Daughter of Dusk

Soren and I escape the Manor as quickly as we can, evading Father’s grasp thanks to the mist. We head out the door by the servant’s quarters and head outside so as to not test our luck, quickly making our way toward the path that leads to Soren’s village.

But before we turn the corner, I look back at the Manor one final time.

The black vines wrap around the stone, crawling up the rocks as though they’re trying to find the fastest way to the top. They intertwine with one another, making certain parts of the walls look bigger than they actually are. My eyes move to the various towers and pointed archways, the fear of them closing in on me seeming like a distant memory now.

This place is a distant memory now.

Everything I’ve ever been afraid of, every ounce of anxiety I ever felt while I was there is just, gone. Like it never existed. Of course, that’s a foolish concept – I’m sure it will always follow me in some form – but for now, I’m free.

I’m really free.

With a final breath, I turn my back on seventeen years of nightmares, walking away.

I’m finally leaving, and I’m never coming back. Ever.

Without another thought on the matter, I focus on walking to Soren’s village as quickly as we can.

Neither of us speaks as we walk through the trees, the air too heavy for conversation. But after everything that just happened, I welcome the silence.

Before long, we find ourselves at the treeline that precedes his village.

I catch myself thinking about how much my life has changed in such a short amount of time. Not too long ago, I was here for the first time, gazing at the village as though it was the most mystical thing in the world. I suppose at that point it was.

Finally, Soren’s voice breaks through the air.

“I don’t think my mother is home right now, but we can still stay there for now, at least until we figure out what to do.”

I nod, and we jog over to Soren’s house.

As we come closer, I find myself once again admiring the geometric carvings in the door, on the outside walls, and anywhere there’s space. I can almost picture him in the process of creating it all, standing on a stool to reach the highest places, putting care into every nick, every groove adding to the masterpiece.

We quickly head inside, and he leads me up the stairs and into a room I haven’t been in before, but as I take it in, I can deduce that it must be his.

A wooden bed is nestled into the corner of the room, adorned with what I’m certain is a handmade quilt. A few sections of the room are carved with filigree, delicate swirls and knots intertwining, with the rest of the wooden walls displaying a few drawings on yellowed pieces of paper. The ceilings are low, like that of Father’s study, but it’s not suffocating in here. If anything, it’s the opposite.

“Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess in here,” he says.

I step into the room and sit on the bed, running my hands over the divots in the quilt seams. “Not at all.”

He sits down next to me, running his fingers through my hair. “Are you doing okay?”

“I think so. But I’m not ever going back to that place. Not after everything that happened.”

He nods. “Anything you need, I’m right here, okay?”

I meet his icelike eyes, giving him a small smile. “Thank you. And same to you.”

He gives me a kiss on the cheek before changing the subject. “I guess Kera is your next move then, hey?”

I sigh. “It has to be. It’s not safe here for me anymore. At least on Kera, I know I’ll be safe from all this.”

He’s quiet as he tucks a piece of hair away from my face.

I frown. “What is it?”

His face softens. “I’m proud of you. That’s a big decision, and I’m glad you found the courage to do it.”

I smile a little bigger this time, before giving him a gentle kiss. “I don’t expect you to have made a decision about going to Kera yet, I know that would be a big shift for you too, and I wouldn’t want you to feel forced to just because I’m going.”

He thinks for a moment. “It sounds like I’m in the same spot as you, almost.”

“Oh?”

“There’s no way I’m going back there. I can’t just go back and pretend like nothing ever happened. Darius will be looking for me if I stay here too. It’s not safe for either of us.”

“So . . . what are you saying?”

He takes my hands, meeting my brown eyes. “I’ll go with you.”

He’s right, it’s the best course of action for him, too. But just hearing him say the words makes my jaw drop.

“Wait, you’re sure? What about your mother?”

“You said so yourself you could teach me how to portal, so I could still visit if I wanted to. But I – I’d choose to go with you regardless of everything else going on around us.”

“Why?”

His cheeks go a bright shade of pink. “Because – because I love you.”

He . . .

My skin turns so hot it’s a wonder I don’t set on fire.

“What did you just say?” I whisper.

