Chapter 92

**mihai pov**

Mae isn’t too sure what she wants from the future, and i don’t think she has known for a while. She had a life all picked out for herself, one without Nati’s and hunters. But that dream was destroyed the moment i took her, and she’ll never get it back.
I can give her a life worth living however, she just has to see it, she has to believe that it can happen. But as of right now, she doesn’t. She is just going through the days as they come, never looking ahead. And she needs to look ahead. Whether she likes it or not.
She is laid in my arms, watching some show on a website i don’t know. I don’t get what she sees in things like these, but if she is happy, then i am happy.
I don’t think she realises what she means to me, even if i have told her a hundred times. That's me.
“Are you going to tell me anymore about what the witch said to you?” i ask, pulling her closer.
If i could hold her in my arms until the end of days then that is exactly where she would stay.
She pauses her show and sighs, “It’s strange but most of what she told me i already knew, i remembered my mother telling me the same things when i was a small child.”
Alarms go off inside my head, “Like what?”
Witches aren’t exactly known for their love of my kind, i don’t want anyone poisoning her against me, or the others.
We need her now more than ever, especially if we have any hope of winning the war against the hunters and their council.
“She told me about the mother of the moon, and her story, she also told me that all witches come from her, we are all direct decedents of her children.” she laughs a little, “I used to think it was a stupid story, and no war ever broke out between the gods, but maybe i was wrong. She said that the sun never wanted the moon to bring balance, she liked the chaos of the world, but the other gods didn’t. They couldn’t control her, so they brought someone else who could.”
“Do you believe it?” i ask, “Do you believe that the story is real?”
She nods, sitting up and turning to face me, crossing her legs under her, “I mean, yeah, i do, all stories have to come from somewhere, right?”
She makes perfect sense, all stories have an origin, who knows whether this one could be as old as time?
There are Nati who were born around the time of the first men, but no one knows where they disappeared to, they vanished.
We are all descended from someone, and they are descended from someone else. As Disney so gracefully put it, it is the circle of life.
“What else did she say?” i turn to the door second before someone knocks, knowing that it is Dren, her brother.
I can sense him.
“You can come in.” i shout, waiting for him to enter.
He walks into the room, looking wildly uncomfortable. “I know that neither of you wanted to be disturbed, but i thought it couldn’t wait.”
I almost growl, but stop myself, “What couldn’t wait?”
He turns to Mae, “You have a letter, from the hunter council.”
I watch as Mae’s face turns ghostly white, her eyes wide, “Why would they contact me?” she asks, though i think that we both know the answer.
I hold out my hand, “Give it to me.” i oder.
Dren doesn’t look at me, “It isn’t for you, it is for my sister.”
This time i do growl, i cannot help myself, when did he get so bold as to disrespect me in my own home?
Mae holds out her hand, “Just pass it to me.” she says, clearly not impressed by us comparing our masculinity.
Dren nods, walking just close enough to hand her the note before he retreats back to the door, standing just inside the room.
I almost laugh, it isn’t like the room is going to swallow him whole. I might, however.
Mae skims over the words, and then turns to me, looking like she might puke. “They want to meet, in person.”
Not fucking happening.
I hold out my hand and she passes me the note, and then it is my turn to skim over the words;
‘dear Traitor,
It has come to our attention that you have left our order to pursue a life with a Nati lord, this is unfortunate. We would like a chance to win you back, you belong with your family. Meet with us, you will not be harmed.
Come alone.
The council.’
there is a location and a time at the bottom of the note, and i know the area, it is secluded. It's as far away from people as you can get.
“You can’t go.” i tell her, screwing up the note. “It is a trap; they are trying to get you alone so that they can destroy you.”
“You think i don’t know that.” she scoffs, “I know a trap when i see one.”
I frown, “Then what are you thinking?” i ask.
I wish i could read her goddamn mind.
Dren clears his throat, “Luthor thinks you should go.”
We both turn to him, and i am almost ready to tear him apart. Almost. One more word and he’s fertiliser.
He'd be sending her to a certain death.
“He thinks we should be the ones to set the trap.” he says, turning to his sister, “It might be a good time to negotiate.”
Ma frowns, “I thought you didn’t want to negotiate. What changed your minds?”
“A war will be long and bloody, maybe this way we could broker a peace of some kind.” Dren shrugs, “It is worth the risk.”
“It is only worth the risk because it isn’t your life!” i shout, standing from the bed, “You’d be sending her into the dragons den.”
Mae stands, wrapping her small hand around mine, “I can do this.” she says. “I can try and get peace, for everyone.”
She's fucking crazy, they all are.
The hunter council doesn’t how mercy, they would never agree to peace.
Am i the only one who can see that?