Chapter 195: 195 - a snake
195
~Lisa’s POV
I opened my eyes slowly. My head felt heavy, my chest tight, and for a moment I couldn’t remember where I was. Then it all came rushing back, the sword, the assassin’s eyes, Damon’s voice filling the room like thunder, Kael and Rowan’s fists flying, the sound of blood, the terror...
A soft groan escaped my lips as I tried to sit up. My body was weak, trembling.
"Lisa!" Damon’s voice was the first I heard. His tone was sharp, urgent.
In an instant, all three of them, Damon, Rowan, and Kael, rushed towards me. Damon reached for my shoulders, Rowan and Kael for my arms.
"Don’t move, lie down," Damon said firmly.
"You need to rest," Rowan added, his hands trying to steady me.
Kael leaned close, his voice softer than I expected. "You fainted. Stay still, Lisa. Let us..."
"Don’t touch me!" I snapped, yanking my arms away from Rowan and Kael. My heart was still pounding too fast. My whole body shook. "Don’t you dare touch me."
They froze, both of them staring at me.
Kael smirked first, that crooked grin that always made me uneasy. "Ingrate," he muttered under his breath.
Rowan’s lips curved too, though his eyes were colder. "We just saved your life, Lisa. And this is how you speak to us?"
I glared at them, my voice breaking even as I forced the words out. "You didn’t save me. Damon did. You came late. You..." My throat tightened, but I pushed through it. "You came late."
The smirk on Kael’s lips faltered for a second. Rowan’s jaw clenched.
I stared at them, my hands clutching the sheets. "How... how did you even know to come to my room? How?"
But before I could press further, Damon cut across my voice, his tone sharp and commanding.
"That’s enough." His eyes burned into me. "The doctor asked you to rest properly, Lisa. Don’t raise your voice. Don’t strain yourself."
"I’m fine..." I began.
"No," Damon said, firmer now. "You are not fine." He pressed his hand gently on my shoulder, guiding me back down. "Lie back."
Something in his touch made my body give in, though my heart was still restless. I let him ease me against the pillows. My breaths came unevenly, but at least I wasn’t shaking as hard anymore.
"Damon," I whispered, staring at his face, searching for answers. "Who do you think was responsible? Who would want to kill me?"
He held my gaze for a long moment. Then, slowly, he shook his head. "We don’t know yet."
Rowan’s arms folded across his chest. "No idea."
Kael only shrugged, his voice sharp, almost careless.
"Anyone could want you dead. You’re carrying power now."
His words stung, but they didn’t shake the truth inside me. I knew. Deep in my bones, I knew. My hand pressed against my stomach, holding on to the fragile life growing there, my voice trembling though I didn’t speak aloud.
It was her. It was Belinda.
The silence in the room grew heavy, thick enough to choke on. I could feel all three of them watching me, waiting for me to speak, waiting for me to agree with Kael. But I didn’t. My lips stayed sealed, my chest rising too fast, my heartbeat loud in my ears.
Then...
Footsteps. Quick, heavy. Rushing toward the room.
The door burst open. A guard stumbled inside, his face pale, his chest heaving as if he had run through fire.
"My lords!" he shouted, bowing low and quickly. "Forgive me, but we discovered something."
Damon’s head snapped up instantly. His voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade.
"What is it?"
The guard hesitated. His eyes flicked to me, just for a second, but that second said everything. Whatever he knew, it wasn’t small. It wasn’t harmless. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, his gaze dropping to the floor.
"The assassin," he began slowly, almost choking on the words. "He wore a mask when he came in. But we... we removed it."
The silence turned colder. My heart thudded so hard it hurt.
"And?" Damon’s voice boomed. It wasn’t a question anymore; it was a command.
The guard froze. His lips parted, then closed again. He looked at the floor as though it might save him, but nothing could soften Damon’s glare.
"And what?" Damon roared, his voice shaking the walls.
Finally, the guard spat the truth, his words tumbling out too fast.
"It turned out to be... Luna Belinda’s personal bodyguard."
Damon’s whole body went rigid. His jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might break. Slowly, so slowly, it made the air heavy; he turned. His burning eyes locked on Kael first, then Rowan.
Rowan’s face darkened, but it was Kael who broke the silence. "Belinda did mention bringing in her personal bodyguard before," he admitted, his voice low, almost bitter. "But we had no idea he was even in the palace. I’ve never seen him with my own eyes."
Rowan nodded stiffly. "Neither have I."
The guard stepped forward nervously. "My lord, with respect... we have seen him. A few times. Always with Luna Belinda. But we... we never thought to question it."
Damon’s chest rose sharply, his breath heavy, his jaw clenched so hard I thought his teeth might break. His aura filled the room, cold and furious.
He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. His voice was like fire, roaring through the chamber.
"Bring her to my room!" Damon bellowed. "Now!"
The guard flinched, bowing low before running out again.
Damon’s roar still echoed in the room, but before the silence could settle, he turned sharply on Kael and Rowan. His eyes blazed, his chest rising and falling with fury.
"This," he spat, his voice sharp enough to cut. "This is what happens when you indulge her. When you let her do as she pleases. You gave her room, and now she dares to send a man to kill my mate, to kill my child!"
Kael’s jaw tightened. He looked away for a second, then back at Damon, his voice calm but hard.
"Don’t put this all on us, Damon. She’s our Luna. We chose her. And don’t just jump to a conclusion."
"She is no Luna of mine!" Damon roared, his aura flaring so strongly I had to grip the sheets to steady myself. "She’s a snake. And both of you let her slither around this palace without a check."
He pointed between them, his voice rising again, "...you defended her. You humored her. You treated her tantrums as if they meant nothing. And now look!"
I shrank back into the pillows, my heart hammering. Their voices filled the room, heavy with anger, bouncing off the walls until I could barely breathe.
"You know we can’t just jump to a conclusion. We need to do our findings, Damon," Kael said.
"And that’s what I’m doing right away!"