Rise of the Rejected Luna - Chapter 176

Chapter 176: _Meeting The Witches
After hours of waiting at Elder Gita’s sanctuary, Phoebe and I left during the evening after changing out of our wedding clothes and maneuvering our way through the crowd of people taking shelter.

We made our way to the pack house on foot, remaining silent while holding each other’s hands.

“That place is going to be burnt to the ground,” I muttered with a sigh when I remembered how Hunters had been attacking the building when I was trying to save some people.

Meanwhile, Phoebe seemed a little more optimistic. “I mean, I don’t think it’ll be completely burnt down. I think it’ll still be–”

She paused, her mouth falling wide when she spotted the building up ahead.

I followed her gaze, sighing heavily when I spotted the building.

It wasn’t completely burnt down… But half of the left wing roof was burnt and the walls on the left side was scarred with ash.

The fire had died down but smoke still rose from the building at certain parts and from some windows.

“It’s… It’s still manageable.” Phoebe blurted, awkwardly scratching the back of her head.

Sigh, goddess have mercy…

We finally got to the gate which was blackened from the flames and creaked like it was centuries old when I pushed it open.

“Our home,” I mumbled, balling my hands into fists. “I grew up in this mansion. My father grew up in this mansion. Generations of history… Gone in smoke.”

Phoebe folded her arms in front of her chest, standing back quietly, possibly giving me space to rant and express my feelings.

But the only ‘feeling’ I felt right now was anger. The hunters had to pay.

Killing all of them who attacked wasn’t enough. I wanted all of them wiped out from the face of the earth.

“Kaene, the important thing right now is that there’s still hope.” Phoebe stepped forward, grabbing my hand and forcing me to turn my gaze to her.

Hope?

Oh, right… The witches with possible knowledge of time travel.

“Well, I guess we have to wait for Beta Negan and the others to arrive so we can head to the witches. It’s getting late.” I remarked, removing my gaze from her and slowly withdrawing my hand.

I noticed the confusion in her gaze but I just wasn’t in the right headspace right now.

Anyway, after some minutes, Beta Negan arrived, seeming much better than he was hours ago.

“Negan,” I mumbled with a wry smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He seemed to have lost his ‘spark’ as well.

I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, but something had changed about him, and it was easy to notice at a single glance.

“How are your injuries?” He asked, trying hard to keep the forced smile on his face.

I flexed my shoulder but almost regretted it when a sharp pain shot from it.

“It’s… Getting better.” I muttered.

With that, we stepped away from each other, an awkward silence present among us.

I noticed that Negan didn’t speak to Phoebe, merely giving her a wry smile instead.

Yup… Something was definitely wrong with him.

Soon enough, Elder Gita and Lycan Davos walked into the compound, followed by two noble elder men that I knew all too well.

The men bowed before me in a show of respect, despite their somber expressions.

“Sir Elijah and Sir Alan.” I nodded my head at them, my expression blank. “I’m glad to see you survived.”

The two men visibly frowned when they heard my last statement, but hid it behind their fake ass smiles.

Yeah, maybe that was a bit insensitive but like I told Phoebe… I just wasn’t in the right headspace.

“Alright, now that we’re all gathered here, there are some things you need to know about these witches.” Elder Gita stepped forward, scanning her gaze around everyone present. “The Morrigan sisters are a powerful coven, but they prefer solitude and reserving their power for collecting as much knowledge as possible.”

I listened attentively, fiddling with my fingers and glancing occasionally at Phoebe who stood silently, an unreadable expression on her face.

I subconsciously thought she was feeling bad about my reluctance to hold her earlier, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“Anyway, their solitude means they don’t interact with just anyone, including other races.” Elder Gita added, making sure that particular information got into our heads.

Well, that wasn’t a surprise anyway, witches and werewolves haven’t exactly been the best of friends.

“So, if they don’t interact with just anyone including other races, how are you affiliated with them?” Lycan Davos asked the question that was probably in everyone’s heads.

His right shoulder was bandaged, and he didn’t have that ‘spark’ in him, just like Beta Negan.

He’d been close to Gamma Thane so I knew he was grieving his death more than anyone else.

“Well, Lycan, I’m not just ‘anyone’. I’m a spiritual leader who offered them knowledge on the moon goddess in exchange for an alliance with them.” Elder Gita responded with a proud tone.

At least, she didn’t seem as despondent as the rest of us.

Maybe that was a good sign. Maybe there really was hope.

“Come on. We have to go now. They’re at the other end of the city and probably already planning to flee if news of the Hunter attack has spread out.” Elder Gita remarked, clutching her staff tighter and turning away from us.

She’d replaced her flowy white dress with a white robe that seemed to scream royalty and ‘power’.

It seemed these witches were a big deal.

Anyway, as we stepped into a Honda SUV, with me taking the driver’s seat, I glanced at Phoebe who still seemed quiet.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked, stretching my hand forward and caressing her face.

She slowly turned her gaze to me, a wry smile curling up her lips. “No. No, I’m not. But I have a feeling that that will change if we’re successful with this trip.”

I stared at her for a while but didn’t say anything.

At this point, hope seemed to be the only thing I could cling to.

[AN: Hi guys, author here! please, don’t forget to vote for this book with your power stones and golden tickets. Your continual support means everything! Thank you and happy reading]