When Silver Moons Rise (Lost Immortals Saga #2) (20 page)

“Olivia. I’d be delighted.” I hold out my arm for her to take. It’s not like I have anything better to do. We drift out on to the dance floor. The music changes to an upbeat tune. I’m grateful for the chance to keep as much distance between the two of us as possible.

Everything appears to be going well. And then she says, “I heard this rumor. It’s silly of me, really, to be upset after hearing these words. The commoners say that Prince Indrail has signed up for the Order of Demon Slayers,” she says in between our dance steps. I swallow hard. I’m completely unprepared to have this conversation, right now.

“I was going to tell you,” I say, inhaling deeply. A look of betrayal crosses her face, and she stands still on the dance floor.

“So, it’s true? Our parents promised us to one another, Faris,” she whispers, blinking away tears. I feel way beyond crappy, right now. And I wish we were someplace else other than a ballroom filled with a roomful of guests watching our every move.

“I don’t have a choice. There’s a war coming. Bernael and his Tainted servants have to be handled. Father isn’t taking this situation as seriously as he should,” I attempt to explain.

“Well, then we can simply marry after you return. Surely, you won’t be gone that long.” She attempts to smile.

This is the part I hate the most. Telling her how we can never marry because accepting Gabriel’s blood means pledging our lives to keeping the Balance between this world and the human one. “It can’t—our marriage can never happen. My vows to Gabriel’s soldiers will always have to come first.”

She jerks her hand away from mine and moves back. I can almost feel the daggers shooting out of her. There is nothing but anger raging in her eyes.

Oh no, she’s going to cause a scene.

“Let’s go outside and talk about this,” I suggest.

“There’s nothing to discuss, Faris. I’ll be the humiliating talk of the entire court when I go back home,” she says and backs away from me. I reach out to try and stop her. I touch her hand, and an ice cold shock stings mine. I pull it back at once.

“Olivia! Wait!” I go after her.  Boy, she moves fast. Trotting down the hallway, I head out into the backyard garden where I last saw her running toward. Nothing. She’s like a ghost. I hate she has found out about my plans this way. But my mind remains firm. I’ve already spoken with the head alchemist, a man Father calls Mabry. The deal has been made, and there’s no going back. Sighing, I turn around and head back into the party.

The next morning at breakfast, I tease Asa until she’s almost in tears. I need something to distract me from the uncomfortable situation I experienced with Olivia last night. So, I make the announcement that I’m going to pledge my life to Gabriel’s soldiers, the Caducean demon slayers of Bardonia.

Both my parents stop eating and exchange glances with each other. Father’s right hand trembles, and Mother tries to put on a smile. Asa comes to my rescue.

“Congratulations,” she says, grinning wide and passing nervous glances toward our parents. “I think the old buggers could use some fresh, young help. Right, Mother?”

“What about your marriage proposal to the Baroness?” Father interrupts. “This brash decision could easily cause unrest among our two houses.”

“True. And Bernael’s army could simply destroy what we all stand for. There won’t be any need for a marriage if that happens, because we’ll all be dead,” I say, challenging Father’s hard gaze with my own. There’s truth in my words. I know it and so does he. Father grumbles, stands up, and stalks out of the room.

“You have my support in whatever you do, Farisri,” Mother says, her voice strained. She excuses herself from the table and then goes after Father.

Asa takes my hand, still smiling, but her eyes are filled with concern. “This decision has something to do with Rabia, doesn’t it?”

“You know it does. At some point, we have to tell our parents what she’s done to us,” I say, grasping her hands.

“We don’t know if there’s anything wrong with me at all. Even Seth hasn’t had anything out of the ordinary to happen.”

“It’s all wishful thinking, Asa. You saw how she controlled me when I…” I stop and gather my thoughts. The memory of changing into a Were-creature for the first time still upsets me. “…when I changed into that thing. This can’t be good for any of us, including Seth.”

“Time will tell, I guess,” she says, her eyes full of fear. Her smile has finally dropped.

