Forsaken Moon (Book Two)

Chapter Seventeen

I shift, moving closer to a moving Fleet. His deep chuckle reverberates around the room. "Darling, I need to get the bath ready for you and get some breakfast ready."

"No. Cuddle." I demand, not even opening my eyes yet. I was blissfully unaware of anything else but him. He chuckles, laying back down.

"Alright, only for a few more minutes." He agrees, I smile and snuggle into his waiting arms. He was so warm, my sleepiness had me cling to him as I fell back asleep.

I woke up groggily as I feel myself being slid into warm water. "Darling, I need you to wake up now." He speaks quietly, I nod.

"M'kay." He chuckles at my response. He helps me wash myself as I was still dead on my feet, before he helped me out and into silk pajamas. Laying me back down in a fresh bed, he gave me my breakfast and put on my favorite show.

"How's the mark?" He asks quietly, gently brushing over the sore spot with his fingers. I wince, looking at him softly.

"Sore, but I think it's fine. Can I see it?" I ask, he nods and races away only to come back with a small mirror. Turning it towards me, I see the red mark. It was slowly turning into our design, swirls and stars and a crescent moon. All things that were dear to us, but also under it was his name inscribed into me forever. I was marked with his scent, name, and our own mark forever. I was his, completely and totally his.

Smiling, I look up at him. "I love it." I murmur, he grins and tosses the mirror aside. Crawling into bed with me, we cuddle.

"I'm glad, because you are kind of stuck with it." He smirks, I roll my eyes.

"Yeah and stuck with you." I tease, he gasps in fake anger.

"How dare you?" He exclaims, I giggle and peck his lips.

"I love you." I smile, he smiles warmly.

"And I love you, my beautiful Queen." Fleet smiles, I giggle and snuggle into his side. I watch the show in a trance, loving every second of this. It was just as beautiful and amazing as I imagined, even better than I imagined.

---

We arrive back at camp, after a week and a half of celebrating by ourselves we have returned. As I walk out, I'm greeted with everyone bowing to me. I was fully their Queen, and nothing was going to stop me anymore. I smile at everyone, holding onto Fleet tightly as I was nervous. We had heard about a new attack, and many had lost their lives that die. On both sides.

"How many?" My voice rings out in the silent camp, gaining attention even though I had it already.

"Two hundred, my Queen." One of the council speaks up, I look down in thought. "Retreat." I whisper to Fleet, he looks at me as if I lost my mind.

"What?" He asks, I look at him in determination.

"We retreat, Fleet. Two hundred families have lost their sons, daughters, mates, mothers, fathers, siblings to this war. I will not stand by, not anymore. I can't watch them die with each passing day. Send everyone home. We'll regroup soon, but not now." I reply, Fleet shakes his head with a growl.

"Tanya, it took us years to get this far! We can't just throw it all away!" He exclaims, I shake my head.

"No. There are too many lives at stake. I-" I'm cut off as I see my captor fly down from the sky and drop down in front of me. Her glistening white wings flap before they disappear. I look at her angrily, powers at the ready as I take a step forward.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to kill. I'm here because I want to cut a deal." Emma smiles evilly, I growl at her.

"What kind of deal?" I respond, she looks over my shoulder at Fleet.

"Give me the oh so wonderful King and land. He has something I want, a kingdom. I deserve to have my own kingdom! I'm a queen!" She roars as Fleet just ever so slightly shakes his head at her.

"You are not a queen, Emma. You were a princess, but now you're a fugitive. Stand down. This war shouldn't be fought. I have given humans everything they could ask for. No one rights have been taken away, in fact they got more rights. I rule fairly, but somehow you got the humans to take your side. How?" He replies, she snarls at him. Her eyes glowing a deep red.

She jumps into the sky, beginning to fly away. I follow after her, my sword flying into my hand as I chase after her. Enough of this. I was going to end this once and for all. She turned midair, kicking me down far enough away for her to quickly shoot me with an arrow.

It pierces one of my wings, but I quickly shake it off and fly quickly to her through the pain. I slash her with my sword, anger and betrayal fueling my fight. "Emma! We're supposed to be sisters, why do you do this?" I scream at her, grief over my lost brother surfacing.

"Because I've always had to hide in your shadow, Tanya! Silver always tried to make do with what you threw at him, your leftover scraps, but it isn't fair! It never was!" She screams back, her once baby blue eyes not glowing a deep red of hatred.

I pull a shield over my body as she launches an intense attack against me. "Emma, I've never gave you scraps. You... I always tried to follow your example! You and Silvers, you two were my idols and older siblings. I'd never leave you two behind." I say softly, her eyes soften slightly. A little bit of the baby blue I've loved so much peeking through the deep red.

"Really?" She whispers, pausing.

"Yes, Emma. I admired you two. You were so brave and happy, and you always had friends that actually cared for you. I had friends who backstabbed me, and a family who practically tortured me, so I could gain control of my vampirism. Emma, even though you helped them, I remember when you would send extra food down to me or have one of the guards come down and keep a blanket around me for a couple of hours, so I wouldn't freeze to death during winter. I remember it all, Emma." I sigh, looking at her sadly.

"But now, you killed our brother. You've started a war over this, and... as a Queen I have to finish it. You broke my trust in you. I protected you against my real family the entire time we were held in captivity, and you go against me like this! You betrayed me, Emma!" Tears fall down my cheeks as she finally realizes what she's done.

"How are you going to finish it?" She asks, her face now cold and hard.

"If you don't call of this fight... I'll have to do it by force." My voice rings out as I see my warriors readying for battle, just in case. She nods, her red eyes back again.

"So be it. Be prepared to fail." She smiles evilly, her own warriors coming out from the forest and racing forwards to attack. With one final look at the sister I loved, and lost, I thrust my sword forwards. May the real war begin.