Moonstruck

𝓯𝓲𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓷 | Deliverance

To Ellie's immense relief, the House of Bleu Celeste appeared to be largely empty. Evidently, the Sanguine Pack's feint attack had proven successful; the Azure Pack had rushed to Cerul to defend the city from what they believed to be the Sanguine Pack's concentrated efforts, leaving the city of Lazuli open and defenseless and ripe for the taking.

Unlike the grim and imposing House of Red Ochre, Bleu Celeste was a work of artistry and ethereal beauty. Sandy ribbed vaults, latticed by slender turquoise pillars capped with gilded flowers and curlicues, stretched upwards and curved into a lofty, sky-blue ceiling. It reminded Ellie of picnics with her parents beneath tarp canopies and clear summer skies, before the war and before her father had disappeared. Interspersed along the walls were vivid stained glass windows, through which streams of sunlight bled through and illuminated iridescent images of a smiling, rosy-cheeked Aurelia—far more familiar to Ellie than the Sanguine Pack's stern, austere patroness.

"Why is this place so much prettier than Red Ochre?" Ellie whispered as she and Seth hurried past a gallery of stained glass windows that she would've loved to double back to look more closely at in better circumstances. They passed images of Aurelia clasping her hands in earnest prayer, Aurelia laying a gentle hand upon a wolf's head in blessing, Aurelia making out with beautiful women with sapphic fervence, Aurelia smiling at whoever gazed upon her in triumphant glee as if to say, what are you going to do about it? "Maybe you guys should remodel your place."

Seth ignored her. They rounded a corner and began descending a series of spiraling staircases into increasing darkness. Ellie would've gulped in apprehension if she weren't so out of breath from all the stair-climbing. "H-how do you even know where to go? Do you even know if we're getting closer towards the dungeons, or if Mateo is even there?"

"I know him," said Seth without hesitation, neither in his footsteps nor his voice. "It's kind of like part of me's calling out for him."

Ellie thought of the images of Aurelia and her lovers upstairs. "Um. Okay. That's kind of..."

Seth paused and frowned, looking around in evident anticipation. "Kind of what?" They had entered what appeared to be an underground crypt of rugged marble, and Ellie shivered as a chill draft slithered between them and breathed up her spine. She, too, could sense that someone was watching them.

"Kind of what?" Seth repeated, head swiveling this way and that to spot whoever was tailing them. "What's it to you if I happen to like—"

His unfinished thought turned into a muffled scream as what looked to Ellie like a blur of coily dark hair and gangly limbs jumped onto his back and tackled him to the cold, marble ground.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you!" Lizzie shouted, obviously trying to sound intimidating and failing miserably. "And you!"—breathlessly, she whirled on Ellie—"you're next! Wait." She froze, eyes widening in recognition. "It's you two. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing!" Ellie raised her hands in what she hoped was a placating gesture. "I mean, nothing bad." She briefly considered helping Seth up, but then decided against it in favor of watching in half spiteful amusement as he clambered back to his feet, brushing himself off with a disgruntled sigh. "We don't want to hurt you. It's just that—"

Lizzie's face fell. "Cerul was a bluff." It wasn't a question. "Everyone's over there defending that place, but it's not even your true target, is it? There's only me and a few others left here... and you're going to storm this House and kill a bunch of people who can't even defend themselves."

Ellie's heart gave a twinge of guilt. She wanted to deny it, but could she really in good conscience promise Lizzie that there would be no casualties in the oncoming battle without it being a blatant lie? Besides, it was her idea to invade in the first place; she had no right to stand there and pretend she was morally superior to anyone else involved in the war, whether she had joined the effort voluntarily or not.