Daughter of Dusk

I take a breath. You can do this, Luna.

“You’re right,” I start. “There is more to this than I’ve let on. But if I tell you, you have to promise me you won’t tell a soul. Not even your mother.”

“I promise.” He takes my hand, surer of himself this time. “It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me already.”

Warmth pulses through my fingertips, sending tingles up my arms, but my mind rudely interrupts the moment as I remember the task at hand.

“I didn’t lie to you before about not being able to leave. But . . . there was one detail I neglected to tell you.” I take a breath. “I’m not a servant. In fact, I’m technically the furthest thing from it.” I look down before meeting his eyes again, readying myself to say the fateful words. “Darius is my father.”

A weight lifts from my chest as the words fall from my mouth, as though a fragment of the darkness in my heart has left me, falling to the ground and shattering into a million pieces.

His eyes widen. “So, you’re in line to rule Zala one day? That – that would make you royalty.” I can almost sense his thought process from here.

I press my lips together. “Not exactly.”

His eyes light up with realization but there’s a hint of suspicion in his features. “Wait a second, I thought there was only Nox and Melinoe in line. I’ve never heard anything about you.”

I contort my face, disconnecting our hands. “No, you wouldn’t have. Father may be the ruler of Zala, but I’d hardly consider myself royalty. I’m illegitimate.”

His expression shifts to understanding. “Is that why I’ve never heard of you before?”

I nod with a somber expression. “Essentially. Not even the servants know who I am. As far as they know, I’m just the one who looks after the library – which isn’t really that far off, to be perfectly candid. But everything else I told you is true. He’s always said I can’t leave the Manor and that no one can know I’m his daughter because my mother was a traitor. That’s why you’ve never heard of me.”

He remains quiet, processing my words. I try reading his expression, but he’s too lost in thought for me to pin it down to one thing. But I can feel his energy scattering around the room, putting the picture together in his mind, slowly wading through the shock of my words. He runs a hand through his hair with a breath.

“Please, say something,” I whisper, unconsciously reaching and taking one of his hands in mine.

“It’s a lot to take in, just give me a second,” he says with a shaky exhale.

After several moments, he continues. “So, Nox and Melinoe, they’re your brother and sister?”

“Half-brother and sister. But yes.”

“And . . . no one else at the Manor knows who you are aside from your family?”

I nod again. “At the moment, you’re the only one outside Father, Nox and Melinoe that knows the truth.”

Realization hits me as I say the words. My secret isn’t a family affair, not anymore.

I quickly shake my head out of the thoughts before they have a chance to grow into something I can’t control, focusing on the cool hues of his smooth skin to distract myself.

His gaze flicks to my shoulder as a sudden flash of outrage crosses his eyes, disappearing as quickly as it came. But I don’t think his anger is with me.

“What is it?” I ask.

He shakes his head, now taking both hands in mine as he gives my fingers a light squeeze. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, but, earlier, when you healed your shoulder, how did it get hurt in the first place? Is . . .is Darius hurting you? Is that why you didn’t want me to say anything to him?”

I blink at him as I take in his words.

If Father knew that Soren was accusing him of such things. . . I don’t even want to consider it.

“No, no, Father’s never done anything like that. The injury was from Melinoe.”

“Did he do anything to stop it?”

“He did this time. But he doesn’t always. But that’s just Melinoe, I can’t really do anything to stop her. With Father . . .” I sigh. “Sometimes I wonder if he’d prefer it if I didn’t exist. But then. . . if he does really hate me, then why would he prevent me from going outside? Why would he even care what happens to me? And it’s like you said earlier, whatever my mother did has nothing to do with me. I never even met her. It – it doesn’t make sense, now that I really consider it. But that’s just the way things have always been.”

I look down as the weighted words leave me. For a moment, it feels . . . cathartic. But then I look down at Soren’s hands in mine, and my heart pounds in my throat as my mind begins to race.

I jerk my hands up, disconnecting us. “God, sorry, I can’t believe I just told you all that. I said too much.”

“No, you didn’t. Not even remotely. I don’t mind you telling me these things.” He sighs, scratching the back of his head as he thinks. “I – there has to be something I can do. I know you said talking to him was a bad idea, but I’m outside the family system. Maybe he’ll listen to me.”

“No, he won’t. And it’s not like he’s hurting me anyway.”

He frowns, confusion in his bright eyes. “Yes, he is, Luna. Not physically, but controlling you through fear, keeping you locked away, it still counts.”

His words stop me in my tracks. If I hadn’t experienced anything outside the Manor, I’d be inclined to disagree with him. But now that I’ve seen the clear unconditional love and connection Soren and Rhea have . . . something deep within myself tells me he’s right.

“Even if it does, you can’t say anything, okay? It would still fall back on you, me, potentially even your mother . . .” I look down, holding my elbows.

