Chapter Fourteen
I pause in my tracks and debate turning back, looking over my shoulder into the black abyss as a breeze whispers at my neck.
No, I can’t turn back. I’ve come this far already.
I slowly edge towards the door, dragging each reluctant foot in front of the other until I can smell the oak radiating off the wooden door.
Muffled voices vibrate through it, making me rethink my earlier decision to wander this far.
Despite my hesitation, I place my ear against the rough wood to try to decipher the voices.
I know that voice. Just the tone of it triggers butterflies to run riot in my stomach. I hold them back, metaphorically clipping their wings. The voices are clearer now. I hold my breath as if breathing would smudge the clarity of the words.
Ryder’s voice projects loudly. “Three more Moons have gone missing this month.”
A series of gasps fill his pause. “Same as the last, here one moment, gone the next.”
Quiet chatter hums around the room. I can’t see how many people there are, but judging by the ambient noise, I imagine around twelve.
“How many more of us is it going to take before they actually do something about it?” a male voice counters.
“I know it’s frustrating, which is why we have to be vigilant.”
The chatter around the room quietens as Ryder’s voice cuts in, louder. “The school isn’t taking this seriously. They expect us to believe that students are just dropping out… but Tommy is like a brother to me, and I know he wouldn’t have just left.” I can hear the concern in his tone.
Moons are going missing? This is the first time I have heard of this.
“Why are no Suns going missing? They obviously have something to do with this!” an angry man shouts out into the crowd, and unrest erupts around the room.
“It’s statements like that that will get you killed,” Ryder raises his voice and silence envelopes the room. “We will find out what’s going on, but until then, keep thoughts like that to yourself.”
“He’s right. We need to keep a low profile. We don’t want to give ourselves a reason to go missing like the others,” another says, backing Ryder up.
“What can we do then?” a strong female voice questions.
“We can train like we’ve never trained before, and I will be leading search parties throughout the week to look for Tommy and the others.”
I press my ear against the wooden door to hone in on their conversation.
“It’s not just here. Moon students have been disappearing all over Palidonia. One went missing from Briverna last week,” a female voice adds to the chatter.
Briverna… that’s only a stone’s throw away from my village. I think about my dad and begin to worry. I hope he doesn’t get tangled up in this.
“As many of you know, my father leads the Xoro Army; they have been investigating this. His view is that whoever is doing this could have help from someone on the inside, so be careful who you trust.”
A series of gasps echo around the room, and I can imagine them all analysing each other’s intentions.
“Does your father have any leads?” The room falls silent, hanging on Ryder’s reply.
“My father and I have a complicated relationship. We don’t talk much, but he tells me what’s important. I’m sure he’ll tell me when he does.”
The room seems to be satisfied with his response, and a quiet murmur of chatter breaks through the silence again. I imagine them all nodding their heads in Ryder’s direction.
“Go back to classes and act normally. Try to find out as much information as you can without ringing any alarm bells. Foreshadowers, cast your hawks into the darkness. We need eyes everywhere. Mourna’s ask around on the other side, see if there has been any chatter.”
I hear their voices rise again, joined by the faint patter of footsteps retreating out of the room. I exhale a shaky breath.
Moon people are missing? Could the Sun people really have something to do with this? I can’t think about this right now; I have to get back to Sun Castle. I turn to leave, thoughts racing through my mind, but they are broken by a ‘thump’ beside me.
What was that? I step back away from the noise and squint my eyes, trying to make out what is lurking in the darkness. Is that a beak? Before I can figure it out, the door swings open, and I am pulled into the light.
“What are you doing here?” Ryder’s grip tightens on my wrist, his voice in a whisper shout.
“Ermmmm I-I-” The truth is, I have no idea why I am here.
“Seriously, Asha. You are going to get yourself killed. My hawks had eyes on you the moment you entered the tunnel. Imagine what could’ve happened if another Moon had detected you!”
His eyes eat into my soul, and his stare consumes me. I feel my heart skip a beat as it thumps frantically out of my chest.
“Is that really true? The Moon people are going missing?” My eyes trail down to his calloused hand still cradling my wrist. He notices me looking and loosens his grip.
“You shouldn’t concern yourself with that.” His hand runs through his hair, and the muscles in his jaw tighten. “You should be more worried about trespassing where you don’t belong.”
“Briverna is close to my village… My father-”
“Will be fine,” he cuts me off. “I imagine he is a Sun, so he will be safe.”
He moves closer to me.
