Page 15 of A Light in the Dark

FIFTEEN

You are surprisingly naughty, Joel.

Five minutes after leaving town, Joel turned onto a dirt road, one that had seen some maintenance and a recent layer of gravel. The forest thickened, casting everything into gloom. It didn’t take long for me to spot the first cluster of sleeping luna moths.

“It’s so close to town,” I commented, rolling down my window so I could get a closer look at them. Cocoons hung from many leaves and branches, each one made of ghostly thin silk. “I see the cocoons!”

“These are wild luna moths, as my parents own only the road in this section. We’ll hit their property shortly. They have twenty acres in the front of their property, and the remaining thirty are in the back. They’re thinking about buying more land, too.” Joel stopped the SUV and pointed at a cluster of moths. “See the ones with the big feathery antenna? Those are the males. Once the sun goes down, the unmated females will release a scent that attracts the males. The first male to reach an advertising female wins the opportunity to reproduce. Basically, we’ll be photographing luna moths seeking a partner, engaging with a partner, laying eggs, or flying off to live the remainder of their days.”

“You are surprisingly naughty, Joel, photographing insects in the act. I don’t suppose you can teach me how to avoid the ones engaging in the act? I’d rather photograph the ones seeking their partner or flying off into the evening, satisfied with their procreation activities.”

He laughed. “Sure, I can help you with that. You’re not going to avoid the procreation activities, but you can readily dodge photographing such things.”

“I do not need any reminders that bugs get more action than I do,” I informed him in my most serious tone.

He snickered, put the vehicle back into drive, and headed down the road, slowing whenever we came across a large cluster of luna moths sleeping the day away. As we went deeper into the forest, every tree sheltered luna moths, transforming the entire area into a blue and green sea. “There are so many of them!”

“Around my parents’ house has the highest population. They bring in their favorite foods and feed the pupae so they grow healthy and strong. It also makes collecting the cocoons simple once the moths have laid their eggs and the process begins again. They try to collect as many of the cocoons as possible right as the main hatch ends, that way they don’t have to worry about disturbing the eggs. It’s a process, but it keeps them busy.”

I had no doubt it did. “This is absolutely incredible. If you told me this was magic, I’d believe it.”

“The only magic used is what my parents use to gain as much of the mundane silk as possible for spinning. Otherwise, luna moth silk wouldn’t be practical to collect and use. They’re the sole supplier on our world. Honestly, I think they might be the sole supplier, period. Yolana only buys a small fraction of the silk they gather every hatch.” Joel took care with where he drove, and when a cluster of moths had decided to sleep on a branch lying across the center of the road, he stopped the vehicle, killed the engine, and got out. “Get out your camera. You may as well start learning now. We’re going to have to move all these lovelies off the road, so we may as well charge them posing for us while they sleep.”

I did as he asked, pulling out the green camera and both film cameras. “Which lens for the green one?”

“Let me see what you have.”

I dug around the bag and retrieved each of the lenses, handing them over. After some deliberation, he selected the largest of the lenses and showed me how to install it on the camera. Once he had it clicked into place, he turned the device on and introduced me to the basic features, which included how to adjust the focus, what moving the rings around the lens did, and otherwise confirming I knew nothing about cameras. “If you hold the button lightly, the camera will try to auto focus for you. If you press harder, it’ll take the picture. If you like where the focus is, just press harder. You’ll figure it out after taking a few photos. You need to be about two feet away from your target to be able to focus it with this lens.” After handing me the camera and making sure I had its strap wrapped around my wrist, he pointed at the luna moths on the road. “Go play.”

“Why can’t I get kidnapped every day? I’m going to be fed steak, I’m being told to go play, and I got set loose in a craft store.”

“And you bought your first camera. That’s important.”

“It’s important, but not quite as important as Shifter Five’s silk and steak,” I informed him in a solemn tone.

Joel sighed. “My mother keeps telling me the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach, but I thought she was joking.”

“Food is life, and steak is delicious. And when I’m fed, I’m happy. When I’m hungry, I get mean. I’ve been sufficiently excited through the acquisition of Shifter Five’s silk to be able to ignore the fact I’m hungry.” I eased out of the SUV, careful not to drop my new camera. “I can really just go up to them and start taking pictures?”

“They’re sleeping, so yes. Some of them might fly off when we move them to a safer spot, but as long as you don’t make loud noises or disturb them, you can photograph them.”

