She tilted her head. What else could the king possibly want?
Luna’s entire body shook from utter exhaustion as she continued to twirl and twirl around. For what seemed like hours now, she had been spinning in a circle with her hands pressed against her chest, speaking in some ancient foreign language. The redwood panels of the room blurred together, the walls caving in. She pressed her hands against her head, hoping to stop the throne room from spinning, but it didn’t. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground hard, bruising her legs.
Rather than waiting for her to transform on her own, the king had decided it was time to try a different tactic. He believed her body would revert back to its natural form if she was physically and mentally exhausted.
So far, it hadnotworked.
The dizziness slowed, and the throne room came back into focus; the flames roaring in the fireplace matched the anger in the king’s eyes as he paced in front of his throne.
The prince, on the other hand, was lazily lounging across his throne with a goblet that he had yet to touch. He would’ve looked bored to anyone else, but Luna noticed the worry in his eyes.
“Get up and try again,” King Hendrix hissed at Luna.
Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead. She balled her small pale hands into fists and glared defiantly at him. “Why don’t you do it if it’s so easy!” She knew full well that he was only a man and couldn’t transform. There was absolutely nothing magical about him.
King Hendrix shook his head with disapproval, abruptly stopping to take a sip from his crystal goblet of wine.
The tension hung in the air, and Luna’s heart raced as she watched him drink greedily. What was she thinking talking to the king like that? Did she have a death wish? She mumbled an apology so soft it could barely be heard.
King Hendrix looked over the brim of his goblet. “Suchinsolencewill not be tolerated in this court!” His voice was like the roar of a lion, and Luna shrunk away from the intensity. He seemed only seconds away from summoning a guard to cut off her head. Instead, he threw the goblet and the rest of its contents into the fireplace, sending shards of glass scattering everywhere as it shattered. The flames of the fire erupted from the fuel of alcohol, dancing over the wood and devouring it with a fiery wrath. King Hendrix stomped towards his throne, gesturing to the flames. “Maybe you should stand in the fire and see if your true form is actually a demon unicorn like the Darkened One.”
Luna cringed at the mention of him. As far as she was concerned, his powers came straight from the depths of hell and she wasn’t a fan of being compared to him.
Prince Kieran swirled the content in his goblet, and with a sigh that suggested this had grown tiresome, he said, “Why don’t we give the girl a break? Get some water and food and then try again later.”
For a moment, she was thankful for the injection until the king rounded on his son. “If she does what I want her to, I’ll pamper her like a queen, but right now, I need her to focus, not stuff her face.”
Exasperated, Luna raised her hands above her head. “This is all for nothing. I can’t transform.” Did she just say that out loud?Shit.Before the king decided to turn the room upside down in a king-styled temper tantrum, she added, “I-I meant to say, I—um—am apologetic for my earlier outburst, Your Highness.” Trying to appear obedient, she dipped into a low curtsy. “What would you like me to try next?”
King Hendrix did not immediately reply. He stared down at her as if his gaze alone could destroy her. With slow, deliberate movement, he rose from his chair and picked up a large shard from the many pieces of glass scattered across the floor. Turning it over in his hand, he held it up to the light as if to inspect it.
Prince Kieran’s spine stiffened, and he no longer looked bored. His eyes were wide, tinted with worry, making Luna’s nerves unravel. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to piece together what was next to come.
The king approached Luna with a malicious gleam in his eyes and grabbed her arm, holding it straight out. She yelped in surprise and his grip tightened. His fingers painfully dug into her skin, bruising her soft flesh.
“Father, think about this. If she can’t access her magic, she won’t be able to heal,” Prince Kieran said, scrambling out of his throne.
Piecing together the king’s intention, Luna desperately tried to free herself from his grasp. She had only been injured once, and Damien had been there to heal her. If the king wounded her now, would she heal? She didn’t know. She yanked her arm back, trying again to free herself, but it was no use. The king’s grip on her was as strong as iron shackles.
He shook his head slowly back and forth, allowing the full weight of his disapproval to hit his son. Scowling, he told him, “She’s useless to me as she is right now.” His gaze fell back on Luna, and she shuddered. His eyes held a type of cruelty she had never before experienced. Holding the glass shard inches away from her skin, he muttered more to himself, “If she dies, she dies.”
“No! Please no,” Luna whimpered, eyes wide, watching the glass shard held just above her flesh.
Prince Kieran dashed in front of his father as if he could stop him. “Surely, we should try other methods before resorting to this.” The prince’s gaze scanned the room as if the answer to Luna’s transformation problems were simply written on the walls. “Maybe . . .” he said, drawing out the word, “she needs a catalyst. Perhaps one of Nina’s possessions can help her channel her powers. There is a good chance they still have remnants of magic on them.”
The king grunted as he mulled over the suggestion. “That’s not half a bad idea . . . but we’ll try my way first.”
“No, stop!” Prince Kieran shouted, but it was too late.
In one swift motion, King Hendrix brought down the glass fragment, stabbing Luna in the arm. She screamed, pain radiating through her. Blood of light welled up around the wound, staining her sleeve. She stared at theking in disbelief, then looked down at the glass protruding from her body. He had not been bluffing earlier when he said she was disposable.
He scoffed as he pulled out the glass and released her. A new wave of pain, sharper than before, rolled over Luna, leaving a trail of discomfort in its wake. Shock took over, rendering her momentarily breathless, and her body trembled involuntarily as adrenaline coursed through her. She searched desperately for her magic, willing it to come to the surface and heal her, but her racing mind wouldn’t let her focus upon its warmth.
Prince Kieran quickly tore off the bottom hem of his shirt and wrapped it around her arm, covering the blood of light dripping from the injury. He moved in a calm, practiced manner. Clearly, he had done this before.
“Step away, Kieran. Their kind doesn’t need our aid.”
Prince Kieran ignored his father and remained at Luna’s side. “It’s okay. It’s alright,” he told her, his voice soft as he attempted to soothe her. And she might have been comforted, if it hadn’t been for the tears brimming in his eyes. “Deep breaths now.”
