Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 5

Estella

The beast, Cara, dipped her head and gently nudged the male's palm with its snout. It even let out a low purr as it nuzzled him. Actually nuzzled him! This monstrous beast, this terrifying predator, was now behaving like a docile pet. I had only seen bonded Haccu do something similar to their bonded riders.

Was he going to let the beast get me? I shuffled back, a desperate scramble to escape, the sand burned my legs and arms through the rips and tears in my clothing. Blood began filling my mouth again, my lip split wide. I spat the blood onto the scorching sands, half expecting steam to rise.

Cara's head snapped up, its eyes locking onto me, the anger and rage radiating off of its eyes caused a shiver to run down my spine. A low hiss rumbled in its chest, and her forked tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air. The male let out a low growl, a sound that seemed to vibrate through the very ground we stood on. It wasn't a threatening growl, but it held an undeniable authority, a primal command that silenced Cara instantly.

He spoke to the beast in a low, soothing voice, his hand reaching out to stroke its snout. Cara leaned into his touch, its eyes closing in contentment. I watched, mesmerized. I was astonished to see this behavior, it was so similar to the riders in Tenebris that my heart clenched. Who was this male?

With a final, lingering glare in my direction, Cara turned and lumbered back up the slope, disappearing over the crest of the hill. I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

The second male circled back into my line of sight, I had almost forgotten about him, my focus locked on the beast and its apparent master. I tracked his path as he walked slowly around me, my heart pounding with apprehension. He was taller than the first male, broader in the shoulders, his skin was a few shades darker. But where the first male exuded a youthful energy, this one carried an air of authority, his features etched with the lines of experience.

His hair was cropped close to his head, revealing a strong jawline and high cheekbones. My gaze snagged on his ears, rounded like a humans. His scent was strange, I could smell the hint of fae blood, the unmistakable power coursing through him. But there was a cloying scent of mortal blood – human blood, that clung to him.

The amber eyes male was at my side once more, kneeling in the sand. His scent hit me and confusion etched my brow as I processed. Much like an animal, fae identified one another by their scents. It was yet another feature that showcased the differences between humans and fae.

My eyes bounced between the two males, their scents were similar enough that it told me they were related, but I must be distantly. The male kneeling beside me smelled distinctly fae, his blood almost singing its heritage to me.

The older males eyes, a piercing blue, held a hint of suspicion as they settled on me. I felt suspicion in his eyes.

"Do you know where you are?" the male beside me asked, his voice as soothing as a gentle breeze. His amber eyes, still mesmerizing, searched mine with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

I shook my head, my throat tight with fear. I knew I was in Eloria, but that wasn't what he meant. I was lost, disoriented, adrift in a world that was deadly to me in every way.

The two males exchanged a look, a silent conversation passing between them. I couldn't decipher their expressions, but a sense of unease prickled my skin. I still didn’t know if I could trust them and by the expression on the older ones face, I could tell he was deciding the same about me.

"What are you doing here?" the older male asked, his voice deep and resonant, with an undercurrent of steel. He stepped closer, his shadow falling across me like a cage. I flinched back from his approach, the threat in his voice evident.

Even if I could speak, I wouldn't know what to say. How could I explain my presence in this their realm?

Hi, yes, I was sneaking around the shimmer to get a glimpse of some little creatures in your world. No, I am not a spy. That was not going to work very well when the older male most likely wouldn’t believe me.

I was trapped, caught in a web of my own making, and I had no idea how to escape. My silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. I felt their eyes on me, assessing, judging. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage.

Think, Estella, think! But my mind was a blank. All I could think about was Astra. Was she alright?

My throat burned and closed up as I tried to speak, but no sound came out. My mind raced, a whirlwind of fear and confusion. I looked down at my body, a patchwork of torn fabric and bleeding wounds. My arms were raw and swollen, the skin broken and bleeding. A trickle of blood ran down my forehead, stinging my eyes.

"I think she needs a healer," the older male said, his voice low and concerned. He glanced at his companion; his blue eyes filled with worry. "Look at her. She's barely conscious."

The first male, his amber gaze still fixed on me, nodded slowly.

No!

My mind screamed. A healer would surely recognize me as a fae from Tenebris. They would discover my identity and the news would reach the King of Eloria, and then my father... I couldn't bear to imagine the consequences. Their paranoid King would never believe this was an accident.

Panic surged through me, and I tried to scramble backward, but my injured body refused to cooperate. The older male bent down and reached for my arm, his touch firm. He tried to pull me up, but I yanked my arm away. A warning growl sounded low in my throat as I bared my blood-coated teeth at him. His eyes landed on my teeth before flicking over my ears, as if he just now noticed them.

"It's alright little bird," the first male said softly. "We won't hurt you. We just want to help."

His words were kind, his voice soothing, but I couldn't trust them. They were from Eloria, the enemy. I can’t trust them.

I shook my head frantically, my eyes wide with determination. "Don't... touch… me," I croaked, my voice cracked and throat burned from the strain. When was the last time I had spoken?

The two males exchanged another look, shock flooding their features at my harsh tone.

“You're hurt. You need help." the older one said, his brow furrowed, his jaw set in frustration.

“No healer,” I hissed through clenched teeth.

