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Chapter 23 - Underground Caves*

Tension radiated between them, and she cursed every decision she had made that had led to this point.

If only she\'d waited at the Blood Moon Banquet and had not approached Cederic, or snuck out without telling anyone, or fought harder, or had bloody well-watched where she was riding, then maybe she wouldn\'t be here.

But Luna was here, and a morbidly curious little part of her wanted to know why. "You owe me an explanation," Luna said.

"Aye, I reckon I do," He said. "But first, let\'s have some light."

Jon got out of the water quickly, and she welcomed the sound of a flint being struck, and the faint glow of flame shone brighter in the darkness when he held the burning splinter to the lantern.

They were inside the caves of the Valley.

They came through a watery entrance, and the only exit was to go through this dark tunnel.

Jon had brought a pile of supplies and a single lantern with them, and so far, she hadn\'t seen any piles of gold scattering around.

"Well, explain," Luna said as she shivered, wrapping her arms around her icy body.

Her clothes were torn, and the damp fabric concealed nothing.

She didn\'t expect him to answer since he was so cryptic about the whole thing, so Luna was surprised when he did.

"Of course." Jon leaned closer to her, the lamp casting shadows on his face. "It is the most incredible of initiations."

"Get to the point, Jon!"

Jon laughed as though something she had said was beyond amusing.

Silence hung between them for a long moment. "Do you think this is some jest, or have you lost your mind?"

Her voice echoed through the cavern. Mind... mind... mind... mind...

"That is the best part." He leaned closer to her. "You are here to destroy monsters... Just like in the myths and legends: they\'ve been living here under the mountain this entire time."

"Why do I--? How do I kill them?" Luna asked, discreetly taking stock of her surroundings.

The pool lay directly behind her.

If she caught Jon off guard and managed to get into the water, she might have a chance.

Luna could hide in the trees until nightfall, just like what she did before.

She wished it was that simple.

"Aye," Jon said, his eyes narrowing. "You use Hecate\'s grimoire, find the right magic spell, and kill the enemies yourself."

"I don\'t think that is as easy as you make it sound," Luna whispered. "Do you have any weapons I could use, perhaps? Preferably, a wooden stake?"

Jon laughed. "What? So you could stab me to death?"

"For the monsters, I mean. They\'re rogue vampires, right?"

"They are not vampires, my lady. They are monsters. It\'s hard to describe. Please see them face-to-face. You only use your mind to kill the monsters. I guess you could learn to harness your abilities now since Hecate has accepted you at the ceremony. It\'s a matter of you will be able to wield it or not. Effective magic usually comes out during life-and-death situations. I guess you\'re used to it already. You always stick by Cederic, so I guess that made you are a daredevil in your own right." Jon shrugged."His Majesty lives on the other side of this tunnel. This is his haven, where he hides away most of the time. The castle is quite boring. And he had to have a place where he could avoid his Concubines and the Royal Court."

That sounded ominous.

Luna didn\'t like the sound of it at all.

How could she destroy monsters with her mind?

She knew how to fight without weapons, just her bare hands,

But only her mind?

"His Majesty? So he owns these monsters I\'m going to kill?" Luna leaned back to the cavern with a maniacal laugh, and she quickly realized the stone floor was sloped.

If she threw her weight backward, she would fall into the water. "Really?"

Cederic was the one who could manipulate or destroy things with his mind alone.

Why isn\'t he with her right now instead of useless Jon, who had his useless seductive scent all over her causing trouble on her concentration?

"It\'s just you in this battle," Jon added. "I just watch and make sure you\'re alive."

"What if I\'m injured? Do I fail the test then?"

"We get you out of here, we heal you, and then we start training again until you know how to use your mind to perform magic spells. If you give up and break the High Priestess contract, you die by the guillotine."

Luna had her mindset towards the pool, but Jon had a tight grip on her leash, and she was no match for a vampire\'s strength.

"Help! Cederic!" Luna\'s voice echoed off the water and the rock, but her screams were futile.

"You are as stubborn as a mule. You are desperately in need of a master who disciplines you and breaks your will." Jon slapped her hard. "Shut your mouth, or I\'ll gag you again."

"I\'m not a stubborn or a coward. Cederic should have been here instead of you." She stopped herself from spitting on Jon badly and endured the sting on her cheek.

It might not end well for her.

He\'d be much of a great help than Jon.

Jon pointed towards the lantern on the ground and said, "Pick that up, and start walking."

She followed Jon\'s order as she rubbed her cold hands together to get rid of the numbness.

"Where are these monsters?" Luna asked. She needed to kill the monsters before killing Jon by staying alive. "I might as well get started."

Jon\'s eyes reflected the orange glow of the flame, and he licked his lips in anticipation. "Now this I have to watch."