Can You Be My Luna

Chapter 7 THE EYES THAT BETRAYED

I woke to the soft warmth of sunlight filtering through the curtains. For the first time in what felt like weeks, I didn’t feel the crushing weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. My body, though still sore and bruised, felt lighter, almost… normal. The fever from yesterday had gone, replaced by a strange, clear-headed energy that pulsed quietly beneath my skin.

I blinked slowly, letting the gentle light wash over me. For the first time since arriving in this house, I didn’t feel the immediate panic that usually followed sunrise. I sat up carefully, my feet brushing the soft carpet beneath the bed.

The guestroom was… comfortable. The bed was wide and warm, the sheets soft against my skin, the air calm and still. I let myself take a slow, deep breath, savouring it.

Maybe today won’t be so bad, I thought, a small spark of hope fluttering in my chest.

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and rose to my feet. My muscles ached faintly, a reminder of the previous days’ endless labour and humiliation, but nothing like the crippling weakness I had felt during the fever. I moved toward the door, each step steady, the sound of my slippers soft against the polished floor.

Halfway across the room, something caught my attention.

A mirror. It leaned against the wall, tall and ornate, its polished glass reflecting my appearance. I stepped closer, hesitating only for a moment before looking into it.

My reflection stared back, familiar yet… not. At first, I thought it was the morning light playing tricks on me. My skin looked clearer, smoother somehow, and the bruises on my face had faded slightly. But it wasn’t that. It was my eyes.

They weren’t brown anymore.

I blinked quickly, sure my eyes were playing tricks on me. But when I looked again, they were unmistakably blue… bright, piercing, and strange. They didn’t just reflect the light; they seemed to hold it, catching the morning sun and refracting it in a way that made my chest flutter with a strange, unfamiliar sensation.

I stumbled back a step, pressing my hands to my face.

No… no, this isn’t real. This can’t be real…

My heartbeat thundered in my ears. I felt a tremor run through my body as fear and disbelief wrestled for control. My eyes had changed overnight. Something inside me shifted uncomfortably, a fluttering sensation in my chest.

Panic surged through me. I spun away from the mirror, desperate to escape the sight of myself. My steps were quick and erratic as I moved toward the door, heart pounding in my chest.

And then… I collided with someone.

“Watch where you’re going, little bride,” a familiar, mocking voice drawled.

I froze. Vanessa. She stood there, arms crossed, hair messy, eyes glinting with amusement. She smirked down at me, leaning slightly against the doorway as if she had been waiting for this exact moment.

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling slightly. “I… I’m sorry,” I said quickly, forcing a calmness into my voice that I didn’t feel.

Vanessa tilted her head, her gaze sliding over me from head to toe. Then her eyes flicked toward mine. “Hmm… much better, I see. Not feeling sick anymore?” Her voice was sugary, but the cruel undertone was unmistakable. “And what happened to your eyes?”

I froze. My throat felt dry, panic clawing at me like a living thing. I couldn’t tell her. Not her. She’d mock me endlessly. I tried to think quickly, to find an explanation that would satisfy her without revealing anything of the strange truth.

“I… removed my… lens,” I said finally, my voice tight and shaky.

Vanessa’s smirk widened. “Lens, hmm?” she said, clearly buying the excuse. Her expression twisted slightly, almost scornful. “Well… they look… different. Interesting choice.”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. I wanted to disappear, to sink into the floor, and never show myself again. But I couldn’t. I had work to do. Breakfast. Punishment for defiance was never far behind.

Vanessa’s tone shifted suddenly, sharp and commanding. “Go. Make breakfast. Quickly. I don’t want to wait all morning.”

I nodded, forcing myself to move. My legs were still shaky, and my head throbbed faintly, but I obeyed. I had learned long ago that hesitation, even slight, could provoke cruelty.

“Yes, ma’am,” I whispered, my voice low.

She watched me for a moment, smirking, before stepping aside. “Don’t mess it up, little bride,” she said. “Or it won’t just be words you have to worry about.”

I hurried to the kitchen, heart pounding, every movement cautious. My mind refused to dwell on the strange new colour of my eyes, though the memory of the reflection burned at the edges of my thoughts. Blue. How had they…?

I didn’t know. I had no idea what was happening to me. And yet the sight of them in the mirror had made something flutter inside me.

I tried to focus on breakfast, on the mundane tasks of cracking eggs, frying bread, and pouring tea. My hands shook, but the act of moving, of doing, helped me regain a fragment of control. I told myself over and over: Just do your work.

Vanessa lingered nearby, smirking as she watched me. Every clumsy movement, every tiny mistake, she caught and exaggerated with cruel amusement. “Careful! You might drop it again,” she said, mocking concern laced with venom.

I kept my head low, suppressing the fear and the rising panic in my chest. The eyes. They could never know.

By the time breakfast was ready, I felt weak and dizzy, but I forced myself to carry the trays to the dining room. Each step was careful and measured, yet my heart hammered like a drum.

Vanessa leaned lazily against the doorframe, smirking as she watched. “Looking strong for someone who looks like death warmed over yesterday,” she teased.

I ignored her.

Lucas, already seated at the table, didn’t look up. But I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, cold and assessing. I set the tray down, my hands trembling slightly as I arranged the plates.

“Good,” Vanessa said, clapping her hands softly. “Now let’s eat before the little bride collapses on us again.”

I forced a nod and stepped back, trembling, my chest tight. But I swallowed it down.