whispered to herself as she lifted the dagger.The morning came heavy and slow. A thin gray light spilled through the tall windows of the east wing, touching the corridors with an anemic glow. The storm that had prowled the night before had left its breath behind, wet stone, cold air, the smell of iron. Luna’s body ached from sleeplessness, her mind replaying the echo of Roman’s voice.“Who’s there?”She had run before he found her. Bare feet silent, heart a drum against her ribs. She’d hidden behind the servants’ quarters till dawn broke. Now, as the packhouse stirred awake, she slipped back through the narrow servants’ stairs, the faint trace of fear still trembling in her bones.The Alpha had almost caught her. If he had opened that door, if his eyes had met hers, she didn’t let her mind go there. She couldn’t.She passed two maids whispering by the kitchen door, heads bowed, voices too low to catch. No one dared to look her in the ey