Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 19

Five years later…

Kyros

"You are scowling again, darling," Queen Celeste observed, her voice gentle but laced with concern. She glanced up from the intricate embroidery she was working on, her brow furrowed as she studied my face. "What troubles you, Kyros?"

My gaze remained fixed on the imposing silhouette of the castle that loomed ever larger in the distance. The carriage rattled over the uneven terrain, but the tremors were nothing compared to the quaking in my chest, the dread that coiled around my heart like a serpent. Five years. It had been five long years since I had set foot within those walls, those cursed walls.

My hands trembled as I remembered the agonizing recovery, the fevered dreams, the constant throbbing pain that had pulsed through my body. Fae have enhanced healing abilities than that of humans, but Raedon had rendered me within inches of death.

I instinctively touched the raised scars that marred my brow, a permanent reminder of my own brother's betrayal. The joy of returning home was tainted by the bitter memories, the shadows of the past that still haunted me.

"I am not scowling," I growled, my voice tight with suppressed emotion. I gritted my teeth, forcing my gaze away from the approaching castle. "I am merely... observing the scenery."

"Observing the scenery with a grimace, ori?" My mother countered, her voice laced with a gentle mockery. I smiled at the nickname she used; it meant my light. She has been using it more often these last few years.

She raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, her lips curving into a knowing smile. "I thought you were eager to return to the castle for your birthday celebration. This was your idea anyways." Her tone sharpened, a hint of accusation creeping into her voice.

"I am," I insisted, my voice softening slightly. "I just... I'm not looking forward to seeing Raedon."

My mother sighed, her gaze drifting towards the window. She didn't understand my need to return, my insistence on confronting the ghosts of my past. My return was the only gift I requested for my twenty-first birthday celebration in a few days.

She was content to rule Eloria from afar, from the safety and comfort of her father's palace in the East, far removed from the cruelty and treachery of King Pheonix’s court. She had never loved the King, their union a political arrangement forced upon her by the council. The thought of returning to that place, to that man, filled her with dread.

"Ah, yes," she said, her voice turning cold. "I'm sure Raedon will be on his worst behavior for our arrival."

"Indeed," I replied, my gaze drawn back to the imposing silhouette of the castle. The closer we got, the heavier the weight in my chest became.

“You were the one adamant on returning ori,” she said her eyes drifting to the castle. I merely grunted in response. She didn’t know the full extent of my reasoning.

"Scowling again," my mother crooned, her voice a gentle tease. She reached out and playfully tapped my cheek, her touch light and affectionate. "You'll give yourself wrinkles."

I couldn't help but c***k a small smile. I appreciated my mother's attempt to lighten the mood, to distract me from the turmoil brewing within me.