The Moonlight Between Us

Chapter 2

The Boy From My Dreams

Amara couldn’t move.

She stood in the middle of the crowded courtyard with her schoolbag hanging loosely from one shoulder, staring at the boy who had occupied her dreams for as long as she could remember.

He was real.

Not a shadow. Not a dream. Not something her imagination had created.

Real.

And he was walking toward her.

“Amara?” Selene’s voice broke through the strange silence in her head.

Amara blinked. “What?”

“I asked if you’re okay.”

“Yeah.”

Selene followed Amara’s gaze. Her eyebrows immediately rose.

“Oh.”

Amara looked at her. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Selene.”

“What? I’m not saying anything.”

“You literally just said ‘oh.’”

“I said ‘oh’ because I understand now.”

“Understand what?”

Selene leaned closer. “Why you suddenly forgot how to breathe.”

Amara rolled her eyes. “Please.”

“I’m serious. Who is he?”

“I don’t know.”

Selene looked at her suspiciously. “You don’t know him?”

“No.”

“Then why are you staring at him like you’ve seen a ghost?”

Amara’s fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.

Because I have seen him.

But she couldn’t say that. Not here. Not in the middle of the school courtyard, and definitely not to Selene.

The boy stopped a few feet away from them.

Up close, he looked even more familiar.

His dark hair fell slightly across his forehead. His jaw was sharp, his expression unreadable, and his eyes were the strangest part of him. They weren’t exactly silver, but they were close enough to make Amara wonder if the morning sunlight was playing tricks on her.

She had seen those eyes before.

In her dreams.

The boy looked directly at her wrist.

Even though her sleeve covered the crescent-shaped mark, he seemed to know exactly where it was.

His expression hardened.

“You’re Amara Vale.”

It wasn’t a question.

Amara swallowed. “How do you know my name?”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he glanced around the courtyard.

Students were beginning to notice them.

“Not here,” he said.

Amara frowned. “Excuse me?”

“We need to talk.”

“About what?”

His eyes returned to hers. “About the forest.”

Amara’s stomach dropped.

Selene looked between them. “What forest?”

“Nothing,” Amara said quickly.

The boy’s eyes narrowed. “You dreamed about it again.”

Amara froze.

He knew.

He knew about the dreams.

“Who are you?” she whispered.

“My name is Kael.”

“Kael what?”

“Kael Ardyn.”

The name meant nothing to her, yet hearing it sent an inexplicable shiver through her body.

Kael took another step closer.

“Did you see the mark?”

Amara instinctively moved her hand toward her sleeve.

Kael noticed.

His expression changed.

“You have it.”

“Have what?”

“The crescent.”

Amara stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

Kael lowered his voice. “You’re in danger.”

A nervous laugh escaped Amara.

“You’re the strange new student who knows my name, knows about my dreams, and somehow knows about a mark on my wrist. And you’re telling me I’m the one in danger?”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Kael looked frustrated. Before he could say anything else, the school bell rang.

Students began rushing toward their classrooms.

“Not here,” Kael repeated.

Amara stared at him. “Then where?”

“Meet me after school.”

“Where?”

“The old courtyard behind the science building.”

Amara crossed her arms. “And why should I trust you?”

Kael’s expression didn’t change.

“You shouldn’t.”

That answer caught her completely off guard.

“But if you want answers,” he continued, “come.”

He turned and walked away.

Amara watched him disappear into the crowd.

Selene slowly turned toward her.

“Okay.”

Amara looked at her. “Okay what?”

“That was weird.”

“Very.”

“Also…” Selene glanced in the direction Kael had gone and smiled. “He’s ridiculously handsome.”

Amara groaned. “That’s what you got from that conversation?”

“Yes.”

“Selene!”

“What? I’m just being honest.”

Amara shook her head and headed toward the classroom, but her mind remained with Kael.

I’ve been looking for you.

The words wouldn’t leave her head.

Why had he been looking for her?

And how long had he been searching?

More importantly, why did he look at her as though he had been waiting years to see her?

By the time Amara entered her first class, she had already decided that she was going to get answers.

She just didn’t know that the answers would change everything she believed about herself.

English class was usually Amara’s favorite. She liked the way words could create entire worlds without anyone having to leave their seats. Today, however, she couldn’t concentrate.

She sat near the window, staring at the board while her teacher explained a passage she would normally have found interesting.

Instead, she kept replaying the morning in her head.

The forest.

The mysterious boy.

The glowing mark.

Kael.

Her teacher called her name.

“Amara.”

She jumped. “Yes, ma’am?”

A few students laughed.

Her teacher frowned. “I’ve asked you twice to read the next paragraph.”

“Sorry.”

Amara quickly looked down at her book and began reading.

She had barely finished the first few lines when she felt it.

Someone was watching her.

She slowly lifted her eyes.

Kael was sitting three rows behind her.

He wasn’t looking at the teacher.

He was looking at her.

Their eyes met.

For a few seconds, neither of them looked away.

There was something strange about the way he watched her. It wasn’t the ordinary curiosity of a new student interested in someone he had just met.

It was recognition.

As though he knew her.

As though he had known her for a very long time.

Kael finally looked away.

Amara frowned.

Something about him was wrong.

Not dangerous.

Not exactly.

Just…different.