The older male shifted, as if to grab me again, but the other, who kept his molten gaze on me, held a hand out. The other male stilled instantly, blue eyes shooting to glare at his companion. The first male crouched down, settling in the sand an arm’s length away from me. I narrowed my eyes as he studied my face, the blood now leaking from my nose.

“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice soft. His eyes were pleading, as if he was trying to prove he was no threat.

“Estella,” I croaked out, feeling my resolve crumble as he seemed to gaze into my very soul.

"Estella," the younger male said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "That's a pretty name.” He extended a hand towards me; his amber eyes filled with concern.

I hesitated, my gaze darting between the two males. His warmth, his genuine worry, was disarming. It wasn't the hostility I had expected from the fae of Eloria.

“My name is Kyros, and this is my brother, Atlas." he said, throwing a glance over his shoulder to his tense brother. Brothers? That would explain the similar appearances, but there was something off. My younger sister Lynx was a near replica of our older sister Thallia. Even Astra and I bore a striking resemblance to our brother Cyrus. Yet these two didn’t look alike enough to be brothers.

The older one, Atlas looked and smelled mostly mortal. But Kyros smelled wholly fae, his pointed ears and extended canines that peaked out when he spoke confirmed it. He wiggled his fingers between us, and it was then that I realized I was staring again.

Tentatively, I placed my hand in his, surprised by the warmth of his touch. He inched closer to me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. He pulled a square of light blue silk from his pocket and gestured towards my bleeding brow. The fabric shimmered in the sunlight, reminding me of the delicate spider-silk scarves worn by nobles.

My brain was screaming at me to recoil, but I found I couldn’t. I allowed him to reach between us, allowed him to grip my chin with gentle hands as he examined the wounds to my head and face. His touch was warm and gentle as he used the silk to clean the blood from the gash along my hairline.

I sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers gently smoothed over the scrapes on my cheekbone. The intake caused a hiss of pain to leave my lips. My side was burning, it felt like the skin was on fire. My hand flew to my side, which was angry and bleeding all over again. Kyross molten gaze shifted down and widened as he took in the severity of the wound on my side, inches from my lung.

“You need a healer,” Atlas spoke, his voice breaking the comfortable silence that had filled the ravine. His blue eyes were narrowed on my as he took in the blood leaking down my side. Feeling the anger at being dismissed, I flew to my feet, my teeth bared at Atlas. Kyros rose with me, his hands drifted to my lower back, attempting to steady me. I shook off his touch, my anger doing enough to settle me.

"I do not need a healer," I hissed, my voice wavering slightly as a wave of dizziness washed over me. Dizziness clouded me and I stumbled back, gripping Kyros's arm for support, my knuckles white. "I just... need to get home."

“And where is that?” Atlas pried, his voice rising as his frustration grew. My own temper was rising in my throat at his tone. People knew better than to speak to me like that back home. But this male obviously thought me some frail little being. I didn’t respond, merely squinted my eyes at the male.

"You can barely stand, let alone tell us where 'home' is," Atlas countered, his voice sharp with frustration. It was a tone that only an older brother used to dealing with annoying little siblings has perfected. He crossed his arms, his blue eyes narrowed in disapproval. "You need to be seen by a healer. That fall must have caused a serious head injury." His words were dismissive, the sounds coming across as a scoff.

My fists clenched, balling at my side as a low growl built in my throat. The air between us crackled with tension, our gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. I released Kyross arm, my legs wobbling slightly, but I stood with my chin raised.

I honestly didn’t know what I was doing. I had never been defiant, always submitting to those around me, but something about this male in front of me. Something about his cold blue eyes, his dismissive tone that had my hackles rising.

"Atlas, leave it," Kyros said, his voice hardening. It was a tone I recognized, the same tone Astra used when she wanted to put someone in their place. A tone of authority, of command.

"Can you tell us how to help? Where is your home?" Kyros asked, his voice softening again as he turned back to me.

Before I could answer, two deep, howls echoed through the ravine, sending a shiver down my spine. My head snapped up, my eyes widened with worry. I recognized those voices, those primal calls that resonated through my very being. My father. Cyrus. They were searching for me.

Panic surged through me, cold and suffocating. They were so close. If they found me here, where I am forbidden from going, with two Elorians... I couldn't bear to think of the consequences.

Kyros and Atlas exchanged a startled glance, their bodies tensing. They turned towards the direction of the howls, their eyes scanning the horizon. The air crackled with a sudden, palpable tension, a sense of impending danger that made my breath catch in my throat.

I reached out and grasped Kyros's arm, my fingers digging into his skin. He turned back to me, his amber eyes filled with a question I couldn't answer.

"I need to go," I said urgently, my voice barely a whisper.

"Where is home, Estella?" he asked again, his voice soft and insistent. He ignored Atlas's disapproving glare, his focus solely on me.

I didn't trust myself to speak. Instead, I turned towards the source of the howls, my arm outstretched, my finger pointing towards the shimmer that separated me from my family, my world. The cries of my father and brother were a lifeline, a beacon guiding me back to the safety of the shadows. No matter how far I strayed, no matter how lost I became, that connection, that primal bond, would always lead me back to them.

Kyros's gaze followed my gesture, his brow furrowed in concern. He could sense my desperation, the raw fear that emanated from me like a tangible force.

"What's over there?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight with fear. "Home," I croaked, my voice hoarse.