We spent the next half hour taking pictures of the luna moths, and when it was time to move them, we put our cameras back in the vehicle. Rather than pick up the stick, Joel worked his hand beneath the first one, woke the poor thing up enough it moved onto him, and he carried it to a nearby tree, giving it a chance to get its bearings before transferring it over.

I expected we would need an hour to get them all to safety. Rather than sigh over the time it would take, I went to work, following his example and moving with slow and deliberate motions so I wouldn’t frighten the moths into flying away.

For the most part, they cooperated, although one or two flew off of their own accord, resulting in an entire tree’s worth of luna moths taking flight before settling back onto the trunk and branches.

“They’re so beautiful,” I whispered.

Once the stick was bare of luna moths, Joel checked it over before heaving a sigh. “Yep, there are eggs on it. That means the stick comes with us so my parents can take care of them. I’m going to need your help with this. Be careful with where you touch the stick. We don’t want to crush any of the eggs.”

Ten minutes later, we got the branch into the back of the SUV. After climbing into the vehicle, he made use of his phone and held it to his ear. “Hey, Mom. We found some deadfall on the road on the way in, and it’s covered in eggs, so we’re bringing it to you. We moved the moths off it, but it took a while. There were a lot of them. We may have taken some pictures first. Valerie loves luna moths, and I would have broken her heart if we didn’t get a chance to get a close look at them.”

I laughed because it was true. “I don’t even know how to look at the pictures I took, Joel.”

He grinned at me. “We’ll be there in about ten minutes, assuming there are no more branches in the way. Valerie suggested we salt the steaks at Jolena’s place, so they’ll be ready to be put on the grill right when we get in. See you soon.” He hung up. “Sorry, my mother is usually pretty relaxed, but that delay would start worrying her. Now that she knows why we’re late, she’s happy about it. I’m pretty sure she’s wanting to collect eggs this year to replenish moth stocks elsewhere. ”

“I feel like I should call my mother and father and start taunting them with luna moths.”

He snickered. “I take it you don’t check in often?”

“Every three weeks, give or take. We do a family call. I don’t own a car, so it’s hard to go visit them. While they have vehicles, they think I’m insane for wanting to live in Stonecreek.”

“I don’t mind taking you, but I’m going to have to insist we flee to the better town next door should we be mobbed by gossips.”

“Joel, if I show up with some man from the town next door, we will be the subject of gossip for years . It will be relentless. If you ever stop at that gas station, you’ll be put under trial for daring to accost one of the town’s girls.”

Laughing and shaking his head, he resumed driving. “I can probably handle it, but I’m going to need retail therapy to recover.”

“Fortunately, your hometown has three forms of ultimate retail therapy. Once you have finished swooning over Shifter Two and Shifter Three, you can relax at the bookstore, and then you can go get food from your cousin. And then there’s the garden store, which we haven’t even seen yet.”

“We’ll get there. There’s plenty of time for us to go to the garden store. It doesn’t take that long to grill and eat steaks.”

I snorted. “There are only so many hours in the day, Joel, and I’ve seen you in a garden store. Are you going to be capable of leaving before dusk?”

He sighed, and had he not been driving, I suspected he would have bowed his head. “I’m going to try very hard to.”

“With all those Earth roses to sniff,” I teased. “I’m going to have to escort you away, probably kicking and screaming. I’ll even allow a temper tantrum, mostly because it’s hilarious knowing that you, who is usually so proper and dignified, will absolutely throw fits over silk. I’m not at all upset you do that, by the way. Having picked my shifter, I understand. I would be pitching a fit, too, especially if Yolana told me I couldn’t buy Shifter Five’s silk. To be told so many times you couldn’t buy your chosen shifters’ silk? A true tragedy. The first time she tells me no, I’m going to be crying in the store.”

“You wouldn’t actually cry, would you?”

“There will be real tears, you mark my words. Real tears, Joel. If I run out of a floss color, and I have to rely on an inferior shifter’s fibers, I’m going to be inconsolable. Will anyone other than me know? Probably not. But in my heart, I will know my beautiful artwork was ruined from a lack of Shifter Five’s silk.”

Joel eyed his phone. “Maybe you should call my cousin and have her warn Shifter Five that they are being hunted.”

I giggled. “Shifter Five is safe for now. Are there only twelve luna moths in town?”

“Oh, no. Most of the people here are luna moths. The other shifters didn’t want to be numbered and just sell their silk to Yolana for her mixed lots. They get paid less but they get paid more reliably. Yolana is considering trying to make a wholesale arrangement for her fabrics and threads; she’s gotten the dyes to be consistent with a mix of magic and technique, so it’s useful for those who enjoy stitching.”

