Night came slower than expected. Diana was a mass of worry and she paced around the room anxiously. Even when Alden and his brothers tried cheering her up, the feeling of dread didn't let go of her. She always felt relieved when they told her how they would give their life to protect her.But hearing it from then now did little to allay the terror within her. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible would happen.Maybe it was fear, or maybe it was her powers trying to warn her. She just wanted to be out of Ashidore.After what felt like ages, the sun sunk down the horizon and night took over the kingdom swiftly. The usual bustling began as the faeries went about their usual night chores.Diana expected the queen to send for her but there was no word from Astrid. She hadn't even caught sight of Katrina. Unable to sit still, she began to pace."Diana, you'll wear yourself out." Freya said, lowering her voice cautiously. "You have nothing to worry about remember."D
Diana was taken aback when she saw Astrid. She had no idea how the impostor found them, but she wasn't going to leave without a fight.The six creatures surrounding Astrid hissed viciously, their eerie yellow eyes glaring at the triplets. They were strange, something none of them had ever seen.They had the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion, with rows and rows of razor sharp teeth. The stinger at the end of their tail dripped with dark liquid.Venom.Astrid caught Diana's fearful stare and she waved her hands towards the creatures. "Lovely creatures, aren't they? Its called a manticore. A very deadly creature with a lethal sting. One drop of its venom kills instantly."There was pure glee in her eyes as she caressed the creature."And they're very loyal to their mistress." She added. "So you should think twice before trying any funny games.""How did you find us?" Freya asked the burning question."It was quite easy." Astrid said, taking a slow step forward. "Your little spell
Something wet was dripping on Diana's face when she regained consciousness.At first she ignored it and her eyelids fluttered as she came awake. Soon she felt uncomfortable and she swatted at the liquid.Her eyes opened and the first thing she saw was a damp ceiling. Water dripped from the middle and she realized that was what woke her up. She winced, moaning softly as she pushed away from the cold hard floor and scanned the environment.She was in a cell, barely big enough to hold a bed. The gates were rusted, covered with decaying moss. The walls of the cell were rough, the paint peeling off in several places.The ground was cold and covered with dirt and bones. Diana frowned and crept closer to take a closer look.Suddenly she recoiled. It was a human skull. That was when the events of that night played back in her mind.She had been stung by the manticore, and had passed out from the pain. The fact that she was still alive gave her some kind of hope. Astrid wouldn't let her die s
Alden slowly opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the decayed walls of the dungeons.He sprang up and instantly regretted doing so. Pain shot through his entire body, making him collapse back to the ground. He groaned and raised his head weakly, scanning the cell he was locked in.The last thing he remembered was fighting Astrid's warriors with his brothers and trying to protect Diana. Then... he had been stung by the manticore. He touched the top of his back, feeling the skin with his fingers. There was a large bump, the spot where the creature had stung him.Then his head snapped up. Diana! Where was Diana? And his brothers? Had something happened to them?Summoning up his entire strength, he got up and staggered towards the gate. Gripping it hard, he shook it aggressively."Diana?" He called out, hoping she was somewhere close. "Diana can you here me?"There was no response. Even when he called for his brothers, no one answered. The weakness took hold of him again and he
Unfortunately, the manticore's venom didn't entirely leave Diana's body for days.Astrid must have known it would be that way because Diana's powers remained silent until the day of the lunar solstice, making it impossible for her to escape.On that night of the solstice, Diana stood at the back of her cell, staring outside the tiny window. There was a full moon in the sky, its silvery glow brightening the entire dungeon. As she stood there, she couldn't feel a thing. Most times when the moon was high up in the sky and full, she would feel the pull. She would feel connected with the moon and her skin would tingle occasionally with power.But now, she could feel nothing. It seemed her entire body was numb. She felt helpless, but the determination in her eyes was evident. She wasn't going to let Astrid get away with it. She wouldn't go down without a fight."Moon Goddess," she whispered. "I know you can hear me. I need your help tonight. You know what will happen if my powers fall into
Diana felt her heart skip a bit. This couldn't be happening. She needed to find a way to stall for time."Astrid you don't have to do this..." She whispered. "You don't have to be this way.""Don't waste your breath." Astrid snarled. "I have waited for so long to do this and no one is stopping me.""Why? What has the realm done to you? Why do you want to destroy it?" "You would never understand." Astrid grabbed her arm and began to pull her towards the altar. "You have no idea how it feels when the entire world sees you as a creature of darkness. When you're banished and don't have a place to call your home, when you're branded a monster and shunned by everyone.""What are you talking about?" Instead of answering, Astrid pushed her towards the altar. "I have nothing against you." She said coldly. "But you're in the prophecy. You're my destiny, and also my doom. I can't let you ruin my plans Diana. Not after all these years."Diana knew what Astrid meant when she spoke about destiny
Astrid whirled around, her eyes glowing furiously. She struck Freya aside, sending the sorceress flying through the air before crashing to the ground.Reaching behind her, she grabbed the dagger and pulled it out. When she realized the tip was poisoned, her fury mounted."You fool," she snarled, marching towards Freya who was lying still on the ground. "You'll be the first to die."However, three identical beasts burst forth and attacked her before she could make a move. Following the death of Diana, Alden, Asher and Axel immediately turned feral from the pain. At that moment, they were mindless beasts, filled with the pain of their dead mate.All they could think of at that moment was to kill and never stop.A terrible battle began between them and Astrid. Though she had Diana's power within her, it was still unstable and she was unable to use it. When she noticed that the three enrage beasts were gaining the upperhand, she knew couldn't do it all alone.Using her own spells, she sh
"I think you have something that belongs to me." Diana voiced out coldly and plunged her hands into Astrid's chest.A shrill scream emitted from Astrid's mouth and she grabbed Diana's arm, her face a mask of fury."YOU WERE DEAD!" She shrieked. "I KILLED YOU! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?"Instead of answering, Diana lifted her head to the sky and took a deep breath. Suddenly her eyes began to glow and a blinding white light illuminated the sky. The moon's glow intensified, bathing the entire kingdom in its radiant silver light."I'm taking back what is mine." Diana muttered, and she thrust her hand deeper into Astrid's chest. The glow of the moon descended on her instantly and Astrid let out a shrill scream as the powers she just took began to leave her body. "NO!" she screamed, her body writhing with pain. Diana closed her eyes as her full powers returned to her body. And when she opened her eyes again, the blackness had disappeared. They were a mixture of different colors. Because she