Bound By The Moon: The Eternal Bond - Chapter 41: Chapter 41

The dungeon beneath the west wing was colder than Julia remembered.
Her footsteps echoed softly alongside Ryker's as they silently descended the damp stone steps, torchlight flickering against moss-dark walls. A sharp metallic tang clung to the air-the scent of blood long since dried. Somewhere in the dark, chains rattled. Then a soft, broken laugh echoed from the end of the corridor.
Julia's jaw tensed at the sound of the witch's laughter.
She sat curled in the corner of her cell, arms wrapped around her knees, hair wild and matted like an animal's. Her cracked lips stretched into a grin when Julia stepped into view.
"Well, well," the witch crooned, voice rough with madness. "The little Luna finally comes down from her glass tower."
Julia said nothing. She moved closer, slipping her hand into her cloak and pulling out a small velvet pouch. With deliberate calm, she opened it and let the shattered pieces of the pendant fall into her palm.
The witch's laughter cut off. Her eyebrows furrowed tightly, eyes locking on the shards. For a moment, something lucid flickered in her gaze.
"You..." she hissed, staggering toward the bars. "The vampire... You broke it! You ruined it!"
Julia didn't flinch. "The what?... Is there a way to fix it?" She glanced at Ryker, who remained emotionless.
The witch stared, breathing hard. Then her voice dropped, rasping like wind through dead leaves. "What is done can't be undone, child. Not anymore. Not by you."
Julia's fingers curled around the shards. "Then tell me what it was. Why were people after it? What was it meant to do?"
The witch's lips twisted into a sneer. "You want answers, little queen? Then ask yourself why it ended up in your hands. Why your mind opened like a window when it touched your skin."
Julia's breath stilled, her eyes narrowing. She had expected the witch to be stubborn-but not like this.
She pressed further, voice tightening. "What's Damon planning in the North?"
The witch scoffed. "Planning? You think this is about planning? You can't run from it. None of you can, little human. You're already drowning."
She threw her head back and laughed-loud, fractured, terrifying-before lunging backward. Her chains snapped tight around her neck as she twisted violently. Ryker shouted, reaching for her, but it was too late.
The witch collapsed to the floor, her eyes wide and empty. She was gone.
Silence stretched between them as Julia stared down at the body. The shards in her palm felt colder than ever.
"She'd rather die than talk," Ryker muttered, stepping back. "Whatever she knew... it scared her more than death."
Julia didn't answer. Her gaze lingered on the witch one moment longer before she turned and walked away.
The clang of steel rang across the southern training ground.
Jessy leaned against the fencing, arms folded, watching with a permanent scowl as Aiden practiced with his sword. The blade sang through the air with every swing, slicing through invisible enemies only he could see.
Jessy kicked a pebble. "This is stupid."
Aiden didn't stop, continuing his fluid strikes.
"We're not fighting humans," she went on. "What good is a sword against monsters with bone spears for ribs?"
Aiden paused only to wipe sweat from his brow, then resumed with sharper focus. "Swordsmanship builds control. Focus."
Jessy scoffed. "You're ignoring me again."
Aiden, either too focused or purposefully unbothered, kept swinging.
She huffed, spun on her heel, and stormed off, grumbling, just as a few other soldiers began to file in. She didn't bother looking back.
Julia arrived not long after, her face pale, fingers still clenched around the shards she hadn't let go of since the dungeon. The soldiers fell silent as she passed. Aiden noticed her and quickly approached.
"You okay? What did the witch say?"
Julia shook her head. "Nothing useful. Just that the pendant's power can't be restored. And... she killed herself."
Aiden blinked. "She what?"
"She strangled herself," Julia said quietly. "She was terrified of what she'd already said."
A few meters away, Jessy watched, her hands clenched tightly at her sides. She was particularly angry that Aiden was giving Julia all his attention again. She knew Aiden had feelings for Julia back in college-before she became Luna-and maybe it hadn't changed that's why he still gave Julia his undivided attention instead of her
Jessy turned and marched off, fury bubbling in her chest.
Julia looked around, scanning the field. "Where's Jessy?"
Aiden shrugged. "Nope. Haven't seen her."
"She's probably angry that the plan with Lily didn't work out," he added.
Before Julia could reply, Ryker entered the field just as the words left Aiden's mouth. The soldiers straightened instantly, forming clean lines.
"Form up," Ryker called. "Alpha's busy today. I'll be overseeing drills."
Aiden leaned toward Ryker and muttered, "Bro, he's not coming again?"
"He's handling something else," Ryker replied seriously, eyes scanning the formation.
Julia murmured an excuse and stepped away toward the training ground's edge. She paused near the wall and looked out toward the trees, where sunlight dappled across the forest edge. Her hand opened slowly, revealing the shards once more.
They no longer pulsed with magic. Just broken fragments now.
Miles away, the Northern stronghold simmered in blood-laced silence.
Damon sat sprawled on his throne like a god with nothing left to prove-one elbow propped on the armrest, cheek resting against his fist, eyes half-lidded with disinterest. The chamber was dim, lit only by the eerie blue flame that burned behind him.
A man knelt before him, sweating through his tunic, eyes trembling.
"I... I bring word from the border, my King. Nothing yet from the South, no movement, no-"
"Why don't I hear what I want to hear?" Damon's voice was soft. Almost bored.
The man froze. "I-I'm doing everything I can-"
"Useless."
Damon flicked his hand. "Cut off his head," he said. "Find me someone reliable."
The man screamed as guards grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him away, begging. Damon didn't look up. His fingers tapped lazily on the throne arm, each tap a heartbeat counting down.
Outside the chamber, Lily flinched at the echoing screams. She fidgeted nervously with her fingers, cold sweat beading on her palms. She hadn't seen Damon in weeks-and now he had summoned her.
"Next."
She quickly stepped inside, head bowed, heart racing.
"You summoned me, my King."
Damon's eyes rose slowly to meet her. He leaned forward, his voice low and cold.
"Are you doing something I didn't allow?"
Lily swallowed. "I don't understand."
"Rumors are spreading," he said. "Cursed relics. Dark magic in the South. And you're at the center of it."
She lifted her head, bravely now. "You wanted the South to fall. I helped. I planted the rumors to shake the other packs ...Isn't that what you wanted-"
"Come closer," he said, cutting her off.
Lily hesitated, then stepped forward up to his seat. The moment she was within reach, his hand shot out and closed around her throat.
"I hate those who act without permission," he whispered, "especially a weak, pathetic human like you."
He released her roughly, and she collapsed to the floor, coughing.
"Lock her up," Damon ordered. "Keep her there until I decide what she's worth."
As the guards dragged her away, Lily screamed, "You can't lock me up... you need me! I'm the Luna Queen! I'm your mate-!"
Damon simply adjusted the ring on his finger and spoke, almost lazily:
"Next."
Two men entered. One with piercing blue eyes and a quiet, deadly grace. The other broad-shouldered, jaw shadowed with stubble, his gaze cold and sharp.
Damon smirked, a low chuckle slipping past his lips.
"Alpha Victor from the East, and Alpha Reynard from the West. I'm glad you took my advice. You made the right choice."
He rose from his throne and descended the stairs to meet them.
"Let's discuss our little arrangements, shall we, my king?" said Alpha Reynard.
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Thank you so much for your stay throughout the journey 😘. Stay tuned in for more chapters to come. And feel free to comment on anything.
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