The Moon Between Us

Chapter 7

I peeled off my soaked clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the cold and the anxiety that had clung to me all day. Steam filled the small bathroom, curling around the edges of the mirror, and for a few minutes, I let myself forget the shadows, the rain, and the boy with the piercing eyes.

By the time I emerged back downstairs, the living room had transformed. Candles flickered in clusters on tables and shelves, casting warm, dancing light across the walls. Sage sat cross-legged on the couch, her long fingers tracing faint patterns in the air above a small bowl of herbs.

“You’ve noticed,” she said softly, without looking up.

“Noticed what?” I asked, my voice hesitant, my eyes scanning the room.

She smiled faintly, then leaned back. “I’m a witch, Elara. I’ve always been one. That… that explains a lot of the things your mother tried to warn you about, yes?”

I swallowed, heart hammering. “I… I don’t understand. All the things I’ve seen today…”

She nodded, her eyes gentle. “It’s a lot. And I know it’s overwhelming. But you’re not alone. Not while I’m here.”

A sudden knock rattled the front door. My stomach jumped. Sage didn’t flinch.

“I’ll get it,” she said calmly. She moved to the door and swung it open.

Tyler stood there, drenched, rain running off his dark jacket and damp hair plastered to his forehead. His eyes flicked between me and Sage. “Hope I’m not interrupting,” he said, voice low, controlled.

“You’re just in time,” Sage said, stepping aside. Tyler entered, shaking off the rain, and I could feel the quiet intensity radiating from him. Protective, watchful, ready for anything, steady and grounded.

We sat together as Sage began explaining slowly, carefully, introducing me to the truths she’d been keeping: a world layered beneath the ordinary, shadows that weren’t quite human, dangers I wasn’t yet ready to fully understand. My mind reeled with questions, but Sage’s calm presence anchored me.

Then, lightning flashed, sharp and sudden, illuminating the room in stark white, followed by a rumble of thunder. Alaric Price appeared in the doorway, almost as if born from the storm itself.

“Don’t stop talking on my account,” he said smoothly, smirk curling his lips. He radiated confidence, charisma, danger.

Tyler’s body stiffened, muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. Every inch of him was tense. He was ready to be protective and ready to confront anything Alaric might do.

Alaric’s eyes flicked over me, then Tyler, then Sage, amusement dancing in their depths. “Well, this is cozy,” he said, gesturing to the circle of firelight and candle-lit room. “Don’t worry. I’ll behave… mostly.”

The rain outside drummed a steady rhythm, the candles flickered, and I realized I was caught between two forces, each powerful in their own way, each holding secrets I had no right to yet. The storm was nothing compared to the tension in the room.

I sank back into the couch, my heart hammering, knowing this night was only the beginning.

The candles flickered as Alaric stepped further into the room, his wet jacket leaving faint puddles on the wooden floor. Tyler’s eyes never left him, posture rigid, fists clenched slightly.

Sage motioned for both of them to sit, though neither made a move immediately. Alaric smirked, leaning casually against the edge of a table. Tyler remained on the couch, tense but restrained.

“You’re hiding something,” Alaric said finally, voice smooth, teasing, but sharp. “I can feel it. Everyone here has secrets.”

Sage’s gaze didn’t waver. “We all have our roles, Alaric. Some of us are just more… protective than others.”

Alaric’s eyes flicked to me. “And who’s this?” he asked, voice dripping curiosity.

“Elara,” Sage said simply. “She’s… my family.”

Alaric’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile, but he didn’t elaborate. His eyes were sharp, appraising, like he could see far more than he let on.

Tyler’s voice cut through the quiet. “Alright, you've introduced Price. Now, step back.”

Alaric raised his hands slowly, smirk lingering. “Always so serious, Tyler. You worry too much.”

Sage interjected smoothly, keeping her tone calm, almost casual. “There are things you don’t understand yet, Elara. Things that can’t be explained in a single evening. That’s why we take it slow.”

Alaric chuckled softly, shifting his weight. “Patience, patience. I like the strategy… but you all know the world is bigger than you let on.”

Tyler’s jaw tightened. “We protect what we can. That’s enough for now.”

I sat quietly, absorbing every nuance—the tension, the subtle warnings, the unspoken history between Tyler and Alaric. Every glance, every smirk, every slight movement felt loaded with meaning I couldn’t fully grasp. The storm outside mirrored the storm inside the room, a clash of forces I was only beginning to sense.

The candles flickered again, casting long shadows across the walls. Alaric’s smirk lingered, Tyler’s posture remained taut, and Sage’s calm presence anchored the room—but none of it could quiet the storm inside me.

I sank into the couch, feeling the warmth of the firelight and the weight of the night pressing down. My chest was tight, my mind spinning with questions I couldn’t even begin to ask. The shadows, the storm, the sudden revelations… nothing would ever feel normal again.

For the first time, I understood what my mother had meant when she warned me to stay close to Sage, to heed the night, to trust no one completely. Everything I had known—everything I had counted on—had shifted in the span of a single evening.

I glanced between them once more, trying to make sense of the pieces I’d glimpsed, but there were too many, too fast. And in that quiet, candle-lit room, I felt it fully: my life would never, ever be the same.