Riley’s POV
I had been standing here for a while now, ever since they carried Cane out.
The room felt too quiet now. Everything that had been happening today kept replaying in my head, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were only getting worse.
The only person left in the room with was Luna Alia.
I had helped her sit down earlier because she still looked weak, and now she was resting against the wall in one corner, her hand pressed lightly against her side. She looked better than before, but not fully fine.
I stayed close, not really knowing what else to do.
I couldn’t just walk away.
After a while, she looked up at .
Her eyes stayed on for a few seconds before she spoke.
"Why are you still here?" she asked.
Her voice wasn’t harsh, but it was direct.
I blinked slightly."What do you an?" I asked.
She shifted a little where she sat, adjusting herself.
"I an," she said, "why haven’t you gone back to Crescent Hollow?"
I didn’t answer imdiately.
She kept watching .
"You should be there," she continued. "Away from all this. Living your normal life."
I let out a small breath."I can’t go back," I said.
Her brows pulled together slightly.
"And why is that?" she asked.
I hesitated for a second, then answered her honestly.
"Because I can’t go back to anything normal until I get married to your sons," I said.
Her eyes widened instantly.
For a second, she just stared at like she didn’t hear right.
"You’re serious," she said.
"Yes," I replied.
She looked at again, like she was trying to figure out.
"You actually intend to marry all three of them?" she asked.
"Yes," I said again.
There was no hesitation in my voice this ti.
She stayed quiet for a mont, then let out a small breath.
"I didn’t think you would be this determined," she admitted.
I gave a small shrug."I have my reasons," I said.
She tilted her head slightly.
"What reasons?" she asked.
I didn’t answer that fully.
"Let’s just say I don’t have much of a choice anymore," I said. "There’s no normal life waiting for anywhere anymore."
She studied carefully.
"Explain that," she said.
I shifted slightly where I stood.
"I’ve beco a target," I said simply. "Not just for one thing. For a lot of things."
Her expression changed a little.
"You an creatures," she said.
I nodded.
"Yes, everything will start looking out for , I’ve been exposed to everything."
That alone said enough.
She let out a quiet breath and leaned back a little.
"That’s not sothing anyone should have to deal with," she said.
"I know," I replied. "But it’s already happening."
She looked at again, this ti a little differently.
Then she smiled.
It was small, but it was there.
"You’re brave," she said.
The words caught off guard a little.
"I don’t feel brave," I admitted.
"You are," she said. "Most people would have run already."
I didn’t say anything to that.
She kept looking at .
"You’ll make a good bride for my sons," she added.
That made heat rush to my face imdiately.
I wasn’t expecting that.
"I..." I started, but I didn’t know what to say.
She noticed my reaction and smiled a little more.
"But tell sothing," she said.
I looked at her.
"Do you ever feel like they’re using you?" she asked.
That question hit directly.
I didn’t answer imdiately. I thought about it for a second.
Then I nodded slowly."At first, yes," I said.
She watched closely. "And now?" she asked.
I shook my head slightly."Not anymore," I said.
Her brows lifted a little."What changed?" she asked.
I took a small breath.
"That Rite," I said. "The Rite of the Borrowed Moon."
Her expression shifted at that.
"That changes people?" she said.
"It did," I replied.
"How?" she asked.
I thought about it carefully before answering.
"I don’t feel lost anymore," I said. "Before, I didn’t know what I was doing here or where I was going. I was just reacting to everything. But now... I feel like there’s sothing I’m supposed to figure out."
She nodded slowly."A purpose," she said.
"Yes," I replied.
She stayed quiet for a mont, then spoke again.
"You’re more like your real mother," she said.
I froze. "What?" I asked.
She looked at calmly.
"You’re like her," she repeated. "Your sister was more like your father."
That hit hard.
I turned fully toward her now."You knew my mother?" I asked.
She nodded."Yes I did" she said.
"How?" I asked quickly.
She didn’t hesitate."She was my friend," she said. "My best friend."
That made my chest tighten.
I stepped closer to her without thinking.
"You’re serious?" I asked.
"Yes," she said again.
"What was she like?" I asked imdiately.
There was so much I didn’t know. So much I had never been told.
Alia looked at for a second, like she was deciding how much to say.
"She was strong," she said. "But not in the way people expect. She didn’t need to force anything. She just knew who she was."
I listened carefully.
"She cared deeply," Alia continued. "Sotis too much. And she had a way of making people feel like they were important."
I swallowed slightly.
"That doesn’t sound like soone who just disappears," I said.
Alia didn’t respond to that right away.
Then—
Sothing hit hard all of a sudden.
My chest tightened suddenly, like sothing inside was being pulled.
I gasped.
My hand flew to my chest as pain spread through quickly.
"What—" I tried to speak, but the words didn’t co out right.
"Riley?" Alia said quickly, pushing herself up.
I stumbled slightly.
It felt like I couldn’t breathe properly. Like sothing was leaving .
"Sothing’s wrong," I said, my voice strained.
The pain got worse.
I let out a sharp cry as it hit harder.
Alia reached quickly, grabbing onto to steady .
"What’s happening?" she asked.
"I don’t know," I said, struggling to stay upright.
My body felt weak all of a sudden.
My legs gave out slightly, and she helped lower down to the ground.
"Stay steady," she said.
"I am," I replied, but even that felt harder to say.
It felt like everything was slipping out of my body.
Alia looked at closely, and then her expression changed.
Her eyes widened slightly."No," she said under her breath.
I didn’t understand what she saw, but the way she reacted made my fear spike.
"No, no, no," she said again, louder this ti.
"What?" I asked weakly.
She looked around quickly, like she was putting sothing together.
"They can’t do this now," she said.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"They shouldn’t have started it," she said, her voice rising.
I felt another wave hit , stronger this ti.
I cried out again, my body tensing.
"Hold on," she said, trying to keep steady. "This is bad," she muttered. "This is really bad."
I tried to focus on her, but everything felt distant.
"Alia..." I said.
She looked back at ."I’m here," she said quickly.
"What’s happening to ?" I asked.
She didn’t answer that directly.
Instead, she looked furious now.
"Those stupid children," she snapped. "They’re making things worse."
I didn’t understand what she ant, but I could tell she was angry.
And worried.
Very worried.
My body felt colder.
My breathing felt off.
It felt like I was slipping away slowly and I couldn’t stop it.
"Stay awake," she told .
"I’m trying," I said, my voice weak.
She adjusted carefully so I was lying more comfortably on the ground.
"I need to fix this," she said.
"How?" I asked.
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she looked toward the door.
"I’ll be back," she said quickly.
"Don’t go," I said imdiately.
She looked back at .
"I have to," she said. "This is not sothing I can ignore."
I grabbed onto her arm weakly.
"Please," I said.
She gently removed my hand.
"I’m not leaving you," she said. "I’m coming back."
I didn’t feel reassured, but I didn’t have the strength to argue.
She stood up quickly and moved toward the door.
I watched her go, my vision starting to blur slightly.
The last thing I heard before everything felt heavier was her voice as she ran out.
User Comments
0 comments from readers