Loving Luna

The Question He Asked at Midnight

The reflected Book stayed closed for the rest of the evening.

No warnings.

No names appearing in blood.

No ancient power trying to turn dinner into a catastrophe.

Luna checked it three times anyway.

The third time, Darius caught her.

“You’re staring at it.”

“I’m just making sure it’s still quiet.”

“It was quiet five minutes ago.”

“A lot can happen in five minutes.”

Darius leaned against the library doorway, arms folded.

“You’re waiting for something to go wrong.”

Luna looked down at the blue-edged Book.

“Yeah.”

The answer came easily.

Darius’s expression softened.

“Me too.”

She glanced at him.

“You hide it better.”

“I’ve had more practice.”

“That isn’t necessarily good.”

“No.”

He crossed the room and stopped beside her.

The library was dim except for the fire and two lamps on the central table. Beyond the windows, snow fell softly over Blackwood’s repaired walls.

Everyone else had gone to bed.

Even Mason, after claiming he was only resting his eyes, had been dragged upstairs by Evelyn.

Luna placed her palm on the Book’s cover.

Nothing answered.

“The age of prophecy is over,” she said.

“So it claims.”

“You don’t believe it?”

“I believe it’s trying to be right.”

“That sounded suspiciously polite.”

“I don’t trust things that write their own conclusions.”

Luna smiled.

“That might be the healthiest thing you’ve ever said.”

Darius’s fingers brushed hers where they rested on the Book.

“Come outside with me.”

She looked toward the windows.

“It’s snowing.”

“I noticed.”

“It’s midnight.”

“I also noticed that.”

“And you’re being mysterious.”

His mouth curved slightly.

“That was intentional.”

Luna studied him.

Through the bond, she felt it—nervousness.

Not fear.

Just something restless and tightly held in place.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

“That makes it worse.”

“You should put on a coat.”

“Darius.”

“Luna.”

Her name first.

Always.

But this time, there was something softer underneath it.

She stopped teasing.

“Alright.”

The estate had gone quiet.

Lanterns glowed along the cleared paths, turning the falling snow gold. The repaired wall stood firm beneath its mixture of Blackwood stone and Aurelis silver.

Darius led Luna past the courtyard.

Past the training field.

Toward the old lake beyond the eastern grove.

Their boots made the only sound.

Luna slipped her hand into his coat pocket because her gloves were still in her room.

Darius looked down.

“You refused the coat.”

“I’m wearing one.”

“You refused the gloves.”

“I have you.”

“That is not practical.”

“Your pocket is warm.”

“That wasn’t the part I objected to.”

She smiled and pressed closer to his side.

The lake appeared between the trees.

Its surface had frozen beneath a thin layer of snow. Lanterns stood along the shoreline, though Luna had not seen anyone preparing them.

She stopped.

“What is this?”

Darius looked toward the lights.

“A lake.”

“I know what a lake is.”

“I wasn’t sure.”

She stared at him.

His expression stayed serious, but the bond betrayed him.

Nervous.

Very nervous.

Luna’s heartbeat picked up.

Darius led her toward a wooden bench near the shore.

Someone had cleared the snow from it.

A folded blanket rested on the seat beside a metal flask.

Luna looked around.

“Did Mason help you?”

Darius’s face hardened.

“No.”

“Evelyn?”

“No.”

“Kael?”

“Why would I ask Kael?”

“He’s your brother.”

“He tried to fix a wall with rope and an axe.”

“He’s still learning.”

“Not this.”

Luna bit back a laugh.

“Then who helped?”

“The estate.”

She blinked.

“You asked Blackwood to do this?”

“I asked for privacy.”

A tree branch dropped a pile of snow onto the path behind them, blocking the clearest route from the manor.

Luna looked at it.

“The estate is dramatic.”

“It’s been spending too much time with Mason.”

Darius offered her the blanket.

She wrapped it around her shoulders and sat beside him.

For a while, they just watched the snow settle over the frozen lake.

No enemies waited among the trees.

No army approached the gates.

No magical door opened beneath their feet.

The quiet felt almost unfamiliar.

Luna poured warm chocolate from the flask into a metal cup.

She took a sip.

Then looked at Darius.

“You made this?”

“Yes.”

“It’s good.”

He looked faintly offended.

“You sound surprised.”

“You once burned water.”

“The pan was badly made.”

“The water evaporated.”

“Exactly. Bad design.”

Luna laughed.

Darius watched her.

That nervousness was still there.

Deeper now.

She lowered the cup.

“You brought me here to ask something.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

Darius looked out over the lake.

For once, he didn’t seem to have the words ready.

Luna waited.

She didn’t fill the silence.

Finally, he spoke.

“Do you remember the first time you chose me?”

Luna thought back.

So many moments.

Standing beside him when every warning said to run.

Taking his hand while Command burned through him.

Refusing to let old lives decide who they were.

“I don’t think there was just one.”

“That wasn’t what I expected.”

“It’s the honest answer.”

He nodded.

“I think I chose you slowly.”

“Slowly?”

“Yes.”

Luna raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds weirdly romantic.”

“I’m trying.”

“Go on.”

Darius took the cup from her and set it aside.

“The first time you argued with me, I wanted you gone.”

“I remember.”

“The second time, I wanted you quiet.”

“I remember that too.”

“The third time…”

He looked at her.

“…I started waiting for you to disagree.”

Luna’s chest warmed.

“That might be the strangest love confession I’ve ever heard.”

