Chapter 5 Lies.

I rip my arm away form the vampire prince, though I was acutely aware that he had allowed me to do so; if he wished to keep me within his grasp, he would have easily been able to stop me.

But he didn’t, and I didn’t have time to ask myself why, I needed to say goodbye to my mum before time ran out; I’ll never get this chance again.

I run back towards the house and jump into her arms, tears sliding down my cheeks as the gravity of the situation finally begins to sink in. Once they take me I will never see her again. She will be all alone.

We both will.

But one thing more crosses my mind, why would she tell me to run?

She knew what happened to those who ran, she knew the consequences of saying it. We both knew first hand what a vampire does to a traitor.

So, why?

Why would she risk her life to tell me to run?

I sob into her shoulder, Making sure that my voice was low; though I knew they would still hear me anyway, they always did.

“Mother please, what is going on?” I whisper, “why have they come for me?”

“My sweet Luna, I can’t say.” My mother replies in a soft voice, stroking my hair as I tightened my grip around her neck. “If only we have more time.”

In a lower tone, within my mind, she says; “Luna they know, they know what you can do. They are going to use you against the rebels. You must run.”

I keep my expression completely blank, or try to. She means the witches and warlocks who live in the free tribes, the crown calls them rebels and has tried many times to get them to surrender.

But they never do, they would rather die than give up their freedom, and I envy their bravery.

I wish I was that strong.

But how did they know about my power, we kept it well hidden. Didn’t we?

We made sure that I showed no vampire my power I never used my gifts. Not once.

Not around them at least, and only during the day when they weren’t watching.

But still it didn’t change anything, I couldn’t run, they would kill me.

They would kill her.

If I ran they would know that I am guilty and any hope of surviving would be lost.

I eased myself down onto the ground, I couldn’t talk to her the way she could talk to me, all I could do was shake my head and hope she understood that I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t escape.

It was too late for that.

There were too many of them.

“If you won't run, fight. I know what you can do.” She growls on my mind. “Use it.” She orders. “Show them you are not to be messed with.”

Again, I shake my head.

I’m not as brave as she is, and I was too afraid to fight back, too terrified of the consequences.

I watched my father die, I won’t lose her too.

I couldn’t risk it, I couldn’t risk her life.

I needed to know she was safe.

I would do anything to keep her safe.

I just had to pray that she wouldn’t hate me for being a coward, for not doing as she commanded, she meant more to me than my own freedom.

She could escape whilst they drag me away, I would be their focus not her, and she knew this.

Yet she was trying to save me anyway. I guess that’s what a loving mother does, and I know my mother loves me. She’s always tried her best, even in the darkest times.

I didn’t want her to die, I would never recover from it. I would never be the same.

And even if I somehow managed to use my hectic power, there would be no guarantee that I would make it out of the city alive, and I would be all alone.

I would have to fend for myself. Ownerless. Motherless. Lost and afraid.

It is a risk I can’t take.

I don’t even know where the rebels are, not like my father did. I wouldn’t know where to go.

I would be caught within a day.

There is no escape for someone like me, there never will be. It was too late to wish for a better life; I was too far engraved into their minds to wish for something else, something better.

They knew what I looked like, they had photos of me, of my mother. Running is not an option.

Not now, not ever.

Silas walks towards us, a small, dark smile etched across his face, promising that whatever was to come of me; it would not be pleasant.

I step away from my mother and bow my head, my mother doing the same. We know how to act, it had been beaten into us numerous times.

Did he know that my mother could speak to me without uttering a word? If he did, we were in trouble. More trouble than I could imagine.

“Yes, he knows what I can do Luna. He knows I want you to run.” She tells me silently. “He can sense when a power is used, this may be your only chance.” She gives me a small shove. “Run.”

I freeze in place, I just couldn’t do it, I couldn’t bring myself to leave her behind, she was everything to me.

I was afraid, always afraid.

With a life like mine, the strongest of souls would crumble. I had seen first-hand the power of a vampire against a witch, I was no match for them.

Not when I didn’t even know the first thing about controlling my own power, and even if I did, it staked away a lot of my own strength.

I wouldn’t even make it off the front lawn. Not alive.

What made her think that I would actually make it out alive?

What made her think that running would make any difference to our fate?

Silas smiled down at me as I lifted my head, his fangs pressing into his bottom lip. “What are you both talking about, I would love to hear it.”

“Just saying goodbye.” My mother lies so easily, it’s like second nature to her.”

I gasp at the anger painted onto the princess face, he knew that she was lying all because of me, he could see the fear on my face, the twitches of my legs as I prepare to bolt.

“I don’t believe you are being truthful, Sarah.” He growled, slowly sucking her. “I hope you aren’t telling the poor girl to run.” He laughs, once, but it isn’t a funny sounds. He’s angry, so angry. “That would be a mistake, one neither of you would survive.”

Silas clicks his fingers and the several other vampires who stood scattered on the front lawn all begin to walk towards us, their eyes glowing against the lights coming from the house. They had an unnatural glow to their skin.

It was clear to anyone who looks hard enough that they aren’t human, everything about them screams predator, and everything in me screams, run.

“Luna. I’m sorry.”  The words echoed through my mind just as my mother launched herself forward, crashing into Silas and knocking him back, she had managed to catch him by surprise.

But that wouldn’t last.

He was much stronger than her.

I screamed, because I knew what was coming, and I was powerless to prevent it.