Chapter 70 The first trial announcement 1

Chapter 70: Chapter 70 The first trial announcement 1

Talia’s POV

The room was quiet when we returned.

Kaelen had left me at the door, saying he had pack business to attend to. He said he would come back before dinner. I nodded and watched him walk away until his figure disappeared around the corner.

I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The fire had been lit, the room was warm, and my things were neatly arranged in the corner, right next to his.

I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall.

So much had happened: Vivienne was banished, Celeste was alone, Edmund had said nothing while his wife confessed to murder and witchcraft, but he had also been freed from the spell, and Kaelen had moved me into his room.

I lay down and closed my eyes, and sleep came faster than I expected.

I dreamed of the fire at Cresswood. Flames licked the walls of our home, smoke filled my lungs, and my mother’s voice called my name over and over again. "Talia. Talia."

I woke up gasping, and my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might break through my ribs. My hands were shaking, and the room was dark. For a moment, I did not know where I was.

Then I saw Kaelen’s blanket folded on the floor, his clothes in the wardrobe, and my things in the corner.

Then I remembered that I was in his room, in Blackmoor Valley, so I was safe.

I lay back down and stared at the ceiling. The dream still clung to me like a second skin, and I could still see my mother’s face and hear her voice. I could still see the way she looked at me before she went back into the fire.

I touched my necklace, and the glamour charm was still there, still warm against my skin, and still hiding me.

A knock broke through my thoughts at that moment.

I sat up, disoriented, and that was when I noticed that the light outside the window had changed, and it was evening now.

"Luna," a servant called through the door. "Alpha Aldric requests your presence at dinner, in the gathering hall."

I climbed out of bed, walked to the door, and opened it. "I will be there shortly."

The servant bowed and left, and I could hear her footsteps fading down the hallway.

I closed the door, walked to the bathroom, washed my face and changed into a fresh dress. I picked the gray one that was simple and plain, because it did not draw attention.

Kaelen was waiting for me in the hallway. He looked fresh and ready, because he was dressed in black, and his hair was combed back. His jaw was sharp, and his gray eyes softened just a little when he saw me.

"You slept well?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. I was very tired," I answered. "Did you come in to shower while I slept?" I asked.

He nodded, and he did not ask or say anything else.

He held out his hand, and I took it.

We walked through the hallways in silence, as our footsteps echoed on the stone floors, and torches flickered around us, casting dancing shadows on the walls.

Wolves bowed as we passed. Some looked at me with curiosity, others looked at me with respect, and a few looked at me with something like fear.

Word had spread about what happened at Mooncrest Hall. Everyone knew by now that Vivienne had been banished, Celeste had helped her plan to destroy, and everyone knew they had both been exposed.

I wondered what they thought of me now: the ugly girl from Cresswood, the servant who became Luna, the Alpha’s daughter who was neglected by her father, or the woman who stood up to her stepmother in front of every Alpha in the region.

I did not even know if I liked being feared, but it was better than being invisible, or being stared at with pity or disgust.

This gathering hall was different from the main gathering hall where feasts and general breakfast were held.

It was smaller, private and more intimate, and a long table sat in the center covered with a white cloth. Plates and cups and silverware gleamed in the firelight, and the flames from the hearth cast a warm glow across the room.

Alpha Aldric was already there, and he was sitting at the head of the table. Jax sat on his right, and Silas sat on his left. But Cain stood weirdly by the window with his back to the room, watching the darkness outside.

Kaelen led me to the table, and he pulled out a chair for me before sitting down beside me.

Servants appeared with trays of food, and the smell of various delicacies filled the room. There was rice, roasted meat, vegetables cooked in herbs, fresh bread, bowls of soup, and assorted juices in crystal glasses that caught the firelight and sparkled.

I had never seen so much food at one meal in my entire life.

"Eat," Alpha Aldric said. "You will need your strength for what is coming."

I frowned in confusion, and wanted to ask about what was coming, but I said nothing and we ate in silence.

The rice was warm and properly seasoned, and it melted on my tongue. The meat was so tender that it fell apart at the touch of my fork. The juice was sweet and cold, and it burned my throat in the best way possible.

Jax made small talk with Silas about training schedules and patrol routes, but I did not listen to their words. Cain, who had finally sat down, said nothing, as usual. Kaelen said nothing, and his gray eyes stayed fixed on his plate.

I ate until my stomach was full, and when I could not take another bite, I set my fork down.

When the plates were cleared, Alpha Aldric cleared his throat, and the room went quiet.

The fire crackled in the hearth, and the shadows danced on the walls, and I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears, loud and fast.

Alpha Aldric’s gray eyes moved across the room. He looked at Jax, then at Silas, then at Cain. Then he looked at Kaelen, and then his eyes stopped on me.