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“The moon may shine brightly, but it’s not always whole.”
Something wet trails slowly down my cheek, standing out against the cold. I wipe it away with the back of my hand and stare at the unbidden tear that broke free. I didn’t get it before, not fully. But as I stand here, broken without her, trying to keep face in front of everyone…I finally understand.
Without her, I don’t feel whole. Everyone around me sees me put together when in truth, my heart keeps bleeding out. My finger mindlessly rubs the tattoo inked on my finger of the image that flashes in my dreams, though I never understood why.
A full moon with a crescent cradled inside. But now, I know it represents us. A sign that I was always meant to find Emma. It’s a symbol of our love that we share, a love that shines brighter than any star in the sky. Even brighter than a full moon on a clear night.
It’s like my soul is empty inside and hers is broken, but when nothing separates us, time stops and everything fades away. She fills my soul with love, and I shelter hers with mine. Our hearts together will become blinding to all the evil in this world and guide us through the dark.
Love.
I denied the thought for so long, but I knew I loved her before that wretched necklace broke off her neck. My heart has always belonged to her.
Suddenly, everything seems to spin around me. My body sways and feels unsteady as I trip over my own feet, falling backward onto the roof in what feels like slow motion. A long sigh expels from me at the thought of what my father would think if he saw me right now… Wasted and grief-stricken because I failed to save the girl I love. If he can see me from the afterlife, I hope that he turns a blind eye because I don’t want him to see what I’ve become. A disappointing son.
After a moment, my vision clears, and I resituate myself to stay seated, extending my legs out in front of me. My eyes blink slowly as the alcohol continues to override my body. I massage my numb lips together and apply pressure to my eyes with the heel of my hands. Despite my efforts to keep the tears welling up at bay, the attempt is futile, spilling down my cheeks.
Out of nowhere, a clear droplet splashes onto my boot. Confused, my brows furrow as I tip my head back and see the darkening clouds gathering above me. It’s almost as if nature can fucking sense the anguish coiling inside me, making the clouds cry a river of grief with me as my heart bleeds.
The rain softly cascades over the fog-tipped trees, creating a serene atmosphere as it drenches my clothing and seeps into my skin. But I can barely feel it—or anything—as my gaze is mesmerized by the forest and how the leaves seem to droop in contentment as the raindrops nourish them.
A slight tingle races up my spine, causing me to bring myself to stand with drunken grace. I tightly squeeze my eyes shut twice to stop my vision from doubling as I become more alert. The wind stills, the temperature slightly drops, and all that can be heard is the patter of rain. My heart thumps loudly, slamming in my chest as a sliver of something sparks inside me.
I scan through the trees, back and forth between the falling drops until my lungs convulse. My eyes snag on a blur, unsure if what I’m seeing is real or a figment of my imagination that my drunken state conjured.
The rain starts rushing down, beating harder into the ground, and just on the edge of the tree line…is a figure. With a step forward, it offers just enough for the figure to come out in the open and my eyes flash to silver, zooming in on…her.
“Emma,” I whisper on a choked breath that is drowned out by the storm.
Shadows dance around her, and my heart feels like it’s going to implode within my chest. I press my palm over it and reach for our bond. There. The impenetrable wall that mocks me has weakened. I grab hold of the tether and surge a wave of my love down it, hoping to convey what I never had a chance to tell her with words. But I might be able to let her feel it. To let her know that she’s not alone and never fucking will be. I’m right here.
With a leap, I launch myself off the roof and swoop down towards her. The rain pelts my face like sharpened arrows. But as soon as my feet hit the ground, she’s gone. I frantically dart my eyes around, scanning between every tree. Nothing greets me, proving I’m alone.
Inhaling deeply, I try to grasp her essence. Needing to breathe in her rose and honey fragrance to try and settle the beast thrashing wildly inside me. But the rain obliterated any trace of her scent, washing her away. Pulling at the roots of my hair, I smash my teeth together. Fuck!
Am I seeing things now? My eyes drop to where she stood, finding proof of two boot prints that are slowly melting back into the earth.
I collapse to my knees and slam my fists down onto the wet soil. The broken one cries out in agony, but I grit my teeth to suppress it from showing. Squeezing my eyes shut, I dig my fingers beneath the dirt with tight fists, demanding the forest bring her back.
All that answers is a crack of lightning.
I remain there, kneeling under the downpour of grief, with my wings drooping behind me and the bond in my chest growing colder by the second.
CHAPTER FIVE
Emma
Asimple mission: grab the male in the woods and bring him here. I’ve practiced shadowing within Gehendra, but this is my first for traveling outside of the realm. A way to once and for all prove my loyalty before I hunt down the Dark Prince.
The whispers are so loud, snapping and clawing to fulfill this task, that the little grasp of control I’ve practiced does nothing to quiet them. With one final look at Whiro, I lash my hand out to pour a stream of midnight from it and create a fissure in the air.
“Bring him here alive,” Whiro’s clipped tone leaves no room for mistakes. He gives a wave with his hand before I can offer a single nod.
Without wasting a second, I slip through the portal, letting the chilling power fizzle over my skin as my foot crosses through and meets damp leaves molded in soil. The moment I fully walk through, I raise my hand out in front of me. Tiny droplets of nature’s tears splash in my palm, pooling right in the center. I tip my head back and find I’m standing in a small opening in the forest. In a break between the trees, I see the sliver of a broken moon between dark clouds that cry under the weight of pressure.
A flash of wings jolts into my mind. A memory of another time I was gazing into the sky. My lungs seize momentarily, stealing my next breath. I stagger back a step and shake my head to clear it.
I don’t look back up again.
