by Kristen Day
“Don’t hold your breath,” I threw back at him.
“What about our cards?!” Ian whined at me. I slipped them out of my back pocket and tossed them back into the house; making them rain down on the three guys hoping to continue their card game. I snickered as I closed the door. Not a single word was spoken as we made our way back to Stasia’s house, but I noticed Fallon staring up at the moon the entire time. I kept my defenses up in case she decided to snatch it from the sky and throw it at us or something.
Once inside, I noted Amphitrite and Natasha talking quietly in the kitchen, while everyone else was still gathered in the living room. Except Stasia.
“Where’s Stasia?” I asked whoever decided to answer.
“We took her into the bedroom,” Avery explained. “She started moaning, so I tried to ease whatever pain she was feeling. I’m not sure if it worked or not but she seemed to relax, so we took her back into the bedroom where she’d be more comfortable.”
I found a spot against the wall – close enough to take down Fallon if need be. Sebastian walked over and leaned up against the wall beside me. Oddly enough, his presence comforted me. I quickly pushed that thought aside. I didn’t have time to think about him right now.
Once Finn and Fallon entered the room, everyone except Natasha fell quiet as they inspected the new arrival with hesitation and curiosity. Meara stepped forward and her face lit up with compassion.
“Fallon.” She nodded respectfully.
“Geia mi̱triá.” Fallon grinned back at her. Finn cleared his throat and sent the moon descendant a severe look of warning to ensure she said nothing else.
“This is Fallon,” Finn announced as he directed her into an arm chair. “We found her lurking around in the cave systems within the island.”
“She is not to be considered a threat,” Natasha informed us and glanced pointedly at Finn. I felt the room relax, but I was with Finn. I wasn’t convinced of her intentions, and until then, she would be considered a threat to Stasia’s security.
“I believe she has knowledge that relates to Stasia’s odd behavior, the missing relics and Luna,” Finn expounded. “And I’ll keep her here until she tells us everything she knows.”
“Fallon.” Natasha glided into the living room. “Please excuse my son’s behavior. It is his job to be difficult. I hope you can understand. He is simply worried for Stasia’s safety.”
“As am I,” Fallon spoke up with confidence. “Which is why I have granted him the ability to capture and detain me for this long.”
Chapter 36
Olivia
I watched the corner of Natasha’s mouth twitch as she fought back a smile, but Meara did nothing to hide hers. Finn turned toward Fallon with malice. He bent down mere inches away from her face, while his eyes darkened considerably with anger. I felt Sebastian stiffen at my side.
“I will not hesitate to send you straight to the darkest depths of Tribeca,” he growled at her.
“I am on your side, Finn,” Fallon said simply, not fazed by Finn’s threat. “But I do not respond to threats or violence. I am your equal, and I expect to be treated as one.”
A collective gasp sounded throughout the room. I inspected the small, pale girl sitting in the arm chair and couldn’t help but be impressed by her fortitude. She glowed with power, and the unwavering confidence in her eyes told me she could back that glow up. I supposed being the direct descendant of any Goddess would warrant that type of strength and self-assurance. Stasia embodied that same commandment of respect and display of dignity. As much as I’d tried to hate her when I first met her, it was that courage that finally won my respect.
We waited for Finn to strangle her or rip her to pieces; either of which being something I’d gladly assist with. Oddly enough, he did neither. He settled for asking her a question.
“Why do your eyes change colors? I’ve never seen any other Auras’ eyes turn violet.” It sounded more like an accusation, but Fallon seemed to accept it as his form of a truce.
“I am a direct descendant of Luna. My essence is very strong, and-”
“Then why did Stasia’s eyes turn violet when she attacked Amphitrite?” Finn interrupted her. He stepped backward and sat down abruptly, and I could tell he was fighting his instinct to beat her to a bloody pulp. “She’s a Goddess of the sea, for God’s sake, not a cold-blooded, presumptuous Aura.”
“Unfortunately, the only Auras the world has ever known are the Auras created and shaped by the other, less dignified moon Goddess - Selene.” She smiled in spite of herself. “Stasia’s father was a direct descendant of Selene, which makes her essence very strong as well. But what truly sets us apart from other Auras is something else.”