“I’m not going to stand back and watch.”

I meet his gaze again. “No, no, that’s not what I meant. Just . . .” I sigh. “You don’t know Father the way I do. He is not a man to be crossed, ever. It doesn’t matter if you feel that he’s in the wrong. He won’t ever see it. It’s not worth it.” I chew on my bottom lip. “You have to believe me.”

After a long pause, he gently takes both of my hands again, and an intense flutter fills my stomach, like ravens beating their wings against the wind.

“What can I do?”

I blink at him. “What do you mean?”

“If standing up to him isn’t an option right now, I’ll follow your lead. You do know him better than anyone.” He pauses again. “So, what can I do to help you?”

My cheeks flush pink. “I – erm – well, the whole reason why I wanted to leave the Manor – before you even found me – was to find out more about transportation magic so I can get to Enas. I was going to ask you for help with that after I healed your mother.” I look down. “Father has led me to believe it was lost, but something Nox and Melinoe said makes me think transportation magic is still around.”

A wide grin appears on Soren’s face. “That’s because it is.”

My jaw nearly drops to the floor. “Wait, really?”

He nods. “I know Mother has a book about it, but I’m not sure where it is. I can ask her about it and find it for you.”

I’m about to respond yes, when reality quickly puts me in check. I would imagine Father’s lesson with Nox and Melinoe would be ending soon, and I don’t know how long finding this book will take. “I appreciate that, but I don’t think I can stay while we look. I’ve been gone too long already.”

He nods. “I’ll find it tonight, and maybe . . .when I’m done with Darius tomorrow, I can bring it with me and meet you in the library. Then we can dive into it together.”

My eyes widen. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. I don’t know much, but I am curious about it,” he teases.

I grin, when my face falls. “I don’t suppose you’d have a book on making amulets too? I might need one of those,” I say half-jokingly.

“No, can’t say I do,” he responds in kind. “But we’ll figure something out. I know it.”

I blink several times as reality sets in. “Doesn’t – doesn’t all this make you uneasy?” I start before I’m aware of the words coming from my mouth. “I mean . . . you’re just going to accept who I am and help me? Just like that?”

He chuckles. “I won’t lie to you, I’m still wrapping my head around it. But, at the end of the day, you’re still you, even if Darius is your father. I’m not going to treat you differently. And I might be working under Darius, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you get to Enas, or . . .” He pauses, and his cheeks go pink. “Why do you want to go to Enas, by the way? No one’s gone there since the war.”

I look down. “Because . . . next week, he’s going to be assessing Nox and Melinoe’s fighting skills against me. And.” My chest goes tight. “He said they won’t hold back, even if I’m on the brink of death.”

“Luna . . .” He shuts his eyes tight for half a second. “Why would he want to do something like that to you?”

I sigh. “It’s because of the altercation with Melinoe earlier. Father sees it as my fault – well – it is my fault, technically. I said something I shouldn’t have, and she attacked me because of it, and it spiralled from there.”

He pauses, giving my fingertips a quick squeeze. “It sounds like that was very much her decision to attack you. You’re not to blame for what she did.”

My eyes widen as I take in his words. “I guess you’re right.”

“That is, unless you have some kind of vendetta you’ve been hiding. But you don’t seem like the type who would purposely start a fight,” he says in an attempt to add some kind of levity, but his expression quickly turns serious again. “What happens if you refuse?”

My voice is barely audible. “I’ll be sent to the dungeons.”

Silence lingers between us as pain envelops his mirror-like eyes. “You must be so scared.”

I open my mouth to respond, but the pull toward him is too strong to form words. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more . . . seen by anyone before.

“I am scared,” I manage to whisper. “I don’t train my powers nearly as much as Nox and Melinoe, and I – I don’t even want to think about it. But I’ll go mad in the dungeons. It’s just so . . . have you been down there?”

“Briefly,” he says with a shudder. “I assume you have?”

“Once.” I avert my eyes. “I have to find a way to escape their grasp before all that can happen. If I stay in Zala, I’ll be on the run for life. Enas is the safest place for me to go, even if it takes away my powers without an amulet. I’d rather it didn’t, honestly, but . . . I’ll take that over what awaits me if I stay here.”

He takes my hand, looking deep into my brown eyes. “Luna, I swear, we’re going to find a way to get you out of here. I won’t watch you go through any of that.” His other hand runs through a section of my straight dark hair, the gentle sensation stealing away the rest of my words as my face becomes warm.

“Soren . . .” The silvery hue of his eyes pulls me towards him, and I have to stop myself from getting lost completely. “I – thank you for everything. Truly.” I take a step back. “Though, I really should be getting back, if you and your mother are okay from here.”

“Of course. I can take you back there if you’d like.”

“No, no, that’s okay, I can make it back on my own. But I’ll see you tomorrow evening?”

He grins. “I look forward to it.”