Page 50 of In Between Darkness

“Who are you?” I question as her eyes meet mine again.

“My name is Oriah… God of the Stars.” She flicks her fingers and conjures up a silver throne of light behind her. She shimmies herself back into it and sits proudly. “You have awakened me after years in the shadows.” She smiles again.

“G-God of the Stars?” I stammer. “There is no God of the Stars.”

My mind must be playing tricks on me. Maybe this is just a dream, and my God will pull me out of it soon.

“I am here, aren’t I?” Oriah’s voice is calming and gentle.

“I don’t understand… Why are you here for me?” I ask, trying to make sense of who I see before me.

“You, my child, are the last and the first of our kind. You are a Star child.” She leans back in her seat and watches me closely.

“What do you mean? I’m a Sun… My dad is Sun and so was my mum,” I spit facts at her, hoping she will realise that she has this very wrong. There is a moment of silence as if she is contemplating what to say next.

“Your dad is not who you think he is… You are a product of light and dark.”

Oriah’s words scar deep into my soul. This can’t be true.

“You’re lying,” I defend, hoping to break her out of her fable. I take a step back.

“If you don’t believe me, I can show you.”

She leans towards me and places the scales on my hand.

“The Scales will show you your truth,” she states, giving me a consoling look as she lets go of the scales. “Look here,” she says and points at the chalices.

I watch as their contents swirl, forming images. I see my mum running, tears streaming down her face. I can feel her pain, her heartache. She runs to a door and knocks on it. My father opens it.

‘Laura… I thought you were dead. I thought he killed you.’There is relief in his voice as he pulls her through the door.

‘It’s all lies, forget what you have read in the paper…’My mother’s voice changes, and shame washes over her. ‘Luca… he didn’t kidnap me. We ran away together.’

I watch as a single tear runs down her face.

‘What?! You ran away with a Moon? What were you thinking?’my father replies in disbelief.

‘I love him… and now he’s dead, and it’s all my fault.’My mother is crying uncontrollably, and my father wraps his arms around her and comforts her.

‘I am here for you, whatever you need. You will always be my best friend, Laura.’

Her cries soften into his shoulder.

‘I am pregnant with his baby.’She takes a breath. ‘That’s why we ran away. The Gods would show no mercy if they found out. We had to get away, but our people never stopped searching for us and eventually they found Luca.’Her voice cracks as tears begin to stream again.‘He wanted to protect me and the baby; he told them I was dead so they would stop looking…They killed him.’

She breaks down again. ‘If anyone finds out that I am carrying his baby, they will kill us both.’Her hands cradle her belly as if she is protecting the foetus inside.

‘Shhhhh…. No one is going to find out. We’ll raise the baby together, and no one will ever know.’The man I thought was my father gently places his hands on my mother’s belly too.

‘I have to hide; they can’t know I’m alive,’my mother pleads.

‘Don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.’

The image fades away, and I can feel a lump form in the back of my throat. A tear rolls down my cheek.

“See, child. You are a Star.” She points to where my heart beats in my chest and leans back on her throne again.

“That’s not possible. The bloodlines don’t mix,” I say in disbelief.