When the class ended, Amara packed her books quickly. She wanted answers.

She walked toward Kael, but he was already leaving the classroom.

“Kael.”

He stopped.

Amara caught up with him. “You owe me an explanation.”

“I know.”

“Then explain.”

“Not here.”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“Because people are listening.”

Amara looked around.

Students were walking past them, laughing and talking. Nobody seemed particularly interested in their conversation.

“Who’s listening?”

Kael didn’t answer.

Instead, he said, “Meet me after school.”

“You already said that.”

“And I’m saying it again.”

“Why?”

“Because if I tell you everything here, you’ll put yourself in more danger.”

Amara stared at him.

“You’re not making any sense.”

“I know.”

“Then at least tell me one thing.”

Kael waited.

“How do you know me?”

For the first time, something vulnerable appeared in his expression.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

Before Amara could respond, he walked away.

She stood there, watching him disappear around the corner.

Her heart was beating faster than it should have.

She didn’t know why.

She only knew that she needed answers.

By lunchtime, the story of the mysterious new student had already spread around the school.

Selene sat opposite Amara in the cafeteria, eating while scrolling through her phone.

“You know what I discovered?”

Amara sighed. “What?”

“Kael Ardyn transferred from some private academy.”

“So?”

“So nobody knows anything about him.”

Amara stopped eating.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly that. No social media. Barely any information online. No old classmates posting pictures. Nothing.”

Amara frowned.

“That’s strange.”

“Very strange.”

Selene leaned forward. “And apparently he was enrolled suddenly.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes.”

Amara’s stomach tightened.

Kael hadn’t simply transferred.

He had arrived here for a reason.

And she suspected she knew what that reason was.

Her.

“Promise me something,” Amara said.

Selene raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Don’t investigate him.”

Selene laughed. “You know that’s impossible.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Selene.”

“Fine.” Selene raised both hands. “I won’t investigate your mysterious dream boy.”

“He’s not my—”

“Dream boy.”

“He’s not!”

Selene grinned.

Amara looked away, but despite herself, a small smile appeared on her face.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Then the cafeteria lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

The entire cafeteria fell silent.

Then every light went out.

Several students screamed.

Someone knocked over a tray.

“What happened?”

“Is there a power outage?”

“Why are the emergency lights not coming on?”

Amara looked toward the windows.

Something was moving outside.

The emergency lights suddenly came on, bathing the cafeteria in a dim red glow.

Amara’s eyes searched the room.

Kael was standing near the entrance.

Unlike everyone else, he didn’t look confused.

He looked terrified.

Their eyes met.

Kael immediately started walking toward her.

“Get out.”

Amara stood. “What?”

“Now.”

A loud crash came from outside.

The windows shook violently.

Students screamed.

Kael reached her and grabbed her hand.

His palm was unnaturally cold.

“Kael, what’s happening?”

“Don’t look outside.”

That made Amara want to look even more.

“What is it?”

“Amara.”

His voice was urgent.

“Trust me.”

She didn’t know why.

But she did.

They ran toward the hallway.

Behind them, another crash echoed through the school.

Then came a sound that made every hair on Amara’s arms rise.

A growl.

The exact same growl from her dream.

She stopped.

Kael pulled her forward.

“Keep moving.”

“It followed me.”

Kael stopped.

“What?”

“The creature.”

His expression changed.

“You remember.”

Amara stared at him. “What?”

“You remember the dream.”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“I remember everything.”

Kael’s grip tightened around her hand.

“Then we have very little time.”

They reached an empty corridor.

Kael pushed open a classroom door and pulled Amara inside.

He locked it.

Amara’s breathing became uneven.

“What is happening?”

Kael stood with his back against the door, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

Then he looked at her.

“I was hoping you’d have more time.”

“More time for what?”

He slowly walked toward her.

“To remember who you are.”

Amara stared at him.

“I already know who I am.”

“No.”

Kael’s eyes dropped to her wrist.

“The person you think you are is only half the truth.”

Amara’s sleeve suddenly began glowing.

She pulled it back.

The crescent mark was shining brighter than it had that morning.

“What is happening to me?”

Kael stepped back.

“It’s starting.”

“What is starting?”

“The awakening.”

A violent roar shook the classroom windows.

Amara turned toward the door.

Something scratched against the other side.

Slowly.

Three long scratches.

Her breathing stopped.

Kael moved in front of her.

“Stay behind me.”

Amara stared at the door.

“What is that thing?”

Kael’s eyes began glowing silver.

“The reason I came here.”

A cold shiver ran down Amara’s spine.

“Kael…”

He raised one hand.

Silver light began gathering around his fingers.

The air inside the classroom suddenly became heavy.

“What are you?”

Kael didn’t look back at her.

“Someone who was supposed to find you before they did.”

The door shook violently.

A c***k appeared across the wooden frame.

Amara took a step backward.

“What does it want?”

Kael’s jaw tightened.

“It wants you.”

Another roar shook the entire building.

Then the door exploded inward.

Kael thrust his hand forward.

A brilliant wave of silver energy filled the classroom.

Amara screamed and covered her face.

For one terrifying second, everything disappeared beneath the light.

And just before the world went completely silent, Kael whispered:

“Amara, whatever happens next, don’t let it touch your blood.”