“But you-”
“Said it’s nothing for you to worry about.”
He studies my face for a moment like he doesn’t know what to say next.
“Why the hell are you here, Asha?” His words sting a little as he paces back a few steps.
“I’m trying to find answers. I don’t know what’s happening to me, and you refuse to tell me,” I say, making an effort to emphasise my annoyance at him and throw him a frustrated look. He ignores my frustration.
“Well… did you find anything?” His eyes trace my face, waiting for my reply.
“Not really what I was looking for.”
Disappointment swallows me as I lower my gaze, studying the stone flooring. He doesn’t share the same emotions as I do. For a moment, I swear he looked relieved. “But I did read an interesting article…about you.” I look up as I say this. He clenches his jaw and looks at me.
“Don’t believe everything you read, stalker.”
I watch as the corners of his mouth curl upwards and he sits back on a table next to the tunnel’s door. I look at the jet-black veins travelling up and down the length of his muscly arm.
“How did you get this?” I take hold of his wrist, feeling the slow beating of his heart through his veins, and point to them. He tenses. “The sky serpents did this to you, didn’t they?”
He yanks his arm out of my grip and backs away from me.
“No! My parents did this to me.” His face turns harsh, and his voice is flat, but I can detect the hurt in his tone.
As much of a pain Ryder is, he didn’t deserve to be treated that way.
My blood boils at the thought of him being discarded like rubbish.
I want to hurt them. It feels like death was an unfair punishment.
He calmly makes up the distance between us.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t know the Sunkind could be so evil,” I say.
The lights are dimly lit, but I can see his eyes sparkle under them. Maybe they are responsible for taking the Moon people. But what would they need them for?
He swiftly changes the conversation.
“Why can’t you just keep yourself out of trouble?” he says, his jaw working as he looks me up and down.
“I just wanna know what you know.” I shrug my shoulders and close the gap between us.
“Have you ever stopped to think about why I haven’t told you?” He grits his teeth, but I can still feel his breath hot on mine. “If you sip the truth, blindly thinking it’s a remedy, it may turn out to be poison.” His riddle makes me question myself.
“W-what if I’m the poison?” I stammer, the words falling out of me before I can even register their meaning.
“You’re not poison. Trust me. I’ve seen poison, and you’re not it.” His face turns harsher as his eyes drift off into another place for a moment before snapping back into the present, though a glint of his tragic past remains in the depths of his dark eyes.
“How did you know I was dream walking?” I feel his hand over my mouth, stifling my words.
“Shhh!” He pushes me back into the tunnel. “You are playing a dangerous game.”
His body is pressed up against mine in the narrow corridor.
“I need to know how to control it. I’m scared to fall asleep,” I say. He studies me, embers of concern sparking on his face.
“Take this.” His hand fumbles in his pocket and transfers something into my palm. “Humblebee vine. Sleep with it under your pillow.”
I close my fingers around the vine and shove it into my pocket.
“How do you know this?” I whisper.
“I just know, okay. Now, can you stop with the questions.” He matches my whisper, but somehow, he sounds sterner.
“Just one more-”
His hand presses against my mouth again.
“That wasn’t a question, Asha. I can’t tell you anything more.”
He takes his hand away from my mouth and drags his thumb slowly down my bottom lip; my eyes get lost in his. I feel my hands make their way up his firm chest and the heavy beats of his heart thump against my palm.
“You can’t do this to me,” he says, taking a step back. “You have to go, Asha.”
“Do what to you?” I step towards him and feign innocence. He rests his hands on my shoulders to keep me at arm’s length.
“You know exactly what you’re doing,” He whispers, leaning closer to me, his breath soft like silk on my neck. My body aches for him. I tilt my neck to embrace his hot breath and run my fingers through his hair. It’s satin-soft and tickles the skin between my fingers.
“Then why don’t you push me away?” My voice trembles, barely a whisper as his hands cascade down my body, sliding over my breasts. I submit to the sensation and let out a small moan, making him smirk.
“Because I know you will just keep coming back.” He bites his lip and whispers softly into my eardrum. “Stalker.”
He leans close to me and caresses my face, his lips inches from mine. Our eyes interlock, and he licks his lips, his thumb cradling my chin. The sound of footsteps returning to the archives causes Ryder to step away from me.
“You need to go, Asha.” His words are soft but have purpose. A wave of confusion floods my senses as he disappears back through the door. His footsteps retreat, and I am left in the darkness alone with my thoughts.