Chapter 319 The new eyes

Chapter 319: Chapter 319 The new eyes

Talia’s POV

I held my mother’s hand, and I felt the trembling finally begin to fade.

She had been shaking since she spoke Malachai’s name, but now, as she looked at me, I watched the fear slowly leave her eyes. It was not gone completely, and I knew it would never fully disappear. But it was fading, and it was now replaced by something else.

She was looking at me like she was seeing me for the first time, and I did not look away.

All through her reveals about Malachai, I did not flinch.

"We will stop him," I said, and my voice was steady.

My mother stared at me, and I saw the tears streaming down her face. But she was smiling.

"My daughter," she whispered. "My brave, brave daughter."

I squeezed her hand. "I mean it, Mother. We will stop Malachai, we will rebuild Luminara, and we will bring our people home."

She looked at me, and I saw the wonder in her tired eyes. "You are so much like me," she said. "But you are also so much more."

I shook my head. "I am just trying to do what is right."

"No," she said. "You are not just trying, Talia. You are already doing so much. You found me, and you freed me. You faced Malachai’s guards, and you did not run, not even once. You used your magic and lost consciousness more than once, and you did not give up. You are everything I hoped you would be, Talia. Everything and more."

I felt the tears burning in my eyes. "I learned from you, Mother."

She reached up, and she touched my face, and her fingers were warm against my cheek.

"I thought I lost you," she said. "I thought I would never see you again. And now, I am sitting here, watching you become the leader I always knew you would be."

I leaned into her touch. "I am not a leader, Mother. I am just me."

She shook her head, and I saw the pride in her eyes. "You are more than just you, Talia. You are the future of our bloodline. You are the hope of our people, and you are the one who will end this."

I looked at her, and I felt the weight of her words settling on my shoulders.

"I will not let you down, mother." I said with a firm voice.

She smiled, and I saw the love in her tired eyes. "I know you will not, Talia. I have always known."

We sat together in the silence, and I felt the warmth of the fire and the warmth of her hand in mine.

She was looking at me with new eyes.

Then I heard footsteps approaching, and I looked up. Piper was walking toward us, with Jax and Silas following behind her.

"Is everything okay?" Piper asked, and her voice was soft. "We saw you two talking, and we did not want to interrupt."

I smiled, and I motioned for them to sit. "Everything is fine, Piper. We were just talking about Luminara, and about Malachai."

Piper’s eyes widened. "Malachai? The one who..."

I nodded. "The one who captured my mother. And I also just learned that his also the one who destroyed her village."

Jax sat down on the grass across from me, and I saw the anger flickering in his eyes. "That bastard. We should have killed him when we had the chance."

Silas shook his head. "We did not have a chance, Jax. We were lucky to escape with our lives."

Jax looked at me, and I saw the frustration on his face. "I know, Silas. But it does not make me feel any better."

Cain walked over from the edge of the clearing, and I saw the faint hint of a rare, and almost impossible smile on his lips. He did not speak, but I knew he had been listening.

Jax leaned forward, and I saw the grin spreading across his face. "You want to know what we did at the gate, Luna? It was beautiful."

Piper laughed, and I saw the joy in her eyes. "Beautiful? Jax, you almost got us killed."

Jax placed his hand over his heart. "I did not almost get us killed. I was creating a diversion. There is a difference, Piper."

Silas shook his head. "Jax set fire to the guard tower."

I blinked. "You set fire to the guard tower?"

Jax grinned. "It was the only way to draw them out. Silas threw a torch through the window, and I made sure the guards saw us running away."

Piper snorted. "Running away? You were shouting at them. You were literally shouting ’Come and get us, you silver-faced cowards!’"

Jax shrugged. "It worked, did it not? They all came running after us."

Silas nodded, and I saw the respect in his eyes. "While Jax and Piper led the guards away, Cain and I slipped around the side. We set fire to the supply tents, and we freed some of the prisoners Malachai was holding."

Cain spoke, and his voice was low. "The prisoners helped cause more chaos. By the time the guards realized what was happening, the whole front gate was in flames."

I looked at them, and I felt the tears burning in my eyes. "You did all of that for me?"

Jax grinned. "We did it for the pack, Luna. And because watching those guards run around like headless chickens was the most fun I have had in months."

Piper laughed, and I saw the joy on her face. "It was pretty satisfying, I will admit."

I looked at my pack, and I felt the gratitude swelling in my chest. They had risked their lives for me. They had created chaos at Malachai’s gate, and they had done it all to give me a chance to save my mother.

"Thank you," I said, and my voice was thick with emotion. "Thank you all."

Jax shrugged, but I saw the smile on his face. "That is what pack is for, Luna.”

Piper’s smile faded a bit, and she sat beside me, and I saw the concern in her eyes. "Talia, what are you going to do?"

I looked at my pack, and I felt the love and the gratitude swelling in my chest. They had followed me into the darkness, and they had brought me out. They had risked everything for me, and now they were sitting here, and asking me what came next.

I took a breath. "We are going to stop him, Piper. And after we have rested a little bit back home, at Blackmoor Valley, then we are going to rebuild Luminara, and we are going to bring our people home."

Piper looked at me, and I saw the determination in her eyes. "Then we will help you. We are with you, Talia."

Jax nodded. "All the way, Luna."

Silas nodded. "Until the end."

I looked at Kaelen, who had walked over to join us. He was standing behind me, and I saw the love in his eyes.

I smiled, and I felt the warmth spreading through my chest.

"Thank you," I said. "All of you."

Jax grinned. "That is what pack is for, Luna."

I looked at my mother, and I saw the tears on her face. But she was smiling.

I took her hand, and I squeezed it.

"We are going to do this, Mother. Together."

She nodded, and I saw the hope in her tired eyes.

"Yes, Talia. Together."