“Like me.”

“Like you,” he agreed. “But yes, we’re a town of luna moth shifters, and the only people who aren’t shifters are the spouses of moths who don’t have the right genes to pick up shapeshifting. There aren’t many of them.” After making a thoughtful sound in his throat, he added, “I can think of five people who aren’t luna moths, and they’re actually making trips to Moonriver to see if they can undergo genetic therapy to be able to pick up the genes.”

“How do you know if you can pick up the genes?”

“You’re from the town next door, so you can pick up the genes,” he informed me. “Everyone anywhere near this area has it. The spouses in question aren’t from Stonecreek or Moonriver.”

Interesting. “And Moonriver is working on genetic therapy to allow those without the genes to shapeshift?”

“It was accidentally discovered when the Hunters were working on correcting a faulty gene—the one that killed Mr. Stephans’s wife during her first shift. They’re close to fully cracking the therapy for that, and once they get medical approval, they’re going to do the work on a few Hunters with the faulty gene. They weren’t trying to enable non-shifters to gain shifter genetics, but that’s how it worked out.”

“That’s so fascinating. How do I know if I have the faulty gene, though?” I’d heard of the gene and the sad fate of Mr. Stephans’s wife, but I hadn’t known it was possible to get tested.

“You get the Hunters to do a blood test. We don’t test for it in Stonecreek, so usually, those wanting the test have to make a trip to Moonriver.”

Excellent. That would give me all the excuse I needed to plan a trip to Moonriver in the near future, all without drawing suspicion. “And I can just go to the border and tell them I have an unhealthy interest in luna moths, and I can go get tested? ”

“I hate being the one to bust your bubble, but I’m pretty sure there are only two single shifters in the lot who sell their silk and agreed to be showcased. Shifter Five is probably married—or a woman. Half of the shifters are men, half are women.”

I snickered at the man’s tone, which bordered on dismay and irritation. “I don’t have to marry Shifter Five to get their silk. I just need to earn more bonuses and come here. That means I’m more likely to stalk you, as you’re my current ride to my personal heaven.”

“I feel like I have committed a crime against the entire town.”

“You can sacrifice yourself for the cause. You might not be Shifter Five, but you live next door, and you’ve been busted, sir. Only five people here aren’t luna moth shifters, and they’re the spouses of luna moths. You’re from here, so I can just show up at your door and request a luna moth at leisure. You’re the one who committed the crime against your fellow shifters, now you must pay the punishment.” I smirked, raising a brow at him. “You’ve been busted, Joel.”

Joel opened his mouth, closed it, and stopped the SUV, lowering his head. A few moments later, he began to laugh. “And here I thought I was supposed to be the kidnapper and you the cooperative victim.”

“I’m cooperating! I’m just busting you left and right for everything that isn’t kidnapping. If you hadn’t slipped about the numbers in town, I would have only been strongly suspicious rather than absolutely certain that you’re the luna moth that got absolutely shitfaced on my roses. In good news, I am jealous and want to lure more luna moths to my garden, so I’m going to pretend I don’t know your dirty little silky secret. That said, I’m not above extortion, so I’m thinking I need to charge you a single percent of your silk production.”

“You have no idea how much silk shifters produce,” he warned me.

“I will eventually get enough silk to spin into yarn, which I will learn to dye, and I will go purchase everything else from Shifter Five. And who knows? Maybe with my tender, loving care, your silk might be equal to Shifter Five’s.”

“A single percent of silk would give you probably a hundred pounds of silk a year,” he informed me.

My eyes widened. “ Pounds ?”

“Pounds. And I produce particularly pristine silk, if I do say so myself.”

With a hundred pounds of raw silk to work with, I’d be able to enter spinning heaven and stay there however long I wanted. “My plan does not require any changes. I will merely dedicate an entire room of my home to my silk yarn stash. You may bring over my share in ten pound intervals. I’m sparing you the hike to my home.”

“You’re really going to take me out for a hundred pounds of silk a year!”

“Damn straight I am, buddy. If you’re nice, I’ll even share the yarn stash with you once I’m done playing with it.”

He eyed me. “I could use some yarn, I’m not going to lie. How much are you going to charge me for the spinning work?”

“Materials only. It’s only fair to supply my supplier with goods if he’s allowing himself to be coerced for silk.”

