Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 237: Silverfang

Tiana's POV

“I won’t,” I said, keeping my face neutral, even though my heart was racing. I could hear the guards moving, their boots heavy on the ground as they got things ready. I didn’t move yet. I just stood still and let the weight of the moment settle.

Corvin kept watching me, his eyes searching my face, probably looking for a hint of weakness. But I didn’t give him one. I couldn’t afford to.

“Just get me to the border,” I said quietly but clearly. “That’s all I’m asking.”

He didn’t answer, but his face told me this whole thing wasn’t finished.

As I turned to leave the room, I could still feel his eyes on my back. A part of me wondered what he was planning next. Would he really let me go?

A guard stepped up before I could leave the doors and asked, “Ready to go?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. Corvin had released me. I took a breath and nodded. “I am."

The big, heavy doors in front of me slowly opened. They made a loud, rough sound that echoed. I stepped outside, but even though I was leaving, it felt like I was still carrying Corvin’s stare with me. His question about my hair colour and then about how I held my sword like someone he knew stayed with me and it made me feel cold, like when the wind hits you all of a sudden. I wrapped my cloak tighter around my shoulders to try and stay warm. A cold wind blew against my face, and it gave me the strange feeling of maybe dark magic. I felt like it was my subconscious mind that associated evil with Corvin made it seem like me.

I turned around to look one more time, even though I knew Corvin wouldn’t be there. The doors had already closed but it felt like he was still near somehow, like maybe he was hiding and still looking at me. Even though I was gone from his presence, the feeling of him being there didn’t go away.

At the end of the stone path, my horse stood waiting for me. She was a dark-coloured mare with large eyes. She kept moving her feet like she was nervous. I could tell she felt the same strange feeling that I did. Animals often know when something is wrong before people notice. Around her, five guards were standing. They all wore cloaks that had the Silverfang mark on them. None of them talked or smiled. They just stared at me. Some of them looked bored like they didn’t care. Others looked like they didn’t trust me. But none of them looked kind or friendly.

“Let’s go,” said the man who was leading them. He pulled the belt on his waist tighter and stared straight ahead. He didn’t even look at me. His voice sounded cold and dry like he didn’t really want to be here. It was easy to tell that they weren’t here to be nice or to protect me. They were only here to watch me and make sure I didn’t do anything wrong.

I didn’t say a word. I just walked over to my horse and got up into the saddle. The saddle made a soft sound as I sat down. I held the reins tightly and took a deep breath to calm myself down. I could feel how tense the horse was too. She could feel the strange energy in the air and that just made me feel relieved that I wasn't crazy or imagining it. Then the lead guard gave a loud, sharp whistle, and everyone started to move. Nobody said anything. We just rode forward together, leaving the palace behind and heading toward the open lands on the east side.

The road we were on was long and wide. It looked a little bit like an old picture that had lost its color. There were trees without any leaves, their branches reaching up into the gray sky. The clouds above us were light and dull, and the wind pushed little bits of fallen leaves across the path in front of us. I hadn’t been on this road in a long while— or rather, Erika had not been. The last time I left Silverfang, the land looked different. It felt alive and full of energy back then. But now, it feels quiet and tired. It seemed older too.

We kept riding for a long time, and no one said anything. It was completely silent between us.

It didn’t feel weird. Honestly, it felt normal. The guards didn’t seem like the kind of people who wanted to talk much, and I didn’t really feel like talking either. I had too many thoughts in my head. Still, as we moved down the road, my eyes kept looking around. I noticed that a lot had changed. Some of the old houses I remembered weren’t there anymore. A few were still standing, but they looked very old and broken down. The fences around them were broken or missing. The grass and weeds had grown tall along the paths. I even saw a small house that looked like it had burned down a long time ago. The chimney was still standing, but it leaned to one side, broken and falling apart.

I didn’t even realize I was frowning until I felt the tightness in my face.

“Silverfang has changed,” I said softly, mostly to myself, not really thinking anyone would answer.

But someone did. One of the guards riding behind me must have heard. He looked younger than the rest of them. His face was thin, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked very tired.

“That’s one way to put it,” he said. His voice had a dry, bitter tone. He gave a short laugh that didn’t sound happy. “You haven’t been here in a while, have you?”

I turned my head slightly so I could see him. “No,” I said. “Not for a few years.” I lied even though it was just a few months since Erika had died.