Page 23 of Chasing Luna

“You’ve grown a lot stronger, Isabela. More than what I expected,” she whispers and I feel my hands grow clammy.

Does she know?“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing! Just an observation.” She grins and leads me to the kitchen.

***

I plop down on my bed the second I enter my bedroom. “Ugh, this has to be a bad dream, right?” I sigh out. I take out my phone from the drawer I left it in earlier.Good thing grandma forgot to tell Eliza to take my phone away.

A new message from Gregory pops up on my screen as I turn it on.

Gregory:I’m coming over to meet you.

I shoot up straight in bed.

Isabela:What? Bad idea! What the hell are you doing?

I send message after message, but it’s quiet on his end.God, how is he this reckless and still alive?I run out to the courtyard, only to be met by my bodyguards.

“Your Highness, we’ve received orders to keep you inside,” one of them informs, gesturing for me to go back in.

“I just wanted to take a walk. Can’t I do that?” I narrow my eyes at her.

“We’ll come with you, Your Highness.”

Dammit. They won’t leave me alone, will they? “What do I have to do for you to leave me alone?” I snap.

“We apologize, Your Highness. But since your sister’s…” the guard trails off and clears her throat. “We need you safe, now more than ever.”

I sigh. “Fine, I’ll go back inside.”

“Intruder!” someone yells, and everyone starts running toward the commotion. “Princess! Stay inside!” A sentinel picks me up and takes me back inside the house, blocking my view with his whole body.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Well, who do we have here?” My grandmother leers at the person found in the compound, near the Omega’s house. “Take off his mask,” she orders. In one smooth movement an armed guard pulls the black bag over the person’s head, revealingGregory.

I internally cringe.What the hell is wrong with him?He’s going to get himself killed.

“Who are you?” My grandmother motions for the guards and they force him to kneel before us. I sit on the left side while Katarina does the same on the right side. Gregory’s face scans us three, expression unreadable.

“I don’t know,” he mutters. This earns him a smack on the head. His eyes land on me for a brief moment before looking back at the floor.

I struggle to keep my face as stoic as possible. “You… don’t know?” Katarina interjects, voice filled with venom.

“Hush, child.” My grandmother stands and points a bony finger at Gregory.

Oh, no. He keels over in surprise, trying to breathe in rapidly, but it doesn’t seem like he’s getting any air.

“Let me try that again.” My grandmother smiles at him. “Who are you?”

Gregory shakes his head slowly and falls to the floor on all fours, barely holding himself up. “I don’t know. I don’t remember,” he responds a little more clearly than before.

“Search him,” she orders. I avert my eyes as they strip Gregory off his shirt and pants.

“Nothing on him, my Queen.” One sentinel lays his clothes for all to see.