Chapter 174

Hannah

“Magnolia is holding the emblem that can kill the heart of Xander?” I asked, staring between the two of them.

“She holds it close to her heart,” Calliope said. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she channeled the emblem. She was trying to find its exact location.

“Close to her heart….” Sebastian breathed. “Is the emblem a red crescent moon?”

“You’ve seen it?” I asked, staring at him in shock.

“She wears a red crescent moon necklace. Close to heart could mean literally,” Sebastian said, pulling his gaze from mine to look at Calliope.

She was staring between the two of us fondly.

“You’re a smart man, Sebastian,” she said, leaning back in her chair. “The moon goddess was right to choose you. To choose both of you.”

“Why did she?” I asked. “I still don’t understand why us.”

“Because she trusted you,” she answered. “She knew you were exactly what this kingdom needed.

“So, how do we defeat Xander with the emblem?” Sebastian asked.

“The emblem is an attachment for the moonstone scepter,” she explained.

“Another attachment?” I asked, raising my brows.

She nodded.

“Yes, it goes on the other side. Once attached it forms a –”

“Full moon,” Sebastian finished for her.

She nodded again.

“Exactly. Once the scepter is complete, you can go back to the underworld, and stab the heart with it. The scepter’s powers will be restored. Both the heart and Xander will be powerless; just as the moon goddess intended.”

“And my mother?” I asked, worriedly. “We found out she is holding the heart. What happens to her once the heart is destroyed?”

“That isn’t your mother; she’s a shifter made to look like your mother. It holds your mother’s memories, but your real mother isn’t in the underworld.”

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t relieved to hear that.

“It’s not going to be easy getting into the underworld. Xander probably has his men on the lookout everywhere,” Sebastian warned.

“Which means you’ll need the help of the moon goddess. This might be difficult for you to hear but…”

“No,” I said a little too quickly. I already knew what she was going to say, and I wasn’t going to entertain the thought. Wrenley wasn’t going to come to the underworld with us. I won’t allow my daughter to be subjected to that kind of danger. I knew Sebastian wouldn’t want that either; he couldn’t possibly.

“She can’t be touched; she holds the power of the moon goddess,” Calliope continued to explain. “She can keep the darkness away while you are inside the underworld. She can protect you.”

“No,” I said again. “She’s, my daughter; her safety is my priority.”

“She isn’t safe here,” Calliope said. “The underworld is surfacing, and we are running out of time.”

“She’s already been through so much…”

“And it’s just going to get worse if you don’t do something about it now,” she said, leaning toward me. “This world we live in will soon fall at the hands of Xander. We will be slaves to the vampires. Your daughter will be a slave to the vampires. You know how powerful she is and soon Xander will know it too. He will use that against her and everyone around her. He will use what he can to his advantage.”

My heart thudded violently against my chest at her words. I felt defeated; I hated having to ask Wrenley to come to the underworld to help protect this kingdom. But Calliope was so sure that this was how it had to happen. I looked over at Sebastian, hoping that he would shed some kind of light on the situation, maybe talk some sense into Calliope.

But he was silent.

“Sebastian?” I urged; I wondered what he was thinking. It looked like he was pondering something.

He eventually sighed and looked over at me.

Oh no.

I knew that look. He agreed with Calliope.

“Wren has already seen into the underworld multiple times. She knows what it’s like and she can probably help navigate through it. She’s the only one who knows for sure what she saw. So maybe it’s not such a bad idea…”

I stood to my feet quickly before he had the chance to finish his sentence. My heart was heavy in my chest. My husband wanted to send our daughter into the underworld. How could he not have my back? How could he want her in that kind of danger?

“I need air,” I told them as I went toward the door.

Sebastian stood up too.

“Hannah…” he called after me; I slammed the door behind me, cutting off the rest of his sentence.

I understood why he was upset that I walked away; the last time I needed air I went to the king’s cemetery, nearly getting arrested by palace gammas. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere this time though. I really did just need some air. I pressed my back against the side of the house. I wanted to scream. This whole thing was so aggravating.

This wasn’t what I signed up for. Everybody keeps saying that I’m the key to saving this kingdom. Why did Wren have to get involved? I would happily throw myself in the fire if it meant protecting my little girl. She was only 5; she didn’t deserve anything that was happening.

But there was a part of me that knew Calliope and Sebastian were speaking the truth. She wasn’t safe on our land. She wasn’t safe in her own home under the protection of all of us. It was only a matter of time before Xander got what he wanted and used his powers to turn everybody into slaves. It was only a matter of time before he figured out how powerful Wren is and used that against her. She wasn’t safe here and she wasn’t safe there.

I took in a steady breath to calm myself down; Nora wanted to shift and go for a run, but I knew that wasn’t the best idea. We had to keep a low profile and the last thing I needed was for more palace guards to arrive and capture me again.

“Hannah…” Sebastian said as he came around the corner of the house. “I thought…”

“You thought I left again?” I asked, finishing his sentence for him. He gave me a small smile and a knowing look.

“Is that a far stretch of a thought?” He asked, raising his brows.

I gave him a smile in return and shook my head.

“No,” I answered honestly. “I thought about it. I wanted to shift and go somewhere. But I figured that wasn’t the best thing to do right now.”

“You must know that I would never let anything happen to you or Wrenley,” Sebastian said softly. “I love you both so much and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

“I know,” I told him, kissing his cheek gently. Of course, I knew that. Sebastian loved this family more than anything. But he was also a king and he needed to do what was best for his entire kingdom. He needed to do what was best for us. He knew this was our best option and I couldn’t be angry about that. I understood where he was coming from. “We will go to the underworld with Wren and stop Xander once and for all. But if she isn’t comfortable going, we can’t make her.”

“Of course,” Sebastian agreed. “Once we get back, we will sit her down and speak with her about it. We will get her thoughts and go from there.”

“Okay,” I said, smiling up at him.

I stood on my toes so I could press my lips against his and taste his sweetness. He held me gently for a few moments. I just needed that minute alone with my husband. I loved him so much. I pulled away from him after a few moments.

“So, we need to get that emblem from Magnolia,” I told him, peering up at him through my lashes. “Any ideas how we are going to do that?”

“Not exactly. But I know one thing for sure…”

“What’s that?”

He met my eyes and I saw the determination that lurked in his gaze.

“We must attend the Bluemoon ball.”