The Celestial Wars have gone on since the beginning of time. Recently, the battles have escalated to the point where the descendants of the fallen angels capture more areas inside of Bardonia, terrorizing people who belong to the peaceable groups. Their goals are straightforward: to destroy all of the Archangel Gabriel’s descendants who live in Bardonia and take over the land of the humans on the other side.

I’m fairly certain that placing a curse on the last members of the royal household creates a giant leap of progress for our enemies. Asa and I have started something sinister by agreeing to Rabia’s demands. And we were blind because she has fooled us.

By joining up with the demon slayers, I hope to find a way to fix this situation. For now, I’ll work hard to focus on my sister’s happiness. The enthusiasm she feels in believing she’s somehow been excluded from Rabia’s plans will make her feel safe.

For the next couple of weeks, Asa and the Baron are inseparable. I walk into the garden, and there he sits massaging her shoulders. She giggles until he laughs along with her. Horseback riding always consists of the three of us: Asa, the Baron, and me. He goes hunting with Father and me each weekend. Surprisingly, he’s quite skilled at hitting the targets of the trickiest game, the wild boars of the Bardonian forests.

Life without Seth seems to be the new norm; and I can’t help but to feel some satisfaction in knowing he keeps himself distanced from us, now. I don’t trust him. I never have. The rumors say his mother, Jezebel, is a dark witch of some type who once caused this kingdom a lot of pain in the days before I was born.

I’m flying high and feeling happy that whatever thing Rabia placed on my sister doesn’t seem to be affecting her at all. But happiness is a fickle kind of mood, though. I like comparing the feeling to wings. The feathers are easy to lose. When one falls out, you start losing the rest. The whole damn wing is no good after that happens.

And then you fall out of the sky and land on whatever angry thing waits to catch you. That’s the best way to describe the events that started to happen over the next couple of weeks.

I’m not surprised when the Baron’s marriage proposal takes place one night at dinner. In fact, I’m more than happy for Asa. Much more satisfied for her than I am with my decision to become a demon slayer. With all of the unrest growing between Bernael’s fallen and Gabriel’s people—my family and friends—a stint in the army promises to be more dangerous than ever.

As soon as the question leaves the Baron’s lips, he starts gasping for air and falls over, grasping at his throat. Dropping to her knees beside him, Asa cries out. The court alchemist tries to revive him, but the Baron stares off into space, his blue eyes lifeless. The alchemist confirms our worst fears. Dark magic has caused his death.

Asa falls into a deep sadness, refusing to come out of her room and dressing entirely in black clothing. The Baron is only the first of three more suitors who will die after asking for my sister’s hand in marriage. It doesn’t take long before they all stop coming.

I must find a way to cheer her up. Seeing her smile controls my own insecurities about the animal living inside me.

When our parents aren’t setting us up for marriage, Asa and I meet up with our slippery family friend and head into the forest. Seth and Asa have grown even closer since the Baron died—even more so than the two of us. My chest burns each time I catch them sitting together and talking. Something about the way their relationship is developing leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I walk into our game room after practice one day and hear Father and Asa arguing. Seth leans against one of the columns and acts as nonchalant as he ever does.

“I will not allow this relationship to go any further than it already has,” Father announces to Asa.

“Seth is my best friend, Father. I need him, right now,” Asa pleads, her voice laced with pain. I wish there was some way I could ease her sorrows.

“It’s unnatural. I forbid it,” Father repeats. They don’t even see me walk into the room.

“Why? I don’t understand. Seth is no different from Faris, or even how my Baron was to me.”

“Precisely my point. You can never be anything more than a friend to this boy,” Father shouts, pointing angrily at Seth. “He is your brother, Asa!” Silent electricity zips past the mounted boar’s head that hangs in Father’s game room.

Asa gasps and glances back at Seth, her eyes filled with horror. He keeps leaning against the wall without even flinching. Obviously, he already knows the truth about what our Father has just revealed.

I step forward. My body is so light; it feels as though my spirit has flown away. “What are you talking about, Father? He can’t be our brother. Why would you think such a thing?” 

“Long ago, his mother bewitched me. I thought that with love she could be a good woman, eventually. I won’t make the same mistake with her son. Now leave,” Father orders Seth, “You are never to return to this house. I tried to do the right thing by you, and look how you repay me. Getting my daughter involved in the dark arts. Go!”