“What?” Carmen pressed.
“Neither of us are one of the pure, undiluted Auras of today.”
“Which means….” Avery prompted her.
“Stasia is only half Aura – because her mother is Thetis. I am only half Aura as well. My father is Atlas.”
“This is like a bizarre episode of the Brady Bunch,” Avery muttered.
“You’re half Atlantean?” Sebastian confirmed doubtfully, and Fallon nodded.
“Mom?” Finn looked at Natasha with a hint of incredulity. “You knew this?”
“No, but Thetis relayed this same knowledge to her Council long ago,” Amphitrite answered for Natasha. “She met Fallon just once when she was a baby. She told us of Luna’s only child - a girl with hair as pale as moonlight and skin that glowed with the essence of the moon.” She used finger quotes to portray Thetis’s words.
“You’ve been hiding your identity as a descendant of Luna all this time?” I questioned her. “Right under Selene’s nose?”
“Yes,” she retorted tightly. “It’s easy to hide when you are an outcast. I look nothing like the other Auras, giving me a perfect reason not to get close with anyone. I am able to darken my essence so Selene did not take notice.”
“Darken?” Carmen repeated.
“There are two sides to the moon,” Natasha relayed simply.
“I’m going to take a wild guess here…” I surmised sarcastically, “…and assume Selene would be connected to the dark side of the moon; being that she’s got such a bubbly, positive personality and all.”
“Isn’t that a Pink Floyd song?” Avery giggled.
“That’s right, Olivia,” Natasha continued. “And Luna was born of the light - or reflective - side of the moon; as was Fallon.”
“So Stasia has the dark essence from the moon inside of her…” Finn thought out loud.
“Which is why it is imperative that I speak with her,” Fallon insisted.
“To what end?” Finn interrogated.
“That is a discussion I must have with Anastasia, herself.” Fallon abruptly closed the door on the conversation with a stiff arm.
“That’s not good enough,” Finn threw back at her. Fallon didn’t miss a beat when she responded with the brutal truth.
“My mother warned me of Selene’s wrath and the horrible things she’s done to Anastasia’s family in the past. Without her father to educate her on the ways of the moon’s essence and its dangers, she will soon meet the same tragic end.”
A blanket of silence fell over the room as we all digested that piece of information. Finn stood and began to pace the room before responding.
“You said Stasia was responsible for taking the Book of Souls and Key to Tribeca,” Finn stated. “She would have no knowledge of either, nor a reason to take them in the first place.”
“You are right,” Fallon sighed. “But someone else does. And I believe she has the ability to use the moon’s power to her advantage and control Stasia’s mind.”
“But Stasia wouldn’t allow it!” Phoebe protested.
“Stasia probably has no knowledge it is happening.” Fallon frowned. “Selene is stealth in the ways of her Auras, and she knows how to use the moon’s energy to her advantage.”
“You believe Selene made her ta
ke them?” Natasha asked from the kitchen. I glanced at Sebastian out of the corner of my eye and noticed how calm he was. He didn’t seem surprised or worried at the information Fallon was sharing. Which bothered me.
“I believe Selene used Stasia as a vessel to steal them,” Fallon clarified. “And I believe she is still using Stasia as a vessel.”
“That would explain the sleep walking and her memory lapses,” I contemplated, and met Finn’s bewildered gaze.
“The moon’s energy ebbs and flows. You can see it in the tides. It pulls and releases, builds and falls. To those who are privy to those minute cycles, they know when the mind and essence of an Aura is at its strongest. And also when it’s at its weakest.”
“So Selene is using Stasia’s Aura essence against her?” Phoebe surmised.
“Yes, but more dire is the fact that Selene can control the moon’s cycles; therefore controlling Anastasia’s strength and Aura essence.” Fallon fidgeted in her chair. “But there are many other factors that I must warn her about.”
