All Chapters of The Luna He Left To Burn: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

AVA"Hello Ava, I called earlier to find out how your recovery is going. I would love to send things over, but I know it would get to Mrs. Hale first. And then to a dust bin."That had to be the third voicemail this morning and I wouldn't have listened to it if I hadn't fallen for it the first time. Her calls weren't reaching so she tried another approach.“I knew I was selfish, to want everything to be smooth now, as if nothing had happened too quickly. But when I left the house, I didn't just want to disappear or move on. I wanted time to heal things."This couldn't even pass off as a bad joke."Our relationship. I don't know if all I'm doing is too soon, but all I know is I don't want to be too late. I wouldn't mind if you insulted me just to get that anger out. It's what comes after that matters. Please answer when this gets to you."Delete.I was tired of listening to the same thing from her. She was confused, or I would say still vainly optimistic. I was banking on time to hamme

AVA"Alright, Ava. You're good to go," the doctor said, setting his pen down. "The strenuous work didn't cause any setbacks. It's healing well." He handed me both my prescription and a small smile along with it. "Have a good day's rest.""Thank you," I said.I left his office with my eyes on my phone. “We were still early. I said so without looking up."Twenty minutes," Amina confirmed from beside me. She wasn't even looking at the screen. I couldn't help the small smile that got away from me.We returned to the car. When it pulled up near the hall, Amina helped me out and I settled into my wheelchair. The hall sat at the center of the complex, branching off from it on all sides were the smaller administrative buildings, linked by open covered walkways.We settled at a bench near the far end of the pavilion. Close enough for a clear sightline to the hall entrance. Far enough to look like we simply happened to be here.Now it was the waiting game.I kept my eyes on the door, watching

AVAFor a room this size I was surprised I hadn't run into a familiar face sooner. That was always the irony of pack assemblies. Everyone came to be seen and then spent the first hour pretending not to notice each other.The grand table was long enough that distance was possible even between people who shared it. I made sure the seating arrangement kept me as far off from where Lucas sat. I had taken the seat closest to my parents without making it look deliberate. Mother had not said much since we sat down. She was aware of Lucas the same way you were aware of something cold sitting too close. Not looking at it. Never forgetting it was there.Lord Drayton settled across from me early in the evening, his glass already half empty and his attention already fully present."Miss Hale," he said. "It is good to see the Hale family represented this evening. I want to ensure the continued cooperation between our families remains what it has always been.""As do I," I said. "Which is part of

AVA"Worst" doesn't even begin to describe today. Following Amina's digression, I decided to play with power.I couldn't find the culprit, so I tried a different approach. If whoever was fueling this wanted to stay hidden, then I was going to flush them out.I drafted a statement and published it that same morning to set the record straight once and for all. It was something measured and direct, enough to make the right person feel the ground shift beneath them and either go quiet or make a move. It was supposed to be the end of it.It was not the end of it.Ten seconds. That was all anyone seemed to be talking about. Ten seconds of Kael crossing the hall and stopping Lucas mid-speech, something the room had witnessed and not one person had been able to fully explain since.My statement hadn't answered that. If anything, it had only sharpened the question. Instead of putting the rumors to bed, it had given them new legs, new angles, and a comment section full of things I wished I hadn

AVAWithin the next few days that followed, things returned far past normal."You're certain?" I asked.Amina nodded. "Aside from the three families at the assembly gathering, the others have started to open up again. Calls have come in, texts too, and letters. Most of which are explanations for their actions during the rumor rumble incident."Cool nickname."Is that so," I said. It wasn't really a question.I knew their type well. They were the ones that always showed up to support you when you raised a deal or displayed enough certainty that they would willingly follow you to the ends of the earth at that moment.And they were still the same ones who, if things went south for any reason, would pull out quietly to protect themselves and leave you to drown.They had hoped for worse. They had been waiting to either claim glory from whatever remained or take whatever gain the chaos made available. Too bad for them."I won't be addressing those," I said. "But I'm well aware of why they c