Page 29 of Chasing Luna

“How do you control the flames?” I press on and she scrunches her nose.

“How did you know what my power is?”

I blink, raising an eyebrow. “I saw you use it yesterday, remember?”

“Oh, right!” She giggles. “Um, it comes with experience. Sometimes, the flames get harder to control. But I find that when I concentrate on certain areas of my target, for example, it’s easier to manipulate the size of the flames. Oh, and the intensity of the hits increases when I zero in on my… prey.” She tickles my sides and I giggle non-stop.

A knock on my door stops us both from our banter. “Mistress, it’s time for breakfast!” Eliza’s voice rings through my room. “Oh, Mistress Katarina. I had no idea you were here.” She bows respectfully.

Katarina climbs out of bed and waves a hand in front of her face. “Nah, it’s fine. I’m going to get ready too. Isabela, make sure to join breakfast!” Katarina says a bit too cheery for my taste.

“I’m going back to bed the moment you walk out that door.” I stretch my limbs and fluff my pillows again. I feel a pull on my waist, forcing me on the ground. “Ow! What the hell, Kat?” She and Eliza laugh.

“I said get up and get ready. Now, young lady.”

I grimace at her. “Ugh, you’re not that old. You don’t get to call me that.”

“Oh, but I am your older sister. So, you have to do as I say.” She smiles at me one last time before shutting the door behind her.

“I really want to go back to bed.”

Eliza pouts sarcastically at me. “Aw, the little princess wants her beauty rest?”

She walks over to me and hits me with one of my pillows. “I can’t believe you! You randomly went rogue on me yesterday, started assaulting one of your constituents, who, by the way, you were supposed to convince to like you, and ended up almost killing the poor thing!” She hits me again. “And now you want to keep being selfish? No! Absolutely not. Go out there, make friends, otherwise you can kiss your crown goodbye,” she hisses, marches down to the exit, and then slams the door behind her.

I sigh.Eliza’s scary when she’s angry. I reluctantly get ready and head out the door.

In the dining room, I’m joined by my sister and my grandmother. The room is filled with the fresh aroma of bread and croissants, chocolate mousse, and coffee. I sit down beside my grandmother, just as Katarina fixes her plate and cutlery in front of me. She picks up a croissant and places it on my plate.

“Ah, we have a special guest, ladies. So, please don’t start eating yet.” We both look up from our plates in confusion. Footsteps echo from the hallway toward the dining room.

“Good morning.” I freeze, recognizing the owner of that voice.

“Good morning, please sit down.” My grandmother gestures at a seat beside Katarina. My eyes widen at the face sitting across from me.

Gregory, what are you up to now?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“I have plans for you, my dear.” My grandmother’s icy gaze pierces through Gregory’s tough facade; he looks shaken, but he’s holding himself quite well. Katarina and I, on the other hand, keep glancing at each other, unsure of what is about to happen, of what we have to expect.

What in the world is she up to now?

“Please, help yourself.” She raises one hand and maids immediately lay down an extra plate, cutlery, and an empty cup in front of Gregory. “As this will be the last time that you’ll get special treatment from me. Well, from everyone here.” She smiles wide, and Gregory seems more confused than scared at this point.

“What do you mean?” he says cautiously, and my grandmother leans back on her chair.

“You need to be useful around here. You don’t look weak enough to fit in with the Omegas, and I am in no way going to allow you to join my warriors or sentinels.” She picks up her mug filled with black liquid. Half of me knows it’s coffee, but the other half is scared that it might be something more sinister.

I hope it’s not what I think it might be. Because if I’m right, all hell breaks loose.

“Therefore, I’ll have you become Katarina’s personal… plaything.” She glances at Katarina who seems to be in complete and utter shock at the words that are coming out of my grandmother’s mouth.

“What?” she screeches.

“Don’t you dare yell at me, child,” my grandmother warns.

“My apologies, Queen Mother. But what do you mean? Why am I the one responsible for this… stranger?” There’s a hint of indignation in her tone, which is a surprise because Katarina is the poster child for a “picture-perfect” princess.