Chapter 45
Chapter 45
LUNA AQUAMARINE’S POV
I remembered everything that happened that night. I felt everything that night. Every heartbeat, every frantic touch and
every whispered word.
From the moment Alexander and his men came running over to me. The moment Alexander pulled me out of that tree, the
way he froze on the spot and just stared.
I remember the terror in his eyes and how his heart raced while he ran back to the castle.
1 remember how his voice broke while calling for Juliet and Kath. His eyes were wild, red and wet as he stared at me. His whole body trembled as he kept mumbling words in my ears.
The way he held me close. The way he rocked my body like a child, as if he was scared I would break but at the same time,
like he never wanted to let go.
I never for once thought he cared about me. Not even an inch. Not even a speck of dust. But his actions that night said
otherwise.
He cried.
Raged.
Apologised,
Cursed himself. Blamed himself.
He stayed awake all night. Checking my temperature, rubbing my hands, kissing my entire body and even leaving tiny marks on every inch of my skin which helped me relax.
Levi came and said something to him. I don’t even remember what he said but I remember the sorrow in both their eyes.
And after I finally said my first words, he never left my side.
Wherever I went, Alexander was there.
He no longer called me “Aquamarine” or used that clipped, formal tone.
Now, it was just “Aqua,” spoken softly–almost like a lullaby. Or “Little Flame,” whenever he teases or compliments me.
He brought me warm drinks before bed. Gave me space when I needed it and stayed close when I didn’t. I caught him staring at me more than once, golden eyes thoughtful… almost soft.
And worse-
I didn’t mind it anymore.
I didn’t even realise when I started waiting for his voice…
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Chapter 45
Or when his scent became a necessary comfort.
And yes, we still slept totally naked with his heat everywhere.
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Kath held my hand again. Juliet and Aaron were back. But Juliet gave me an earful while Aaron just stared. I felt safe.
No Gaia. No threats. Just calm.
For the first time in a long time, I breathed. And I smiled.
The castle was quiet today. Alexander was locked away in some meeting with the Order, and I was left walking to the study
with restless feet.
Despite Gaia not being here anymore, he was still wary about other ‘potential threats‘.
I didn’t want to come here, but after Gaia’s absence, I’ve not had that feeling of being watched.
Maybe, she was truly the one who pushed me off the balcony that day. The person behind that cloak.
The study smelled of parchment, cedarwood, and something distinctly Alexander. A faint trace of musk and lavender. The scent curled into my lungs and made my chest tighten.
The study wasn’t new to me. I’d been here more times than I could count.
On the table was the scroll.
Sitting untouched. Unopened.
Mocking me in its silence.
I had tried before. So many times. Quietly. Alone. When no one was watching.
But it never responded. Not to my touch, not to my blood, not to the whispered pleas I’d once been foolish enough to try.
I wasn’t even sure why I was here. Just… following the pull.
The pendant around my neck–the one Alexander gave me–suddenly pulsed. I stared down at it.
“What…” I whispered, lifting it gently.
But as I moved closer to the desk, there was a light vibration in the air and the pendant grew warmer.
When I reached the desk, I picked up the scroll, searching the body once more. Checking out the metal seal, a circular lock was carved into its centre. I had never noticed the shallow indentation before, shaped exactly like a flame and a circle.
Or was it a rock? A moon?
“Flame and moon,” I repeated, deep in thought.
Then my eyes went so wide that I felt they could pop out of my sockets.
With trembling fingers, I unclasped the chain from my neck. The moment I inserted the pendant into the lock, the seal lit
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Chapter 45
up in a soft golden hue.
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A faint hum echoed through the study, like the scroll itself had taken a breath. Then with a soft click, it opened. The scroll slowly began to spread out on its own, symbols glowing faintly.
The pendant flickered once more, then went still.
“What are you?” I breathed, staring between the scroll and the jewellery on my chest.
It hadn’t just been a gift.
This pendant… it was a key. He had shown me a way to open the scroll days ago..
The door creaked open behind me and I jumped, quickly rolling the scroll back into place.
Juliet peered inside. “Everything alright in there?”
I didn’t wait.
I clutched it to my chest, the pendant still warm against my skin.
I had to tell him. Now.
My feet barely touched the ground as I raced through the halls, my heart galloping faster than my legs. Aaron called after me, startled. Juliet cursed and followed but I didn’t stop.
ĺbarged into our chambers, breathless and shaken, scroll in hand, and threw myself onto the bed–waiting, clutching the
scroll as if it might vanish if I let it go.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Finally, the door opened.
Alexander stepped in, brow furrowed from the meeting, golden eyes immediately scanning me. “Aqua? What’s-”
I stood, lifted the scroll, and held it out to him.
“The pendant,” I said, my voice trembling with excitement. “It’s the key.”
His eyes widened.
“I’ve been trying to open it for moons, Alex, I’ve been beside it all this time, but it never opened. Until today. Until this.” held up the pendant, letting it catch the low light.
He took the scroll slowly, reverently, as if it were something dangerous. “You’re sure?”
“Of course I am. The pendant fits into a lock in the centre. It reacted to me. It unlocked itself when I used it.” I stepped closer, staring into his face. “Why didn’t you give me the pendant earlier?”
He looked stunned for a beat. Then his gaze dropped to the scroll in his hand. “Because… I didn’t know.”
I frowned. “You gave me the scroll to open and read. Then you gave me the pendant that surprisingly matches my
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Chapter 45
birthmark?”
Alexander didn’t do anything. He just stroked his chin. “That means…”
“You were testing me,” I finished for him.
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He looked at me then–really looked. “Yes. It’s like an heirloom. The scrolls are given to each generation of Luna’s. Each is different, depending on…..” he paused like he was trying to think of something, then he continued.
“Depending on what The Keepers see. But I had no idea it would… connect like this. To your birthmark.”
A small silence settled between us.
Then I asked the question that had been growing heavier in my chest. “What would have happened if I hadn’t opened it?
What if it never unlocked?”
He said nothing. Just watched the flames for a moment. “It wouldn’t matter to me. We have the bond, mark, dagger and
whether you believe it or not, the crown and staff.”
“I opened it,” I whispered. “That means Kath… she’s safe, isn’t she?”
Alexander tilted his head toward me, lips twitching into the ghost of a smirk. “I wasn’t really going to kill any of you, Aqua.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I just liked messing with you,” he said, his voice low and amused.
A shaky breath left me, and I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or slap him. “You–you made me believe-!”
“But look, you handled it,” he said with a dismissive wave.
I dropped to the edge of the bed, scroll still clutched in my arms. “You’re impossible.”
Alexander rose slowly and walked over to me, gently taking the scroll from my hands. “You can’t read it yet, right?”
I shook my head. “Not properly.”
“Then I’ll figure it out.” His voice softened.
I looked up at him, the tension of the scroll easing from my chest for the first time in days. I kind of felt satisfied. “Okay,”
“But, I’ll need my reward”
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