Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Valentin

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Two Years Into the Great War

Valentin Lunerly, his surname reclaimed, watched as the table of councilmembers entered the dimly lit chamber. They were nearly silent as they sat in their seats, made of haphazardly cut stone. The shadows were cast on their faces in a way that made the hollows of their faces look even worse. They looked like a room full of ghosts, trapped in the dilapidated mess that used to be the Luna castle.

Seated at the head, looking more gaunt than the rest, was Victoria Luna. Her long, red curls were shorn short. Draped around her shoulders was a thick fur. She looked both decrepitid and regal all at once. She pressed her palms into the stone table in front of her and pushed herself up.

“We’re losing the war,”

The entire council was silent amongst the flicker of flame that lit the place up. Not even Thanatos Blythwitch, who always had something to say, spoke. The crackle of fire was the only thing that answered Victoria. The rest of the room was silent. Victoria’s hand shook slightly on the table. Valentin watched as she curled it into a fist.

“Our efforts to find a weapon,” she murmured. “Have been futile.”

Again, nothing.

“Though we may have broken their hold on us,” she continued, still low. “We cannot match the skills they’ve spent centuries honing.”

“So we train,” Valentin cut in. Victoria darted her eyes towards him, her chin kept straight. Valentin cleared his throat and rose.

“Moonraiser has been adept at training those of us who go into battle,” he said. He motioned towards Atlas Moonraiser, a hulking behemoth of a wolf sitting on the other end of the table. “We can prioritize it. Train any wolf past the age of thirteen to shift, to fight, to—”

“How are we supposed to train them to shift, when we can’t even control our shifts ourselves?”

Valentin looked down the table. Sitting next to Atlas was Leo Wolfham. A thick bulging scar bisected his right eye. It looked as if it’d recently healed. The eye under neath it was a sparkling piece of citrine that had been carved to fit right in his eye socket. It shimmered as he looked down at Valentin and Victoria.

“Wolfham is right,” Victoria said, gently. “It is hard to teach what we do not know of ourselves.”

“Then we learn,” Valentin’s voice rose, shocking half of the council and making the other half raise their eyebrows. He jerked his head to look at Victoria. He grabbed her shaking fist from the table and squeezed.

“We cannot give up,” he hissed, under his breath. “This war isn’t just us. It’s for entire kind.”

“Yet our entire kind will not fight,” Wolfham commented. He spun a dagger between his fingers, lazily. Valentin’s lips set in a hard line. Wolfham raised an evebrow. “What was the number of the resistance most

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Chapter 93

recently?”

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“Ten thousand and some odd ones,” Blythwitch murmured across the table. Wolfham gestured to him with the hand not toying with the weapon.

“Ten thousand,” Wolfham stated. “Ten thousand of the hundred thousand wolves that exist in the Western hemisphere. More beyond that. And yet only a fraction of that train with us. Fight with us. Do you happen to wonder why?”

“Because they’re complicit,” Valentin sputtered. “They don’t know how good life can be for them. They’re stuck thinking things are okay and improving because the vampires see the error of their ways. As soon as the war’s over they’ll regress. Thing’s will never improve for us if we don’t fight-”

“The do not fight because they are afraid,” Wolfham snapped, cutting Valentin off. There was a beat of fire crackling as the men glared at each other. “They do not know a world without vampire rule. They do not know a world in which they can control the powers the Ancient ones have given them. They do not know freedom. And thus, they are afraid of it.”

“We can convince them,” Valentin said, stern. “We can show them the shift. Show them how our bodies were meant to be-”

“Val,” Victoria warned, low enough that only Valentin could hear it. He ignored her and tossed a hand towards Moonraiser.

“Atlas!” he cried. “You have a young boy. Not yet one year of age. Don’t you wish him to shift? To know life devoid of chains?”

Moonraiser grunted before looked at Valentin. “I’d be a fool not to,” he grumbled. “But that doesn’t change that our forces are small and weak. We can barely defend the walls of this castle let alone the land outside of it.”

“Thanatos,” Valentin pleaded at the man across the table. “We cannot give up. Not now.”

Blythwitch looked up at Valentin and shook his head before averting his gaze. “I’d rather my son be alive in chains then dead because we tried to break them.”

“Gods be damned!” Valentin roared.

Valentin slammed his fist against the stone table, causing it to crack down the middle. Everyone jolted. Moonraiser shoved his chair back and was on his feet in a second, snarling down the middle of the table. Wolfham looked as though he was about to stab his blade into Valentin’s head. Even Blythwitch had startled.

“That is enough!” Victoria snarled. Her hand wrapped around Valentin’s bicep and yanked him away from the table. She dragged him out of the room as she called over her shoulder. “Meeting adjourned!”

Then, she pulled him down the hallway and shoved him into the lift at the base of the castle. Her fingers pressed into the worn–down buttons and the doors slammed closed. Slowly, the lift jolted then began to rise.

Victoria whirled on Valentin. “The fuck is wrong with you!?” she hissed. “Causing a ruckus at the council meeting? I’ve never seen you so unhinged!”

“They’re giving up!” Valentin snapped. “They can’t give un. We’re so far. We’ve reclaimed the castle – vour

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Chapter 93

family’s castle – and we have the high ground. It’d be a death wish to surrender now!”

“And it’s a death wish to keep going with no warriors,” Victoria snarled back. “Our warriors are weak and untrained. Our wolves are ticking time bombs of ancient magiks. We have nothing left to give, Val. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because I refuse to give up,” he said, lifting his chin in pride. “We started this war. We will not give up on it.”

