Page 40 of In Between Darkness

The room seems to be satisfied with his response, and a quiet murmur of chatter breaks through the silence again. I imagine them all nodding their heads in Ryder’s direction.

“Go back to classes and act normally. Try to find out as much information as you can without ringing any alarm bells. Foreshadowers, cast your hawks into the darkness. We need eyes everywhere. Mourna’s ask around on the other side, see if there has been any chatter.”

I hear their voices rise again, joined by the faint patter of footsteps retreating out of the room. I exhale a shaky breath.

Moon people are missing? Could the Sun people really have something to do with this? I can’t think about this right now; I have to get back to Sun Castle. I turn to leave, thoughts racing through my mind, but they are broken by a ‘thump’ beside me.

What was that? I step back away from the noise and squint my eyes, trying to make out what is lurking in the darkness. Is that a beak? Before I can figure it out, the door swings open, and I am pulled into the light.

“What are you doing here?” Ryder’s grip tightens on my wrist, his voice in a whisper shout.

“Ermmmm I-I-” The truth is, I have no idea why I am here.

“Seriously, Asha. You are going to get yourself killed. My hawks had eyes on you the moment you entered the tunnel. Imagine what could’ve happened if another Moon had detected you!”

His eyes eat into my soul, and his stare consumes me. I feel my heart skip a beat as it thumps frantically out of my chest.

“Is that really true? The Moon people are going missing?” My eyes trail down to his calloused hand still cradling my wrist. He notices me looking and loosens his grip.

“You shouldn’t concern yourself with that.” His hand runs through his hair, and the muscles in his jaw tighten. “You should be more worried about trespassing where you don’t belong.”

“Briverna is close to my village… My father-”

“Will be fine,” he cuts me off. “I imagine he is a Sun, so he will be safe.”

He moves closer to me.

“But you-”

“Said it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

He studies my face for a moment like he doesn’t know what to say next.

“Why the hell are you here, Asha?” His words sting a little as he paces back a few steps.

“I’m trying to find answers. I don’t know what’s happening to me, andyourefuse to tell me,” I say, making an effort to emphasise my annoyance at him and throw him a frustrated look. He ignores my frustration.

“Well… did you find anything?” His eyes trace my face, waiting for my reply.

“Not really what I was looking for.”

Disappointment swallows me as I lower my gaze, studying the stone flooring. He doesn’t share the same emotions as I do. For a moment, I swear he looked relieved. “But I did read an interesting article…about you.” I look up as I say this. He clenches his jaw and looks at me.

“Don’t believe everything you read, stalker.”

I watch as the corners of his mouth curl upwards and he sits back on a table next to the tunnel’s door. I look at the jet-black veins travelling up and down the length of his muscly arm.

“How did you get this?” I take hold of his wrist, feeling the slow beating of his heart through his veins, and point to them. He tenses. “The sky serpents did this to you, didn’t they?”

He yanks his arm out of my grip and backs away from me.

“No! My parents didthisto me.” His face turns harsh, and his voice is flat, but I can detect the hurt in his tone. As much of a pain Ryder is, he didn’t deserve to be treated that way. My blood boils at the thought of him being discarded like rubbish. I want to hurt them. It feels like death was an unfair punishment. He calmly makes up the distance between us.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know the Sunkind could be so evil,” I say.

The lights are dimly lit, but I can see his eyes sparkle under them. Maybe they are responsible for taking the Moon people. But what would they need them for?

He swiftly changes the conversation.