She started to rise from her chair until Finn’s hand clamped down firmly on her shoulder. She glanced down at it and then back up at him with eyes brimming with clout. He painstakingly lifted his hand, but didn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked across the room and straight into Stasia’s bedroom.
I began to follow, but Amphitrite stepped in my way. “You can trust her, Olivia. I assure you.”
“But if you’re wrong…”
“Olivia.” Sebastian came up beside me, and although I knew I looked at him like he’d just killed my dog, I didn’t care. He was the king of bad timing. “You need to rest. You’ve had a long day, and it’s almost 3:00am. You must be exhausted.”
He had a point. I was exhausted. My legs were shaking, my head was pounding and I needed a shot of something really strong. I looked over at Amphitrite. I would only be several paces away down in my own house. As if reading my mind, Finn walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder.
“I’ll be here all night. I can feel everything she feels,” he assured me. “She’s safe. You need to rest. It’s late, and a Warrior is no good to her Elysian if she can’t keep her eyes open.”
“Okay, daddy dearest.” I grinned at him. “Just make sure you don’t let anybody into your head, too.”
“I’d cut my own head off before I let that happen,” he retorted. Somehow I believed him.
“Don’t worry - I’d be glad to do it for you,” Sebastian joked, until he saw Finn’s face. He shrugged before taking my arm and leading me towards the door.
“He just makes it too easy,” he whispered in my ear; making me smile.
Chapter 37
Olivia
“I’ll be down with my horses if you should need me.”
I peered down at the two horses milling about at the base of the tree, and then back at Sebastian with doubt. After making the short walk downstairs to the door of my cottage, he was avoiding eye contact with me. He gazed at the branches making up the tree, up at the stars hanging in the sky, and finally he settled for focusing on the two animals below. He stuck his hands in his pocket and began to turn away.
“Sleeping with the horses, huh?” I joked. “You gonna cuddle with them, too?”
“You’d be surprised at how good they are at spooning.” He turned briefly and grinned at me. “Although you have to watch out for the hooves.” His blue eyes danced in the moonlight and he chuckled at his own joke. A spark of anger shot through me unexpectedly as I realized he would rather sleep with the horses than with me. Not that he’d said that, but he also hadn’t even tried to come inside or throw out some arrogant pick up line. He didn’t seem remotely interested in making sure I got to bed okay or if I needed anything. I shouldn’t have wanted him to anyway, so I didn’t know why I was getting all bent out of shape. I shook myself mentally.
“Well good luck with your threesome,” I threw at him with more annoyance than I’d meant to.
“First time I’ve heard that,” he muttered under his breath and chuckled. Without answering or saying good night, I closed the door behind me as he headed down the steps.
“Knýchta vraziliániki̱ omorfiá mou,” he murmured to my closed door in Greek. I rolled my eyes at myself and listened to his footsteps descend the stairs to meet his precious horses. I leaned up against the door and tried to talk myself out of being angry. What did I expect? For him to get down on bended knee and beg me to invite him inside? I couldn’t see Sebastian going to those lengths to spend the night with anyone. He could annoy me all day and insist on staying at my side every minute, but the moment I actually needed him he blew me off? What was I thinking? I shouldn’t need him! He was just some guy I barely knew. Whom I shouldn’t even trust! I should be able to get in bed alone and go to sleep without him. I did before I met him, and I would do it after meeting him. Nothing had changed.
But in all honesty, something had changed. I ‘needed’ a guy for a night of fun, for when I was bored, or just wanted to hook up. I didn’t ever ‘need’ a guy because I just wanted to be held. I didn’t ever ‘need’ a guy because I needed to be told everything would be okay. I wasn’t weak! Not to mention I’d seen this movie more times than I’d cared to: Girl meets guy. Guy charms girl. Girl sleeps with guy. Guy screws girl over and sleeps with her best friend. The end.