“Right,” Victoria crossed her arms over her chest. “But we will be the ones to lose it. Then all of their blood, all of their children’s blood, will be on your hands.”

Victoria glared up at him, urging him to go against her. Yet, he held his ground. Valentin still held his head high as he dropped his voice low and threatening

“Then let me paint my hands red.”

Victoria glared at him for another moment before the lift dinged, signaling it’s destination had been met. The doors creaked open. Victoria shoved Valentin in the center of the chest, forcing him out and into the hall. She still snarled at him like a feral beast.

“Tell Zahara you’re trying to get us killed,” she snapped, one last time before the doors slammed shut and the lift continued to rise.

Valentin roared in anger and threw his fist into the wall besides the lift. The stone shattered in the same way the table did, deep in the depths of the castle. Yet the way the light hit it made it seem so much worse above ground. He let out a huff before he turned and sulked down the hall.

When he got to the third door on the right, he knocked twice before shoving the ornate door open. From inside, a delicious smell of lamb and fresh herbs hit his nostrils. His mouth watered as his stomach gurgled. He was unsure the last time he had eaten.

Standing at the hob was Zahara Luna. Valentin stopped to stare at her for a moment. Her long, straight red hair was as beautiful as ever, even wrapped up into the chignon she wore as she cooked. Her features had hardened with war and age. They were still softer than Victoria’s yet sharper at the jaw and nose than they’d been when they started the rebellion.

She had her hand over a pot, lazily drawing a circle with her finger. Inside, there was a big wooden spoon that was following in the same pattern as her finger. Zahara had come to love the lower magiks once she’d been freed. She tended to use them every chance she could get. Her head tilted and she made eye contact with Valentin. She smiled softly.

“Hello, love,” she murmured.

Valentin said nothing as he strode across the room. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his nose into the crook between her neck and shoulder. He sucked in her scent, honeysuckle and basil and let it cool the fire in his soul from the council meeting. His eyes fluttered shut and a familiar, low thrum began to pulse in his ears.

Lub–dub, lub–dub, lub–dub,

“Bad meeting?” Zahara murmured, still stirring.

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“Beyond bad,” Valentin pressed a kiss to the side of her neck then released his hold on her waist. “We’re losing.”

“I’m shocked,” Zahara deadpanned. “As if the dwindling supplies haven’t been apparent.”

Valentin looked into the pot of stew. “And yet we’re having lamb?”

“Only because I hunted it myself,”

Valentin sighed and pinched the brim of his nose. “Zahara, I told you I don’t like you going outside the castle

“I was only in the woods to the south. There were patrols the entire time I was outside—”

“It doesn’t matter. We saw vampires congregating in the south. I refuse to let you be hurt-”

“Valentin,” Zahara turned and pressed her hand against his chest.

Instantly, he was soothed. She looked up at her with her honey gold eyes shining in the low evening light. She held his gaze for a moment before pressing up on her toes and gently bringing their lips together.

A swell of electricity emerged from their touch and descended Valentin’s body. It both soothed and invigorated him. His hand went up to cup the back to Zahara’s head and deepen the kiss. She smiled against his mouth and pulled away. She looked back up at him with wide eyes.

“I can take care of myself,” she whispered. “Trust me.”

“I trust you,” Valentin nuzzled their foreheads together. “I just don’t trust anyone else.”

“Well, you should,” Zahara pulled away to stir the stew once more. She grabbed two bowls from a shelf and served some in both as she murmured. “Being a Luna has its benefits.”

“And what about a Luna mate?” Valentin joked.

Zahara rolled her eyes as she turned to hand him his bowl. She watched as he held the spoon to his nose and sniffed, steam and herbs wafting into his nose. Slowly, she reached out and pulled the end of his hair.

“S’getting long,” She mumbled.

“Haven’t had time to trim it,” Valentin said back before pushed the spoon into his mouth. It burned in the best

way.

Zahara shook her head. “Don’t,” she said. “I like it. It’s nice.”

Valentin smiled as he drew another spoonful. He paused and dropped it before leaning down to capture Zahara’s lips with his again. He smiled into her, and she returned it.

“Anything for you, Alpha Consort Lunerly,” he murmured.

Zahara broke into a wide grin and wrapped his arms around his neck before going in for a deeper kiss. Valentin instead put the soup to the side on the counter and wrapped his arms around the waist of his fated

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mate. He opened his mouth so she could devour him more. He was about ready to forgo food again when there was a slamming on the door.

“Fucking hells,” Valentin hissed, slowly untangling himself from his mate. She pouted as he did. He pressed one final kiss to her cheek before going to the door. He swung it open and was greeted with none other than his sister–in–law.

“Come to admonish me again, sister?” He drawled.

“No,” Victoria shoved herself into their home. She looked at her sister. “Pack a bag. You’re leaving.”

“What?” Zahara squeaked. “Why?”

Victoria brought her bottom lip in between her teeth before she looked back at Valentin.

“They’re coming,” she said.

All at once, Valentin’s world collapsed.

“How do you know?” Valentin hissed as he threw on his armor.

He heard Zahara scrambling through the bedroom, shoving random articles of clothing and several worn photographs into a sack. There were a few curses and clatters as she tore through their stuff, trying to find their valuables.

“Informant,” Victoria was pacing in their living space. “Confirmed by the watch. Cluster of dark magiks and shadows has gathered a few kilometers east of the lake.”

“The lake?! Shit,” Valentin cursed. He pulled one armored boot up his leg. “That can’t be more than an hour west.”

“Precisely,” Victoria confirmed. “We think they’re planning to strike just as the sun sets. The first wave will be a distraction, sacrificing the vampires in front to the last of the sun before the entire hoard attacks.”

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