Isabella POV:
Elfie knelt before the stone altar, a perfect portrait of piety. She closed her eyes, her lips moving in a silent, fake prayer. Then, right on cue, she gasped.
A piercing shriek echoed through the quiet clearing.
Her hands flew to her neck, her eyes wide with manufactured panic. "My necklace! The moonstone necklace Mother gave me! It's gone!"
Her gaze, sharp and accusatory, immediately locked onto mine. "Sister... we were the only ones here. Did you... did you see it?"
I watched her pathetic performance with the detached interest of a spectator at a poorly rehearsed play.
Before I could even bother to answer, they emerged from the trees.
A handful of Rogues, their clothes tattered, their stench of desperation and violence fouling the air. The leader, a burly man with a scarred face, held up Elfie's necklace, letting the moonstone catch the light.
"Well, well. Look what the forest spirits left for us," he sneered, his eyes gleaming with greed.
A flicker of triumph lit Elfie's face. This was it. Her moment.
"That's mine!" she cried, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Sister, did you take it away? You stole it, then threw it away! "
According to the original script, those villains were hired by Elfie and immediately took me away as a thief.
But I just smiled. A slow, knowing curve of my lips.
The Rogue leader paused, his rehearsed lines dying on his tongue. He tilted his head, studying me with a newfound curiosity.
Elfie's panic became real. "What are you waiting for?" she hissed. "Seize the thief!"
I moved then. Not backward in fear, but forward, closing the distance between us. I calmly reached into the sleeve of my gown and produced a small, unassuming piece of iron. A token, stamped with the emblem of a notorious underground fighting pit in the city.
I held it up for the leader to see. His eyes widened in recognition.
"Someone paid you double the usual rate for today's little drama," I said, my voice a low murmur only he could hear. "I'm paying you triple. For your loyalty."
His gaze flickered from the token to my face. He was a beast of instinct, and his instincts were screaming that I was far more dangerous than the sniveling girl.
"And," I added, the final, crushing weight on the scales, "I can ensure your sister gets the best care from the Carlisle pack's Healers."
I knew from my past life that his younger sister was dying from a wasting sickness. Information was the sharpest weapon of all.
The struggle in his eyes lasted only a second. Greed was a powerful motivator, but love was stronger. He made his choice.
He bowed his head to me, a gesture of submission and respect.
Elfie stared, her mouth agape. The world she thought she controlled was crumbling before her eyes.
The Rogue leader straightened up, turning his predatory gaze on her. The feigned menace was gone, replaced by something chillingly real.
"What was that you said, little girl?" he growled, taking a slow, deliberate step toward her. "Who's the thief?"
Elfie stumbled backward, her face a mask of terror. "What... what are you doing? This wasn't the plan!"
I leaned against the cool stone of the altar, folding my arms. The queen, observing the checkmate.
The Rogue grabbed Elfie's arm, his thick fingers bruising her delicate skin. "Our new employer said we only needed to take one of you. And since we can't afford to offend this esteemed lady," he nodded respectfully in my direction, "I guess that leaves you."
Elfie's scream was a raw, terrified thing. "Isabella! Help me! I'm your sister!"
I walked down the steps until I stood before her. I reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, my touch a mockery of affection.
I leaned in close, my lips brushing her ear.
"This is the price of your betrayal, dear sister," I whispered. "Enjoy it. This is only the beginning."
The dawning horror in her eyes was exquisite. She finally understood. She had never been the predator. She was, and always had been, the prey.
I straightened up and addressed the Rogue leader. "Don't damage her too badly. I still have use for her."
He gave me a toothy, subservient grin. "Understood, my lady."
His men dragged the screaming, struggling Elfie into the forest. They moved with brutal efficiency, and soon her cries faded, swallowed by the trees.
The clearing was silent once more. Sunlight streamed down, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.
I stood alone before the altar of the Moon Goddess, the architect of my own justice. And I felt the first, sweet taste of vengeance.
—-
