“I know you can. But these Moons are different. They hate everything connected to the light. If they find out you have Sun in you, you’re as good as dead.” He crosses his arms sternly, his feet firmly rooted in the ground. I mirror him. Months of secrets have built my shoulders strong enough to carry more. Parts of me have been buried for so long, I sometimes forget where.
“Well then, we’d better make sure they don’t find out.” I lean my back against the stone wall, defiance burning in my chest. Fear recedes, replaced with the thrill of rebellion.
“Asha. No!” His jaw tightens; his gaze looms over me, authority wrapped like armour around his words. But the harder he resists, the stronger my desire to challenge him grows.
“I didn’t want to have to do this.” I shake my head and stride to the desk. Ryder watches, confusion flickering across his features. “Soldark, erase your pages. I hope you have a good memory, because now I’m the only one with access to the riddle.”
Checkmate.
I glance at him, noting the shift from stern to frustrated. He sighs, buries his face in his hands, and finally marches toward me.
“Fine. But if we’re doing this, it’s by my rules,” he declares, brows furrowed, weight in every word. “I tell you to do something—you do it.”
“Okay,” I say simply, savouring the small victory.
But now that the petty challenge is won, the dread reclaims its title.
No one ever walks willingly into the darkness because anything could be lurking in the shadows.
Chapter Four
Nala rests her head on my shoulder at the oak table in the dining hall. I take a large bite out of my chocolate chip croissant and savour its sweetness, knowing our plan for tonight could go sour.
Tonight’s plan hangs over me like a shadow. Ryder and I will leave at nightfall, and if all goes well, we’ll return by morning. I’ve been keeping my mind busy, afraid that too much thought will make me hesitate, make me talk myself out of it.
But as much as the darkness ahead terrifies me, it also draws me in—an irresistible pull I can’t deny.
“Even thinking about that place gives me the heebie-jeebies,” Nala mutters, shivering as if the mere thought of the Shadow Realm can crawl under her skin.
“I didn’t even think it was real,” River says, taking a deliberate bite of his jam toast.
“Neither did I,” I reply, swallowing quickly around my own bite. “But apparently, it is.”
“…And you’re going with Ryder?” River raises an eyebrow, though I know he already knows the answer.
“Yes.” I sip my orange juice, keeping my tone steady. The worry etched across his face betrays him despite my calm.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, considering…” River gestures toward his eyes, and I know exactly what he means.
“We’re working on keeping his heart rate low,” I say, taking another bite and swallowing. “I think he should be fine.”
River’s gaze doesn’t waver; his concern burns in those hazel eyes. “How’s that going for you so far? I felt him get angry last night.”
Ever since River saved Ryder, their energies have been intertwined. The lore on twins emphasises shared powers and emotions after the transfer, and so far, the connection has been unbroken—each pulse, each surge of feeling mirrored between them.
“Oh… you felt that.” My cheeks heat as I remember Ryder’s jealous outburst. I don’t tell River the truth—that the surge of anger he sensed came from Ryder thinking we were fucking behind his back.
“It was nothing,” I say, forcing calm. “He was just mad I was keeping secrets from him, which is… understandable.” I shove the last piece of croissant into my mouth, though my stomach churns.
“It didn’t feel like nothing,” River counters, glancing at Nala, who meets his concern with equal weight. “Let us come with you.”
The corners of my mouth lift in a small, bittersweet smile as I take in the two of them. They would follow me into the Shadow Realm without hesitation—into the place Suns go to die—to protect me.
But it’s far too dangerous for them.
“No Suns are allowed in the Shadow Realm,” I say, watching a flicker of relief wash over them. “They won’t be able to sense that I have Sun in me. To them, I’ll be Moon through and through.”
They nod, though worry still lingers in their eyes.
