Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 322: Truth or Lies Astrid's POV

I tried to keep my face steady, but her words struck a chord deep inside me. She did know something. Something about the changes I had felt, the darkness I had sensed lurking within me.

The poison. It had been her weapon, and now, I realized it was more than just a means to kill me. She knows something else, something even I hadn't understood.

"You're lying," I hissed, my voice shaking with anger, but also with doubt.

Her grin widened. "Oh, am I? Why do you think the poison didn't kill you? It wasn't meant to. It was meant

to awaken something... darker. Something you won't be able to control. You're a monster, Astrid, and soon enough, everyone you love will see it too."

I shook my head, refusing to believe her. She was trying to manipulate me, to twist my mind just as she always had.

"Shut up," I whispered, but my voice wavered.

"You feel it, don't you?" she pressed, her eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction. "The power inside you, the anger. It's only a matter of time before you lose control completely. You'll never be free of it. Never."

I stepped back, shaking my head. "You're trying to manipulate me, Giselle. It won't work."

She laughed again, the sound harsh and grating. "You don't believe me? If you want proof, go to my room. There's a book there, that will explain what kind of monster you are. Read it. Then you'll see what you really are. What you'll become."

Her words slithered into my mind, planting seeds of doubt, and I hated that part of me did believe her. That part of me was afraid of what was happening inside me. I clenched my fists, refusing to let her see the fear she was feeding.

"You're a liar," I said, my voice rising in anger. "You've always been a liar."

She didn't respond, only smiled that sickening smile, as if she had already won.

mine, mocking me, taunting me, as if she knew her words would haunt me long after she was

I called out, my voice

and two guards

expression shifted in an instant, twisting into desperation as the guards approached her cell. She fought against them, her eyes wild, her voice rising

Astrid!" she screamed, her voice echoing down the dark

at me, wrapping themselves around my mind like a tightening

myself that she was lying, that she was trying to manipulate me one last

her voice followed me

I couldn't believe her.

she might be right - had already planted itself deep inside me, taking root. And no

of footsteps behind me snapped me out of my spiraling

filling the room with warmth and concern. Without a word, he crossed the cold stone floor and came to my side, his

tried to smile, to reassure him, but my heart was still racing, my

gaze flickered to the scene in front of us as the guards dragged Giselle away, her screams

behind, the air felt heavy with everything unsaid. He turned to

a moment, I froze. I couldn't

burden him with the same fear that

let him see the cracks in my armor. Not after everything we'd

I swallowed the truth, burying it deep inside, where

a smile that didn't reach

convinced. I could see it in the way his eyes narrowed, in the way his hand reached for mine, holding on just a

could feel that something was wrong. That something was eating

of pressing