All Chapters of The Luna They Buried : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Zelda’s POVWhen I woke up the next day, Vance was gone. At least he hadn’t left a pile of money and a card like some cheap transaction. Instead, he’d left bruises between my legs.Even as I limped to the bathroom, my hand brushing the sore spot, I didn’t feel pain. All I could feel was his mouth on me again, and how hungrily he’d taken me.“You’re losing it, Zelda,” I muttered, staring at my reflection, cheeks burning at the sight of the hickeys scattered along my neck.I was still knotting a towel around myself when a knock sounded at the door. I sighed. Please don’t let it be them. I opened it and found Mia standing there.“Mia.” I pulled her into a hug.“Whoa, whoa, I was only gone a few hours.” She laughed, hugging me back.“I didn’t see you all night, silly. Of course I missed you.”She rolled her eyes. “Missed me, sure. While you were in here moaning like it was the time of your life.”Heat rushed to my face. “Wait, you heard?”She dropped onto the bed. “I’m pretty sure the wh

Zelda’s POVWhen I opened my eyes the next morning, my ankles were swollen to twice their size, the skin stretched tight and shiny. Pregnancy was definitely no joke.I dragged myself to the bathroom and let cool water run over my shoulders until my nerves settled. I was patting myself dry when I heard the door creak open, slow and careful.I tilted my head and caught sight of my dear friend Mia sneaking in like a child creeping toward a candy jar.“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my traitor of a friend,” I said, stepping out of the bathroom. Mia jumped, her eyes going wide. She’d clearly expected to find me asleep.“You left me alone last night. Bad friend.” I reached for my lotion and squeezed a dollop into my palm.Mia gave me a sheepish smile and caught my arm. “We only stepped outside to talk. When I came back you were gone. I swear I didn’t mean to leave you.”I sat on the bed. She sank down beside me at once, and I lifted my ankle onto her lap without asking. The swelling had crep

Zelda’s POVFor days I sat on the bed, arms wrapped around my knees, replaying my own stupidity like a wound I couldn’t stop picking at.I had trusted someone like Leah. Leah, of all people. And she had used my desperation against me like a knife she’d been sharpening the whole time.I wish it had stopped at Vance tearing into me with words that still rang in my ears at night. Mia was almost punished too, her back bared for a whip that never should have touched her, but Jerry stepped between her and the guards and took it in her place. If he hadn’t, I would have had to listen to my only friend here scream because of my mistake. That thought alone kept me up more than the scolding ever could.My food changed too. What used to be warm, seasoned, something a person could actually enjoy, turned into a gray, bland mush that even a dog would sniff and walk away from. No sauce. No protein. When I finally asked why, a maid dropped a small dish of pills onto my tray without meeting my eyes.“

Author’s POV Meanwhile…Zelda sat cross-legged on her bed, imagining the chaos she had just caused.Every possible argument between Leah and Vance made her grin even wider. Maybe Leah was already throwing things across the room. Maybe Vance was desperately trying to explain himself.The thought alone almost made her laugh.A knock interrupted her thoughts.The servant entered carrying a wooden bowl. The moment Zelda looked inside, her smile disappeared.Nothing but boiled green vegetables.No meat.No rice.No soup.Just soggy leaves releasing a bitter, earthy smell. Her stomach twisted at the sight of it. She forced herself to take a bite.The taste coated her tongue with bitterness, making bile rise into her throat.She nearly spat it out.Still…She swallowed.Maybe the doctor had recommended it because of the pregnancy.That had to be it.But the following morning… The same bowl arrived. Zelda knew that it was now a direct attack. “Don’t tell me this is what they’ve been feeding

Zelda’s POV The laughter and chatter inside cut off the second I stepped through the door. Every head turned. Whispers followed, quick and hissing, like wind through dry grass."Told you she'd show." Leah rose from her seat, smiling at the friend beside her before crossing the room. Her arm looped around my shoulder as though we were the closest of friends. "Come, I saved you a special seat." She steered me forward, her grip firm enough to leave marks.I was lowered into a chair between two women who leaned away from me like I carried something contagious. The conversation picked back up around me. Laughter rippled down the table while I sat wishing I were anywhere else.“You know…”One of Leah’s friends leaned forward with a grin.“I heard humans are mostly whores.”She tilted her head, “aren’t they?” I kept my eyes on my water glass and said nothing. She didn't take the hint. She kept talking, kept jabbing her elbow into my side until I set the glass down hard enough to rattle the