Chapter 103: Betrayal
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The rectory rose above the University of Mirage, perched atop a hill adjacent to the magnificent Temple of the Moon Goddess, which signified the place as not only a religious sanctuary, but the true capital of both Valoria and the Church.
Mom was keeping in step with me as we followed Troy up the paved pathway leading up the hill. She sighed deeply, picking at a loose thread on her blue chunky-knit sweater.
o
She was upset about something. I believed wholehearted ly it had to do with the fact we were all sitting ducks while Ta sia hid somewhere nearby, waiting to strike.
“Did you know the White Queens split with the Church of the Moon Goddess?” I asked as we continued what felt like a
slow, endless climb towards the rectory.
“Yes, I did. That ended with my reign, however. We estab lished new ties with the Church shortly after you were born.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Mom laughed, shaking her head. “Oh, sweetheart, I did. It was taught in school. You just never listened.”
I frowned, tucking a loose lock of hair behind my ear. “I did listen-”
“Not often enough,” she teased, giving me a knowing
smile.
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I had a feeling karma for being a total pain in my parents’ ass was going to catch up to me as the years went by. I could already see the gleam of mischief in the eyes of Oli and Will. Charlie was our angel, at least for now.
“Troy, why didn’t Dad want to come with us today?” I asked as we neared the rectory.
Troy turned to us, meaning to part with us and go to the rectory himself while we met with the High Priestess of the Church.
“He and Rowan are putting a force together to find Hay den and Carl. I’m meeting up with them later and then—” he paused, looking from me to Mom. “I’m going to be going with your dad to locate them-and Ta’sia.”
“What?” I roared, which startled several people minding their own business as they sat on the benches along the path
way.
“We can talk about it later, Maeve,” he said with force, and
in front of Mom, too.
I felt heat prickle across my cheeks, running my tongue along my lower lip as I thought of a retort, but Mom took my hand and began to lead me away toward the temple.
“We’re already late, honey-”
“You’ re not going AN,chapter_version=chapter_version +1 WHERE until we have a chance to talk about this, Troy!” I said over my shoulder, giving him my best “mom look” that I had been practicing in the mirror the past few days.
Troy was oblivious to it and seemed heavily distracted. He
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had barely said a word to me about the stranger who had come to the gala. He had barely explained what he had found in the journal last night, too. Both he and Dad were being ex ceedingly secretive.
He turned toward the rectory without saying a word, and I turned my head back to the temple, vexed beyond a responsi ble doubt.
“I’m willing to assume the Priestess will need to speak to me more than she needs to speak with you, honey. You can join him after we show both of our faces, at least.”
“Hopefully, there’s a darkened corner where I can ring his
o
too hard
neck-”
You may be okay with Dad being distant and se cretive, but I’m not okay with
harsh as they sounded. I could tell they had hurt her. She didn’t reply, the silence loud er
“I’m sorry, Mama.”
alright. I understand why you’re
it? Be married to
tice, honey. But I trust your father. Just like I hope you will trust Troy’s judgment here. We may be White Queens, but they are men. And we have to let them be like
times.”
up the steps
Grace, which I found rather ironic. She walked with grace, and talked with grace, but her words
and me was obvious. Maybe those ties Mom was talking about hadn’t been met with as much support as I
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with. Mom seemed to grow in annoyance as I glanced at her, her
with us?” I said, done with
my question, and answered casually, “You’re pagans, for
I believe your
I said, pagans. Witches, if I
tone toward my mom. I didn’t
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didn’t lash out. She stood calmly,
gracious tour, I am more interested in what you want to know about the moonstone. Such
Grace, who had balled
fists.
pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She was taller than Mom but not taller than me, and I had to
Church. I need
Mom said, reaching down to tap her finger on the moon dial.
pressure. I was thankful to have her back to her full health. She seemed to glow in the light coming through the glass ceiling of the cathedral, her eyes glistening with challenge as she waited
singular, which matched Grace’s
of unease creep over my skin as I watched Grace
have
her tone soft
the flush prickling across my cheeks didn’t give anything away. I
“Then where is it?”
important to the Church to have it
ran her tongue along her lower lip, looking
relics related to the Moon Goddess, regardless of whose possession they are
that why you aided Damian in the overthrow
upright as Mom stared blankly at Grace, tilting her head to the side
know
would Romero have gotten the map? You said it yourself. The Church lays claim to all artifacts related to the Moon
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then began to back
moon dial. Mom followed.
are you working with?
robes when Mom said Tasia’ s
not speak
she hear us? Is this where
the Moon Goddess, Queen Maeve. You
said firmly. “She is not the Moon Goddess. She is a misled girl with a vendetta about something that hap pened thousands of years ago. She is a girl with powers she doesn’t understand and powers she refuses to use for good. Had the Church not tempted Damian with the map, had they not given it to Romero for safe keeping during the war-going against their own allies-none of this would
do you know all
had come into this trying to wear us down, and Mom had been in on her grand scheme the entire time. Grace was
she?” Mom bit out, anger
as she turned into a darkened hallway, leaving us alone
about?” I hissed, my voice echoing on the walls despite my attempt
forces left the Tem ple untouched during their invasion, while they wrecked prac tically everything else. It was especially odd that she told you she knew about the moonstone, and that we had it, given the fact that the
the nail on
was walking toward the entrance now. I followed, looking over my shoulder at the corridor
outside, the bitter chill of the air biting against my cheeks as
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