Heaving a sigh, he said, “I’m going to end up telling my parents about this, and they’re going to laugh at me. I’m never going to have any dignity ever again. ”

“You could earn your way out of extortion if you tell me your last name,” I offered. “Everyone on the street is curious, and there’s enough money in the betting pool I could buy more of Shifter Five’s silk.”

“I knew people were betting on it, but I had not known the money had gotten to be significant. I only kept it secret because it was driving the assholes down the street wild.”

“Which assholes? Most of them are assholes. But everyone adds a hundred to the betting pool every year that we can’t figure it out. My contribution is up to four hundred. It goes up a hundred a year. The librarians are in charge of keeping the money safe.”

“All right. I can understand how this came to be, but I think it’s a little crazy you increase the pool by a hundred per person each year. As for the assholes, you’re definitely the sweetest person on the street, but the librarians come in a close second and third. Everyone else has been a certified asshole to me at one stage or another. Honestly, everyone except you has, but I forgave the librarians because one of the other assholes had lied to them about something. We cleared that up pretty quickly.”

“What happened?”

“You know the bitch at the very end of the street?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Unfortunately. I bet she’s the shit stirrer who started the stair drama.”

“She really is. Anyway, she told the librarians I was a convicted felon who was living in the place as part of an ex-felon program so I wouldn’t commit further crimes.”

My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. “You?”

“She doesn’t see me leave for work because I drive in, so she has no idea that I work weekdays like everyone else. She also never asked. Nobody on the street has actually asked what I do for a living.”

“You work weekdays?”

“I do.”

“Not nights?”

His brow raised. “Days.”

“Well, there goes stripper as a possibility,” I muttered.

He snorted, covered his mouth, and lost the battle, laughing his ass off. “Thank you, but I’m not a stripper.”

“You’re in business, because only someone in business would be on a hunt for shifter silk for suits; that’s a pure status symbol.”

“It’s a comfortable symbol. I love the feel of silk. I’m also spoiled.”

“Shifter Two and Shifter Three are your parents, and you buy them out to make sure they get the cut,” I guessed.

“Can you stop busting me for a few minutes? The only secret I have left at this point is my last name, and you’re going to learn it because it’s on the mailbox.”

“You make the poor post person come all the way out here?”

“It’s decorative. They go to town to get the mail. The courier gives my parents a call and asks if they want to come get it or if he needs to make a drive. They like going to town, so they almost never make the poor courier come out. But they like having our last name on the mailbox. I’m busted the instant we get near their house.”

“I could engage in some additional extortion to keep your last name a secret,” I offered.

“I could give you another percent of silk to keep those banshees down the hill from learning it. ”

“Deal. I will continue to pay into the pool as normal and act like I care, and I will keep your last name a secret.”

“You do not need any schooling in the art of extortion, and I hope that you begin and end your extortion career with me.”

I picked up my project holder and showed it to him. “Do you see this beautiful thing? This absolutely gorgeous, beautiful thing?”

“I do.”

“This was made with love and the best silk in town. Your silk supply will just save me a significant amount of money so I can continue to stalk Shifter Five’s silk at my leisure. And give me enough yarn to make blankets without spending thousands of dollars. I spent thousands of dollars on yarn, Joel.”

“You really did. It’s okay, I don’t mind you extorting me for my silk, but you’re going to have to deal with me visiting your roses.”

“I’ll even carry you home when you get so high on roses you can’t fly straight.”

“I appreciate that, thank you. I’ll even give you a key so you can sneak me home if I get that stoned. It takes a lot of exposure to roses while a moth for that to happen, though.”

“And as a human?”

“I wish, but no. Roses just smell wonderful and make me happy.”

“If you cannot drive because you, as a human, impaired yourself from stopping and smelling the roses, I’ll even drive you home. I do have a license. I just don’t drive often.”

“Good to know. Alas, I do not have quite that reaction while human. But some days? I wish. ”

“You’re going to model for me,” I informed him. “I own a camera, and I need a luna moth to model for me.”

“You don’t even need to extort me to do that for you. Just point me at the nearest rose.”

Excellent. “Then we’re agreed. I’ll extort you for silk, and you’ll be paid with access to my garden, which I will maintain for your luna moth pleasures.”

“I had no idea you were this bold, Valerie. You’re going to fit in here just fine. If you need help with your dyeing efforts, just tell my cousin you’re extorting me for my silk. She’ll love it.”

I could believe that. “I will do that. Will you give me her number?”

“I sure will. Now, are you ready to meet my parents and be fed lunch?”

“Yes, I am.”