Lilac's fear was overwhelming, yet amidst the chaos, she compelled herself to stand up on trembling knees. She knew her mother was hurt and that her sister's life was hanging by a thread. Tears welled in her eyes upon the thought, but her veil absorbed them quickly, concealing her emotions from the cruel gazes around her.
"Another veiled woman," the child with the candle observed, turning her attention to Lilac from a distance.
The snake woman also shifted her focus, intrigued by the appearance of another veiled figure. She released her hold on Lady Violet, allowing the bride's body to fall to the ground, now free from her captor's grip. Seizing the opportunity, Lady Violet mustered all the strength she had left and crawled toward where her Alpha lay, her determination overcoming her own wounded state.
"Tell me Gigi, what does you candle tells you?"
The child remained silent for a moment, trying to glean insight from Lilac's aura, but to her surprise, she couldn't read anything. "My candles are silent," she finally admitted.
The snake woman immediately gave the child a raised brow, seemingly mocking her with an amused expression. "Interesting," she commented.
Annoyed at her comrade's reaction and frustrated by the fact that she couldn't discern anything from Lilac, the child floated in a rush toward Lilac. She attempted to pull off Lilac's veil, determined to reveal the face beneath it.
"Don't!" Lady Violet's voice echoed in the air, carrying her fear and desperation. "She's cursed too. Unveiling her will bring more curses upon us all!"
The child paid no heed to the warning. With determined intent, she unraveled Lilac's veil until the silver cascade of hair emerged, enveloping her like a shroud. Lilac's hair had never been cut, not intentionally. It had long been figured out by Delta Lavendair that no sharp thing, not even the finest sword can cut through her daughter's doomed silver hair.
"A silver hair!" The horrified gasps echoed throughout the room as Lilac's exposed appearance stunned everyone. Panic spread like wildfire, and people instinctively moved away from the girl, fearing the potential danger associated with her silver hair. Even the floating child, who had previously dared to approached Lilac, hastily retreated, cautious of the silver strands.
Possessing silver hair in the continent was a rarity, occurring perhaps once in a million. Silver itself was scarce in the Wolfe continents, and the Lycan crown strictly prohibited the use of silver in any form due to its lethal nature against wolves and other creatures. Lilac's silver hair marked her as a potential living weapon.
"The Moon Goddess has cursed us indeed! She's sent an exterminator!" A terrified voice cried out, capturing the collective fear in the room.
"Delta Lavendair should have eliminated her when he had the chance!" Another voice shouted, accusingly, "Allowing such a freak to be born was a betrayal to us all!"
"S-I-L-E-N-C-E!" The snake woman's piercing hiss silenced the room. "Foolish! How can all of you be afraid of a young woman?" she admonished. In truth, she was displeased that another presence seemed to overshadow her significance at that moment. Did they not understand her power? She believed they should fear her more than anything else. Yet, the young woman with silver hair appeared to evoke more fear than she did. With great annoyance, the snake woman walked toward Lilac and plucked some strands of her silver hair. "It's not silver, it's just hair! Can you not all see that?"
"Rina, stay away from her!" Gigi, the unmerciful child, warned. "My candles do not like her."
"Are you scared?" The snake woman mocked the black wolf child. "You're such a coward, little brat."
"And what about you freak?" She fixed her gaze on Lilac once again, increasing the force on her hair to inflict pain. "Are you absolutely certain that you are the Alpha's bride?"
"I might be the one you are looking for," Lilac responded in pain as she struggled against the snake woman's assault. Through her struggle, the snake woman realized that Lilac's eyes were shut. She hadn't opened them since her veil had been removed from her face. Was she afraid of looking at the snake and being turned into stone?
"You can't hide your eyes from me forever," The snake woman threatened. "My snake can still turn you into stone without you even needing to look into its eyes. All he needs to do is bite you."
Lilac did not respond, choosing to keep her eyes shut.
"Now, where were we?" The snake woman tried to recall. "Ah, the Alpha's bride. How can we be sure it's you and not a fake like the previous one?"
"I don't know," Lilac answered honestly, her voice strained from pain. "However, the Alpha was my mate, so maybe I am the one you are looking for."
"Liar!" Lady Violet immediately dismissed Lilac's claim. "How shameless are you to say you are the Alpha's mate? Your silver hair is an abomination to the Moon Claw throne!"
"Violet, I'm trying to save you," Lilac pointed out, looking at her sister who was holding the unconscious Alpha in her arms. Sigmund XII's face was covered in blood and dust.
"I don't need saving!" Violet spat back. "I'd rather die defending the throne from your shameless claims, just like how Mother defended it."
"Who is telling the truth and who is lying?" The snake woman turned to the child this time, desperate for answers. However, the child, Gigi, could not provide any answers, especially since she couldn't penetrate Lilac's persona. Moreover, ever since Lilac's silver hair was exposed, her candles had stopped revealing anything.
"You've become absolutely useless, Gigi," the snake woman hissed, turning her attention back to Lilac. She wore a twisted grin. "Then perhaps I should be the one to judge. I say that you, woman, are lying," she concluded without concrete evidence. In reality, she despised the calmness in Lilac's eyes and was merely using this as an excuse to inflict harm.
"I am not lying," Lilac defended, her throat parched. She was well aware of the danger she was in and had been praying to the Moon Goddess for rescue. However, it seemed that no help was coming. The Moon Claw had fallen, and she was likely to fall with it.
"Let my snake be the judge of that," her captor declared as her snake slithered toward Lilac. The reptile approached, ready to strike Lilac's eyes, which were shut until that moment. It hissed and displayed its forked tongue, poised to attack. But just as it prepared to bite, Lilac opened her eyes. The snake saw two radiant hues: one shimmering purple, the other emerald. As it peered deeper into these captivating eyes, it saw its own reflection. A surge of power surged forth, causing the snake to turn to stone.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The snake woman shrieked in horror as she witnessed her beloved pet turn to stone and shatter on the ground. She wailed, her cries filled with raw anguish. She knelt to gather the broken fragments of her companion, her hands trembling. She then directed her fury at Lilac. "What have you done?"
Lilac, bewildered by what had transpired, could only listen to the snake woman's lament as she stepped back. Her efforts to retreat were futile against Rina's rage. In an instant, she felt the woman's claws rake across her face, drawing blood.
"I will kill you for this! Look at me!" Rina demanded, attempting to force Lilac to open her eyes again. Her claws poised to gouge out Lilac's eyes.
However, Gigi intervened, warning her companion, "Do not look into her eyes, Rina, or you will turn into a stone like your pet. Your power will ricochet, because in case you haven't noticed…"
"…That silver-haired woman is blind."