Luna didn’t take Damien’s hand, she simply nodded. “Sure, why not.”
Outside, Damien led her down the marble pathway that curved around the rose mansion. Birds chirped nearby, the sound of hooves on grass soft beneath them. Warm sunlight kissed Luna’s skin as they strolled through rows of manicured gardens. Roses of every shade bloomed, from the deepest of crimson to soft blushes of pink and purest whites. Her shoulders loosened for the first time all morning. “This is nice,” she said. “Thank you.” Though it’d be even nicer if she could fully trust him . . .
“In the jungle of flowers?” He absently ran a hand along the base of his horn. “I guess so. You know, I always think there’s no more room for Winta to add another plant, but then she finds a way.” His voice turned dry. “She’s quite the plant hoarder.”
Luna breathed out a silent laugh through her nose. This place really was drowning in greenery. Her fingers brushed a nearby bloom before she even realized what she was doing. The petals curled towards her touch, soft and ticklish, almost alive.
Damien lingered beside her, close enough to feel. “I remember the first time I saw you.” His voice low, distant. “You were doing the same thing. Crouched over a plant, admiring it like nothing else existed.”
“The first time I sawyou, I thought you were going to take me out or something.” Squaring her shoulders, she puffed up her chest and dropped her voice an octave. “You. Don’t. Belong. Here.”
Damien cracked a smile, a laugh tearing loose from his throat.
She grinned and bumped him with her elbow. “Seriously, did you have to be so ominous?”
“You thought the weed didn’t belong, so I pointed out that a unicorn in a human kingdom didn’t either—and you didn’t.”
That hit harder than she expected, but she pushed the weight of it aside. “I guess I didn’t, hey.”
“I’ve been thinking . . .” He plucked a rose from a nearby bush and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers lingered, his gaze soft as he looked at her—like she was something precious. Adored. Wanted, even. The kind of look that might’ve once made her heart flutter. His voice was quiet when he added, “Your magic displayed itself as a flower the first time you used it. Maybe it was trying to comfort you.”
The flowerbeds back home had always brought her peace. Had it been her magic reaching for her all along? Her tail twitched once, then twice. That life felt like it belonged to someone else.
His fingers hovered by her cheek, unsure. “How are you feeling after our talk this morning?” She leaned into the touch, letting him steady her. Softly, his fingers traced down her cheek to her jaw. “Truly feeling?”
“Not better, not worse,” she answered honestly.
“I wish I knew how to help. At the very least take away your sorrow.”
Without replying, she turned and walked on, wanting nothing more than to forget. To stay in the moment with him, instead of drowning in the past or worrying if staying had been a mistake.
He fell into step beside her. “You don’t have to go through this alone. It’s better to process your emotions than bury them.”
“Maybe so,” she muttered, “but I prefer the latter.”
“Then let me grab a shovel and we’ll bury that shit deep down.”
A breath that almost passed for a laugh left her. “I’d like that.”
Silently, they walked past more rows of roses. After a while, Damien said, “The transfer for Nina and my sister is soon.” He scratched the back of his neck. “Would you like to head that way?”
“Very much so.”
He held out his hand. As she reached for it, a shudder rippled through her, and she flinched back.
“Let’s try this instead,” he offered gently, sliding his arm around her waist, pulling her close.
This time, she didn’t flinch. The tension in her body didn’t ease completely either, but for once, she let herself lean into it. Not quite safety . . . but close.
“I’ve always dreamed of meeting my birth mother,” she murmured. “Now that I am . . . I don’t know what to say. Do I call her mom? What if she doesn’t want to see me? It feels ridiculous to drop in and say, ‘Hey, I’m your kid. You’ve probably seen me around the palace, but I had no idea you were my mom. Let’s bond.’”
Damien gave her a small comforting squeeze, his arm still around her. “Honestly? I’m worried too. You’ve been through so much. If it doesn’t go how you hope, will you be okay?”
She shook her head. “It has to go well. Even if it doesn’t lead to anything, I have to know. If I don’t ask my questions, I’ll regret it.”
He was quiet for a moment. “Some questions are better left unanswered . . .”
Luna’s ears flattened against her skull. Of course he thought that. He hadn’t grown up half a person, built from silence and longing. He couldn’t understand. Even if it hurt, not knowing hurt worse. This would either bring closure or the beginning of a mother-daughter bond.