I shook my head at myself and forced my legs to take me back into the bedroom. I found a halfway slinky nightgown made of something resembling silk, and pulled back the covers. No matter what I told myself, I couldn’t push back the pressure building up in my heart any longer. I needed someone to hold me. To help me rebuild the walls in my heart and protect me against the agonizing uncertainty bubbling up in my mind and soul. The expectations of who I was destined to be and the fear of failing were nothing compared to what could crush my soul at any moment. The loneliness of sacrificing so much to protect someone before and after I’d met her, along with the ache that came along with the realization that she didn’t even know to what extent I had gone and would go to protect her was paralyzing. I didn’t want a tacky thank you card with glittery letters. I didn’t want a party in my honor. I just wanted to be…appreciated.
I yanked the covers up over my head and forced my eyes closed. I listened to the beating of my heart and willed it to slow down so I could relax. I felt hot tears tickle the back of my eyes, but resolutely pushed them away and scolded myself for even thinking about crying. I needed to be ready. I needed to be strong. If Stasia needed me five minutes from now, I needed to be ready to fight. Crumbling into a puddle of pity-filled tears was not the way to prepare. It was the way to fail miserably.
I tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity, but sleep still wouldn’t come. I was planning a way for how I could make Fallon talk, when I heard a loud scuffling sound above my head. When a resounding thump actually rocked the entire cottage, I was out of bed in a flash. One glance out the window showed me Sebastian was still with the horses. I saw his form standing next to one of them as it drank from the lake.
My hand wasn’t itching, but random noises on the roof were not something I could just shrug off. Before I knew what I was doing, I’d sprinted out of the front door and climbed up onto the railing of the porch. I had every intention of pulling myself up onto the roof, but once I got up there I realized it may not have been the best plan. I was at least three feet too short, so instead, I reached my leg out and found a good foothold on the window ledge. I wrapped my fingers around the edge of the roof and carefully shifted my weight. A breeze blew up my night gown, but it didn’t slow me down.
The fact that I was standing on a window ledge in the early hours of the morning never entered my mind as I pulled up and jumped; lifting myself up onto the ledge of the roof on my stomach. After several shimmies and one heart stopping slip, I’d maneuvered the entire way up onto the rough shingles. I noticed several fresh scrapes along the skin of my legs and arms, but my adrenaline muted out any pain as I crawled onto my hands an
d knees to the other side of the cabin where my bedroom was located.
At first glance I didn’t see anyone or anything on the roof, but it was dark and I knew all too well the many ways to camouflage a person. To make matters worse, the scraggly limbs and shifting leaves of the tree provided a plethora of shapes and shadows that resembled someone holding a gun, a dragon, and the ever-terrifying smiley face. That was better than the dog with three legs I could have sworn I saw perched on one corner. It was completely plausible that there was an animal living in the surrounding forest with three legs. Or two heads. I hadn’t thought six foot-long glowing butterflies could exist either, but low and behold, they did.
Just as I was coming over the peak of the roof, scooting as fast as I could on my hands and knees, I heard a frantic whispering. I spotted an actual black shadow about ten feet away that seemed to glance back at me before jumping right off of the roof. I gasped and tried to stand up and scale the roof a little faster. Somehow I made it to the other side without falling to my death, but the shadow and the whispering were long gone.
I peeked down at the heart stopping drop to the ground far below, and swept the area with my eyes in search of more whispering shadows. Frustrated, I sighed at my inept attempt and stared up at the sky. Thousands of stars blinked back at me with questions and accusations, but I decided I liked it up there on the roof despite their prying eyes. I swung my legs around in an effort to sit more comfortably. My ankle caught on a shingle, and my heart stopped as I lost my balance and had a small heart attack. When I reached for something to stabilize me, I overcompensated and tipped forward uncontrollably. I stretched out with my left hand, but only succeeded in twisting my body even more and rolling right off the roof. I felt the ledge of the shingles disappear, and experienced the sickening feeling of nothing but air between my flailing body and the hard, unforgiving ground.
I watched the grass rush up to me and braced for the inevitable, sickening crack of broken bones. Suddenly, from out of nowhere a thick limb swung beneath me; halting my fall and seemingly puncturing every vital organ of my mid-section. It knocked the breath out of me, but I was too overjoyed at avoiding the dark fate of becoming road kill to notice. Instead, I was now folded over a tree limb about fifteen feet off the ground.
