The Way Life Was Forever Page 3

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  “Is she alive?”

  “I think so.”

  “Human?”

  “Seems to be…”

  “Is she—you know—one of them?”

  Them? Searing pain inside my head. And worse, a piercing brightness assails my senses, blinding me. I try to remain still, but the need to shield my eyes from the invasion of light overpowers me. Heat prickles my face like the sensation of leaning too close to mother’s cooking fire. Wrapping my arms over my burning head, I do my best to curl into a protective ball.

  “I guess we can ask her.” The resonate voice, deep and male, is closer and I know without looking that he has bent over me. His excitement, apparent yet controlled, is discernable as he inquires, “Are you a moonwalker?”

  “Careful Percy,” the other voice, also male but colder, cautions from some distance.

  “Well?” the first voice, presumable Percy, demands politely.

  I cannot answer. My throat is too dry and my reply comes out a strangled moan. Pain sears my body from the inside out and all I can hope, for better or worse, is it ends soon. The mercy of a quick death.

  “Here.” He pushes at my hands, and something dark and smooth falls over my brow. Fabric, sheer enough to see through but dark enough to filter out much of the light, covers my burning eyes.

  Desperate for relief, I do not resist as he lifts me up. I let the boy tie the dark material around the back of my head. His arm brushes my cheek, his skin smelling of the earth: plucked grass and dirt with a hint of spicy soap. It is a surprisingly good, clean scent.

  As he finishes his task, I wait for the restraints on my hands and feet that will surely follow. Instead, his large hand slides down my back, applying enough pressure to raise me into a sitting position. I try to clear my parched mouth to thank him, but it is as dry as powder. Something between a grunt and a wheeze rattles through my throat causing me to suck in oxygen like I’m suffocating.

  Still supporting me with his hand, the first boy orders, “Cass, some water, please.”

  “I heard they only drink blood,” says the other, but cautiously hands over the water skin anyway.

  “Here.” The one holding me lifts the skin to my lips and I take a long, cool drink.

  “Thank you,” I manage before drinking again.

  “I’m Perseus.”

  Despite the fabric over my eyes, I can see him. Clearly. Eyes the burnished brown of simmered chocolate, but with the golden luminescence of the harvest moon, regard me gravely from underneath dark lashes and brows. His short brown hair is the color of chestnuts and curls about his ears in soft waves. Ruddy-cheeked, his rosy flush produces twin blooms against his umber skin. Full red lips are the boy’s single feature that bears any resemblance to my people. Or to me.

  “This is Cassius,” he continues, gesturing to the other boy several paces away. Resting back on his heels, Perseus’s large open smile—whether from fascination or the anticipation of a human meal, I cannot be certain—reveals pearly white teeth. The other one, Cassius, is much darker than his counterpart; with thick ebony hair so black it is nearly blue and wary obsidian eyes.

  They are so dark—so different—I cannot help but stare. “Are you sun-dwellers?”

  Perseus nods. My heart speeds as terror grips me; but in my injured, mostly blind state, I realize escape is futile. I am helpless to do anything other than accept my fate. But I still have to ask, to know the worst to come. “Are you going to kill me?”

  Quirking a dark eyebrow, a wry smile tugs at the corners of Perseus’s mouth. He has a startlingly nice smile for a vile, flesh-eating monster. “That depends—” Looking me over from head to toe, he demands, “Are you planning to feed on us?”

  “What?” It takes me a moment to process his question. Perseus waits, amusement shimmering in his burnished dark eyes, while Cassius inches away, doing his best to keep his own terror in check. “No!” I stammer. Unable to hide my revulsion, my face screws into a disgusted grimace. Then squaring my shoulders indignantly, I add, “I only eat fruits and vegetables. You seem to be neither.”

  “And drink blood,” Cassius interjects. “Everyone knows moonwalkers drink human blood.”

  Feeling slightly revived, I shake my head, angrily refuting his statement. “Everyone knows sun-dwellers feed on human flesh!”

  Cassius—whose darkness seems to extend beyond his physicality—opens his mouth to protest but the boy in front of me silences him with a mere gesture. “What is your name, moonwalker?”

  “Lyra.” I stick my chin out proudly. Preparing for a fight, I tense my muscles, determined not to be easy prey for these cannibals despite my weakened state.

  “Cassius.” Perseus turns to his swarthy friend. “Do you promise not to eat Lyra’s flesh?”

  “Of course I won’t—eat her flesh, I mean—ridiculous lies!”

  Turning back to regard me, he asks with mock severity. “And Lyra, do you vow not to drink Cassius’s blood?”

  “How many times must I tell you, I don’t drink blood.”

  “Perfect.” Perseus looks from his friend to me with a satisfied grin. “Now that we have cleared things up, how about we get down to the business of knowing one another?”

  Cassius frowns, his dusky countenance becoming even blacker. “How did you come to be in the forbidden forest?”