He takes a breath before speaking again, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “I love you. I love how your eyes light up whenever you talk about Kera and all the wonderful things there, and that warmth I feel from you and your Aether powers. I love how you refused to give up hope until you found out the truth about Evangeline, and when you found the strength to stand up to your father. But most of all, despite everything you’ve been through, I love that you’ve never lost your kindness.” He lets out a shaky exhale. “I know going to Kera is a big change, but I – I want to be with you, Luna, no matter what. I can’t imagine my life without you.”

A shaky exhale escapes me as I get lost in the frosted skies, unable to speak as my heart tugs toward him.

He loves me.

Without thinking, I cradle his face in my fingers and kiss him, letting my heart open, letting him fill it with all the goodness in the world.

I pull away as he puts his arms around me again, and I get lost in the endless empathy of his eyes.

“I love you too.” I take a breath. “I’ve never felt this connected to anyone. Every time I’m with you my heart just pulls toward you, and I . . . I can’t explain it. But I felt it from the moment I saw you. It’s like my heart knew you’d be my future, that I’d always be with you, no matter what obstacles get in our way.” I look down, unable to stop myself from smiling as I bring my gaze back up to him. “You’re my everything.”

His arms tighten around me as he smiles, and for several moments, we stay silent, letting our words linger in the air as that invisible force between us pulls us together, and our lips connect. But this time, there’s something different. There’s a spark that was always there but is now stronger than ever; one of passion and desire, igniting into a steady flame.

It sets a hurricane loose in my stomach.

And I don’t want it to stop.

We erase whatever little space there was between us as we lay down side by side on his bed, my hand in his hair, the other playing with the hem of his shirt, his hands on me . . .

What am I doing?

I back away, sitting back up and moving to the center of the bed, crossing my legs. The hurricane that was once intoxicating me has swept me up in its current, threatening to send me across the world, spinning me around, around, around . . .

“What’s wrong?” He sits across from me, playing with my hair.

I look down. “Sorry, I’ve just, never done this before.” My voice is barely above a whisper.

He cradles my cheek and tips my chin up so I can meet his gentle, crystal eyes. “We don’t have to.”

I shake my head. “No, I want to. I’m just nervous.”

He takes my hand and leaves a soft kiss on each of my fingers, before bringing my hand to his chest. I close my eyes as the quick pace radiates through my palm, letting the feeling surround me.

He reaches for me, ever so delicately running his thumb along my lips. I can’t help but smile as I open my eyes and gaze at him once more, finding nothing but comfort among the cool, glacial waters.

“Follow my lead, okay?”

I nod, and my smile widens.

He guides my hands back down to the hem of his shirt, letting go as I pull it upwards.

The sight of him makes my cheeks flush all over again, my eyes trailing across every inch of his chest and strong shoulders.

I don’t remember deciding to, but in the next moment, I find myself running my fingertips over his chest, drawing a line from his shoulders down his sternum as the feeling of his skin against mine lights me on fire. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Our lips connect once again, and any sense of nervousness I was feeling disintegrates into dust, and I allow myself to let go, to lose myself in this moment.

He holds me against him, and I let my legs drape around his waist as his heartbeat echoes against my own. Everything about him is so gentle, so tender, even the smallest touch carrying all the love in the world.

He backs away for a split second, placing a hand between my shoulder blades as he gently lowers me onto my back.

His bangs brush against my forehead and I lace my hand through his blonde locks, the other trailing up and down his back, feeling his shoulders against my fingertips, how strong he feels; he could protect me from anything in this moment.

He places his hands on the hem of my shirt, his eyes locking on mine. “Is this okay?”

I nod, keeping my arms around him, unable to wipe the smile from my face. “More than okay.”

He pulls my sweater over my head, but I’m so warm I hardly notice the newfound chill around me. But then he stops for several moments, holding the smallest part of my waist as his eyes linger over me.

“Say something,” I breathe with a chuckle.

His eyes meet mine again as he bites his lip with a smile. “You’re beautiful, Luna.”

I get lost in the ice, absorbing the warmth of the sun, the silvery hue reflecting the bright blue of the sky, and I press my lips together with a grin.

How did I possibly find the kindest soul in Zala? How did I get lucky enough to have someone I can walk into this next phase of my life with?

Maybe fate is on my side.

I run my hands down his chest, listening to his heartbeat against my fingers once more.

“Ready?” He pushes a strand of hair away from my face.

“Ready.”

*

I don’t remember falling asleep, but I awake to the sound of a heartbeat echoing in my ears.

But it’s not my heartbeat.

