Page 71 of A Fate In Moonstone

“Is it okay if I take these to my room?” I stood and a beam of light hit my eyes. My headache flared again.

“Of course. Take your time, and if you’ve got any questions, or need help with your story, I’m usually here.”

“Thanks. I appreciate your help.” I carried the books up the stairs and decided I needed to rest for a bit. Celestine and further reading could wait.

I closed the curtains, snuggled into bed, and focused on my breathing. Whenever I’d gotten headaches in the past, a little power nap in the dark usually knocked them out.

Within minutes, I was out.

Then the nightmares descended.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

“No offense, but you look like shit,” Nyx said while braiding my hair.

The reflection in the mirror unfortunately did me justice.

I was tired.

My headache did go away with sleep but every time I closed my eyes, I had horrid nightmares. The type where you cry, and scream, and your whole world falls apart inside the dream. You feel everything so intensely that it carries on once you wake up.

So, I left for the ball, stayed only thirty minutes, then came back to my room to read.

After a few hours, I managed to make it to Celestine’s cave between random waves of nausea. She told me to go to Crystoria and I’d find the answers. So that’s what I’d do.

“I need to go to Crystoria.”

Nyx paused braiding and looked at me in the mirror.

“Uh, okay. Where did that come from?”

Did I tell Nyx about the king? Everything happened so fast, I can’t remember. It was probably a good thing if she didn’t know. Safer.

“That evil Celestine warned about. I think it has something to do with the Heart Tree. So, I need to go to Crystoria’s libraries. I think they’ll have more there.”

I shot out the chair, Nyx’s unfinished braid unravelling as I grabbed a bag from my wardrobe.

“You’re leaving now? Sapphira, I know the ball was awkward with Rune snarling at Tor over wine, and your dad’s weird dance with your mother, but this is, I don’t know. I think you need some rest. I wasn’t kidding when I said you look like shit. You’ve got circles under your eyes, and your skin looks paler.”

I waved her off.

“I’m just not sleeping well, and I’m under a lot of stress. I need to focus on something instead of sitting around waiting for everything to crumble. I need to do something.” A restless energy hummed inside me. My hands shook as I grabbed whatever clothes I could and tossed them into the bag.

“Okay, fine, but I’m coming too. Ah, and don’t say no you don’t have to. I do and that’s it. You’re not shouldering this burden alone.”

I’m not sure why her words hit me, but the humming and racing thoughts all fell to the floor. I stood there, Nyx’s purple eyes coming into view as everything around me stilled.

“You’re not alone, Sapphira. Let the people who love you support you.”

Pale arms wrapped around me, and for what felt like the first time today, I took a deep breath. Full lung capacity working as it should.

“I’m so tired.” As the words fell, so did my body. Nyx lowered to the ground with me and held me close while I broke.

“I’m tired because I can’t sleep. I know too much and not enough and it’s exhausting playing pretend with Tor and my parents and trying to figure out how to do it all. Plus, I can feel Rune suffering. I know he says he’ll wait and that I’m his moon, but I see his pain every time Tor even touches my hand.”

Nyx remained silent, her hand rubbing my back gently as I let everything I could safely say flow out of me.

After a few minutes of nothing but steady breaths, she lifted my chin to look her in the eyes.