Damien objected, voice icy. “Enough, Nina. Luna knows exactly what happened.”
Luna’s eyes flicked between them. “They always planned for me to replace you. They were never going to let me be just . . . me.”
“They wouldn’t have needed a replacement if he hadn’t stolen me away. The humans would’ve let you keep living your sweet lies. You’d still be safe, happy, naïve if it wasn’t for him.”
But not free,Luna thought.
Lifting her hand, Nina gestured to her neck. “Let me guess—they took it off, didn’t they?”
Luna touched her own neck, to the spot where the pendant of her necklace used to rest. “How did you know?”
Damien moved closer, stepping in front of the bars, blocking Nina from view. “Don’t listen to this. She’s trying to poison you.”
“I told the King to give you a necklace,” Nina said, speaking through Damien as if he wasn’t there. “Our family—our bloodline—we all struggle to contain our magic.”
Luna peered around Damien, and with a sigh, he stepped aside.
“I wanted you to grow up slow, safe,” Nina continued, sitting on the stone floor again, her fingers mindlessly drawing circles in the dust. “I planned to tell you myself, help you through it, like my mother did for me.” Her mouth quirked in a small smile. “I blew up half of the palace when I first transformed.”
“You did?”
“Yes.” Nina softly chuckled. “It took weeks to repair.”
“How do you control it?”
Nina glanced down at her hands, as if staring at her magic—which wasn’t possible considering the magical cuffs and the demon powers that held back unicorn magic.
That’s when Luna noticed the purple lines going up Nina’s arms. She hadn’t seen them before. They looked oddly similar to Marion’s, except instead of intricate circles, Nina’s line weaved up her arm like vines.
“Practice. Remember who you are.” She raised her gaze, her eyes fierce. “Let that guide you.”
Luna mentally tucked that knowledge away, like a treasure map to be analyzed later. “Thank you for telling me. For . . . everything.” A small smile lifted her lips, hope soaring in her chest. “Maybe we can start anew. Have a second chance.” Nina was everything she had hoped her birth mother to be: A childhood dream come true.
“Sweet little Luna,” Nina cooed, her voice tenderly patronizing—like she was blessing a child who knew no better. She then pointed her chin and pointed in Damien’s direction. “They won’t allow us a future.”
“No.” Luna shook her head. “We will have one. He assured me that we will, right Damien?”
“Has he now?” Nina said, her eyebrows raised, still looking doubtful.
“I have,” Damien confirmed. “I told her if you cooperate with the Darkened One, you’ll be free in no time.” His tone was ice dressed as reassurance.
“Ah, I see now,” Nina purred. “You brought her here so I’d play nice. You think yourself clever, don’t you, Shadow Prince?”
Damien exhaled—tired, done. “Dinner will be brought to you soon. We’ll see you in the morning.”
Almost on cue, Luna’s stomach rumbled and she curled an arm around herself, heat creeping up her neck. Damien placed his hand on the small of her shoulder, guiding her away.
No.She wanted to scream at him. The need to stay, to never be parted again, surged through her. And yet, she needed space to collect her thoughts, to steady her heart.
This couldn’t be her only visit, the only time she ever saw her birth mother.
It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.
But Luna bit back the words and instead called over her shoulder, “I’ll see you soon . . . Mom.”
Chapter 42
All She Wanted