I open my eyes, my cheeks flushing as recent memories come back to me, nuzzling against Soren’s chest.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” he coos.

I look up at him. “It’s not morning already, is it?”

He shakes his head. “No, it’s early evening now. But you passed right out. I thought it was best to let you sleep for a little bit, while we had time to, at least.”

I laugh sheepishly. “Sorry. I suppose I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

“It’s fine.” He looks up at the ceiling. “I guess this is the last time I’ll ever really be sleeping here, hmm?”

“I suppose.” A pang of guilt hits me. “I’m sorry about all this.”

He shifts, moving onto his side so we’re facing each other. “What do you mean?”

“I feel like I’m the reason for all this upheaval.”

He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “I don’t think so. I mean, if this is Darius’s true nature, I’m sure something like this was bound to happen eventually. I’m not going to support someone who does such awful things. I don’t care if they’re the ruler of Zala or not.”

“I know, I only meant that –”

He places a finger over my lips. “Luna, I promise it’s okay. What matters now is getting to Kera, and that we’re together.”

He seals his words with a gentle kiss, and I can’t find the words to protest him.

“If we’re going, we should do it today, before Father starts looking for us,” I breathe. “But I wish we could stay like this forever.”

“Hmm,” he agrees, kissing my forehead, and giving me a tight squeeze before reluctantly getting up.

I grin as I watch him throw a shirt over his head, but then my mind wakes up with a question. “What are we going to tell your mom?”

“Oh, I was going to talk to you about that.” He turns to me. “The easiest thing would probably be to tell her the truth. Is that okay?”

I think for several moments as I sit up, holding the quilt over my chest.

I’ve spent enough time with Rhea to know if she is untrustworthy. I don’t get that sense from her in the slightest.

I nod. “That’s okay.”

“You sure? I won’t if you’re not comfortable with it.”

I give him a reassuring smile as I reach for my sweater. “It’s okay. I trust you both. Besides, I’d hate to be the reason you lie to your mother. I’m okay with her knowing the truth about all this.”

He gives me a light peck on the lips. “Thanks.”

We finish getting dressed and head down the stairs, where we see Rhea sitting in the living room with a cup of tea.

“Oh, Luna! I didn’t realize you were here.” She looks between Soren and me.

I laugh sheepishly before Soren speaks.

“Mother, there was something I – or, we – wanted to talk to you about.”

She tilts her head to the side with a small smile. “Sounds very serious. What’s going on?” She puts her teacup down on the table.

Soren and I take the seats across from her, and he tells her all about our plans to go to Kera, but he leaves out my connection to the world of Enas. Which he knows I appreciate. As much as he’s a part of my life, I’m more comfortable saying that part of my story for myself.

She pauses, taking a deep breath. “Well, that’s . . .wow, quite the decision, I must say. May I ask what brought this on? Both of you have a role at the Manor, I don’t think it’s a good idea to just leave.” She averts her eyes. “I’m sure you both know what Darius can be like.”

Soren puts a gentle hand on my knee, running his thumb back and forth along my skin.

“I think we both know all too well.” I start, taking a breath. “But it isn’t safe for either of us in Zala anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“We both stood up to Darius for some of the God-awful things he’s done, and as you can imagine, he didn’t take it well, and we had to leave before anything worse happened. He’ll come after us if we stay in Zala, because. . .” I take a breath. “I haven’t been completely truthful about who I am. I’m not just a servant at the Manor. There’s a reason I was able to heal you when you were sick. My mother was from Enas, and . . . Darius is my father.”

I exhale shakily, looking down for a moment. But when I glance back up, her silvery eyes are wide and full of suspicion.

“Mother? What’s wrong?”

She shakes her head, keeping her gaze on me. “That’s impossible. Darius couldn’t be your father.”

What does she mean?

“It’s not. I grew up in the Manor, and I wasn’t ever allowed to leave because of who my mother was and where she was from. By all accounts, I was a servant who took care of the library, but I was constantly reminded of my lineage.”

She blinks at me. “How old are you, my dear?”

“Seventeen.”

“So then maybe he . . . oh my God.” She looks away, covering her mouth with one hand.

My mind races at a mile a minute. Why is she reacting like this?

“Mother, what’s going on?”

She takes a breath. “Soren, I haven’t been honest with you. And it’s time I change that. You deserve to know who you are.”