“I haven’t gotten to the confession yet.”

“Oh.”

“Stop interrupting.”

“That sounded like an order.”

“It was panic.”

She smiled and pulled the blanket closer around them both.

Darius continued.

“I chose you when I realized you saw everything I was afraid of becoming—and you still stayed long enough to ask who I wanted to be.”

The humor faded from Luna’s face.

Snow collected in his dark hair.

She reached up and brushed it away.

“You never had to become better for me.”

“I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.”

His eyes held hers.

“I became better because loving you made me want to live honestly.”

Emotion tightened her throat.

Darius took her hand.

The bond between them warmed—no ancient force, just something they had built themselves.

“I don’t know what happens in ten years,” he said.

“Me neither.”

“I don’t know if Blackwood stays peaceful.”

“It probably won’t.”

“I don’t know if Lucian keeps his promise.”

Luna squeezed his hand.

“I hope he does.”

“So do I.”

He looked down at their joined hands.

“And I don’t know if every version of us will choose the same future.”

The words landed heavy.

Because they were true.

Darius felt it too.

He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

“But I know what I want tonight.”

Luna’s heartbeat sped up.

“What?”

He stood.

For a second, she thought he might kneel.

Instead, he pulled her up with him and stood facing her like an equal.

Luna’s eyes stung.

He noticed.

“You thought I was going to kneel.”

“Maybe.”

“I thought about it.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because I’m not asking you to stand above me.”

His hands settled around hers.

“I’m asking if you want to keep standing beside me.”

Luna stopped breathing.

Darius reached into his coat.

He pulled out a small ring made of dark metal.

Not gold.

Not a crown.

Just a simple black band with a thin line of silver through it.

Luna stared.

“What is that?”

“Blackwood iron and Aurelis silver.”

“You made it?”

“Mason helped.”

“I knew it.”

“He was useful once.”

“Did Evelyn supervise?”

“Yes.”

“Then she helped.”

Darius exhaled.

“Can we talk about the construction later?”

Luna laughed through tears.

“Yes.”

His nervousness poured through the bond now.

Open.

Unhidden.

All his.

Darius held the ring between them.

“This isn’t a binding.”

“I know.”

“It doesn’t carry magic.”

“Good.”

“It doesn’t promise we won’t change.”

“We will.”

“It doesn’t mean you can’t leave.”

Her heart ached at how hard that was for him to say.

Luna touched his face.

“What does it mean?”

Darius leaned into her hand.

“It means I want to wake up and choose you again for as many mornings as we get.”

Tears slipped down Luna’s cheeks.

Darius immediately looked alarmed.

“That a no?”

She laughed.

“No.”

He froze.

Luna shook her head quickly.

“No, it’s not a no.”

“That was badly said.”

“You’re the one who picked a woman who interrupts.”

“I’m reconsidering.”

“You’re too late.”

She stepped closer.

“My answer is yes.”

The word settled into the quiet forest.

No Book recorded it.

No light exploded across the sky.

No ancient bloodline reacted.

Only Darius heard it.

And that made it matter more.

He slid the ring onto her finger.

It fit perfectly.

Luna looked down at it.

Then back at him.

“You measured my hand while I was sleeping.”

“No.”

“You absolutely did.”

“I asked Evelyn.”

“How did she know?”

Darius looked away.

Luna gasped.

“She measured me while I was sleeping.”

“She said you move too much.”

“I’m surrounded by criminals.”

Darius cupped her face.

“Luna.”

Her name came out rough with relief.

She smiled.

“Yes.”

He kissed her.

This time it wasn’t careful.

It held everything he’d been afraid to say and everything he’d finally said anyway. Luna wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer under the falling snow.

The bond opened.

Clear.

Warm.

Free.

When they finally broke apart, Luna rested her forehead against his.

“You realize I have questions.”

“I expected that.”

“When?”

“Whenever you want.”

“Where?”

“Wherever you want.”

“Who’s coming?”

Darius’s expression darkened.

“Not Mason.”

“Mason is absolutely coming.”

“He’ll make a speech.”

“Probably.”

“He’ll cry.”

“Definitely.”

“He’ll deny it.”

“Obviously.”

Darius closed his eyes.

“I regret this already.”

“No, you don’t.”

He opened them.

“No.”

Luna lifted her hand, watching the silver line catch the lantern light.

“Does everyone know?”

“Only Evelyn, Mason, and the estate.”

A nearby lantern flickered brightly.

Luna looked at it.

“The estate approves.”

“It threatened Mason when he suggested fireworks.”

“I approve even more.”

Darius wrapped the blanket more securely around her.

“What do we tell everyone else?”

“The truth.”

“That we’re choosing a future without pretending we control it?”

“Yes.”

“That tomorrow can still change?”

“Yes.”

“And tonight…”

Luna rose onto her toes.

“Tonight, I’m choosing you.”

Darius kissed her again.

Behind them, Blackwood Manor lit every window at once.

The sleeping estate woke in gold.

A faint cheer echoed from somewhere inside.

Darius pulled back.

“Mason.”

Luna laughed.

“He was watching.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I could.”

“And would you stop if I asked?”

Darius looked at her.

Then sighed.

“Yes.”

“That was faster this time.”

“I’m learning.”

Hand in hand, they started back toward the manor.

No prophecy waited for them.

Just family.

Noise.

Questions.

And a tomorrow neither of them could control.

Luna looked at the ring again.

Then at him.

“Again?” she asked.

Darius smiled.

“Always again.”