“Father, no!” Asa cries, but I can see the conflict in her face. I can feel the torment pouring through her heart. We’re not twins, or anything, but our relationship holds strong.

She’s the closest thing to a pure soul that I’ve ever seen. Me…well, I’m the opposite. Father’s words don’t surprise me as much. I knew something about Seth seemed too familiar the first time I saw him. He resembles Asa even more than I do.

“Please don’t be so cruel. He has no one, now.” Asa kneels at Father’s feet, tears streaming down her face. “His mother was taken from him. Please don’t send him away. He’s your son too.”

Father frowns, but for only a few seconds. He doesn’t wince when he says, “His mother is a demon of the dark magic, a servant of Bernael, the Angel of Chaos, the one who plans to destroy the Indrail household. I see the darkness in this boy. I will not allow him to corrupt my children with his dark ways. Leave this palace. Return again, and you’ll face death.”

At first, Seth appears as calm as he did the first time we met him; but I see the way his fists clench by his sides. I can read the hatred, the fiery anger pouring from his eyes without even using my mind-reading abilities.

He glances at my sister, his face softening for one single moment before the look turns in on itself. I get a different kind of look from him, though. Of course, I do. We practically hate each other. Now, I understand why. I don’t think for one second that Father’s news is a surprise to Seth.

At once, I’m assaulted by something that pries inside my head. The headache from Hades rushes through me as I hold Seth’s gaze. Dropping to my knees, I cradle my head.

“The man you call Father will pay for what he has done. All of your kind will fall,” Seth’s voice threatens. But he only speaks inside my mind. “You will all share my mother’s fate.”

A piercing surge of pain punches inside my brain. I’m pretty sure I’m about to die. I fall over on my side and watch this boy who is my brother look down on me with hate.
What is he?

“My son! Guards, seize him!” Father shouts. Two men step toward Seth. Big mistake. He throws his hands up into the air, his palms splayed. The two men fly backwards, landing with a thud against the column closest to where Father and Asa stand at the head of the room.

Three guards rush up behind him. My brother moves out the way without even looking at which way the men are coming from. A heated wind rushes through the room, and all three men fall down and begin screaming about burning alive, even though there are no flames. The look on Seth’s face rotates between a sneer and pleasure. One thing is for sure, though. There is nothing but pure hatred as he stares at Father.

He holds out his left hand one final time, reaching toward Father. The wind whips through his hair and the black cape he wears, giving him the appearance of a creature from a nightmare. Right away, Father clutches at his throat and his skin begins to sizzle. Asa steps toward him, a horrified look on her face. This last act of Seth’s shakes me up. I spring to my feet and attempt to charge at him.

One glance in my direction is all it takes to send me hurling backward into the wall. He doesn’t break my neck or make me think I’m burning alive the way he has done to the other men. Father isn’t as lucky, though.

My sister’s face is frozen in shock as she trembles while standing next to our father. She grabs him by the shoulders and moves her hands away at once, shaking them as though touching him has left her feeling burned. His skin begins to sizzle. More guards charge toward Seth. More men fall to the ground, screaming. His shoulders heave as he works his magic on our father. I stand up again. This time he isn’t so nice to me. My ankles crack and I scream, the agony threatening to knock me unconscious.

“Stop this, Seth! Please!” Asa begs and runs toward him.

“Asa don’t!” I manage to cry out.

She doesn’t listen. What else is new? I’m the little brother, nothing more. Instead, she runs up to Seth and holds her hands out toward him. “They’re your family too,” she says, tears streaming down her face. “Please stop. I know the boy I care so much about is still in there.” She throws her arms around his neck, melting his resolve. Pure souls have that kind of power. I don’t need to hear his thoughts to know that’s the way she affects him. Seth’s body shakes, but the winds die down, and Father falls to his feet gasping for air. The guards stop screaming, and the strong scent of death fades out of the room.

No one dares to approach Seth as he closes his eyes and lowers his head, placing it against my sister’s face. A long moment passes, and then he opens his eyes. A single tear escapes. Asa moves back and wipes it away. “Thank you. Now, go.”

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