  “Maybe it’s not forbidden for her kind, Cass.”

  “It is,” I assure them. “Those caught trespassing in the forest end up in the stockades. I never meant to trespass.”

  “Then why did you?” Again, Cassius’s sharp questioning.

  “My sister, uh, wandered off. I went after her. Fell. Hit my head.” Raising my hand gingerly to above my right temple, I locate the spot of impact, flinching as my fingers make contact with the tender skin.

  “Let me.” Perseus’s voice is gentle as he kneels forward filling my vision. He is larger than the boys in my colony; taller, as well as broader, with compact, sinewy muscles. “May I?” he asks, waiting for permission before touching my head. With a single nod, I drop my head in deference and focus on the exposed bronze skin of his throat as he closes the scant distance between us.

  My pulse quickens as he carefully he parts the hair above my temple. “No blood, that is good.” Again, his pleasing scent envelopes me as the collar of his shirt tickles the tip of my nose. It occurs to me that I have never been so close to a male not of my own kin before, and my breath releases in a shaky rasp.

  Applying pressure, he assesses the area around lump, at the same time pulling back and staring anxiously at my face to better gauge my reaction. Locking his dark, foreign eyes with mine, his intensity bores deep into me. My stomach clenches, twisting until it does a funny little flip. Suddenly, I wish I had as good an excuse as a head wound to touch him. Instead, I fist my hands at my sides, wondering if sun-dwellers can see into a person’s soul.

  Although his hands are gentle, when he reaches the raised, tender lump, I flinch and sway. Reacting, he reaches with his other hand to steady me, gripping my shoulder. The movement brings our faces within inches of one another. I cannot help but stare at his dark brows, his ruddy complexion, and his full lips—so like mine.

  Perseus’s eyes are alight with curiosity, roaming over me as well. “Your hair,” he murmurs. He captures an errant strand and wraps it around his finger. “It’s like you swallowed sunlight.”

  Over Perseus’s shoulder, the other boy scowls. “Percy, we should get back.”

  Surprised by the intensity crackling between us, Perseus and I freeze, but neither makes any move to back away from the other. Quietly, I ask, “What time is it?”

  “Past midday.”

  “Day?” I question.

  Cassius interrupts, his scornful tone heavy with derision. “Don’t you even know what day is?”

  “Of course I know what day is. It’s just I’ve never—seen—it before.”

  “A moonwalker,” he scoffs. “Which is why we need to go
.” Cassius takes an impulsive step forward, as if meaning to forcibly drag his friend away. “We’ve been gone too long as it is.”

  Perseus stares at me, a silent question dancing in his eyes. The intensity returns as he says, “You go, Cass. Cover for me. Tell the elders I am in the far pastures.”

  Clearly uneasy about leaving his friend, Cassius tosses him a worn, canvas bag, admonishing, “Make sure you get home before the closing of the repositories.”

  “Repositories?” Such a strange word, I cannot help but echo it.

  “Our dwellings,” Perseus explains. “They seal at sunset for our protection. Once the repositories close, there’s no way to open them until the new morn.”

  His repositories, similar to our vaults… so similar that I have a crazy, illogical idea. Could the same person be responsible for both? And if so, what does it mean? Could we have more in common with the sun-dwellers then we ever imagined?

  “Percy—”

  “Go, Cass.”

  Dismissing his friend with a vague wave of his hand, Perseus’s eyes never stray from mine. In my veiled state, I sense, rather than see, the darker boy leave. In his wake, the forest is quiet, heavy with expectancy and something else—something more powerful I can’t quiet put my finger on.

  Perseus continues to stare without speaking, consumed as if he wants something he is unable to vocalize. My body tingles with warmth radiating outward from where the sun-dweller’s arms continue to hold me. It is a sweet, unfamiliar agony.

  When I cannot longer stand the intensive quiet any longer, I ask, “Why did you stay?”

  “You can’t return to your people until tonight, and I didn’t think it prudent to leave you alone.” A small, self-aware smile lights his face. “This must seem a strange world to you.”

  “A little,” I confess. Just then, something flutters between us. Something small and vibrant and so orange I think it will burst into flame any second. “What is that?”

  “Haven’t you ever seen a butterfly before?”

  I shake my head in wonder. “It is like our moth but more colorful. Beautiful.”

  “I’ve heard of moths but never seen one. In theory I guess they would be very similar.” He gazes at me thoughtfully, his chocolate eyes gleaming with anticipation, and my chest beats madly as if it were a winged creature trying to take flight. “I know a meadow, deeper in the forest, where there are hundreds—maybe thousands—of butterflies. Would you like to see it?”

  “Very much.”

  Perseus helps me to my feet, shouldering his bag before placing his hand firmly on my elbow. “Take your time,” he cautions. “And lean on me as much as you need.”

  Not knowing what to say, I remain mute. I both fear and crave his touch, which burns like fire that consumes without destroying. The sun-dweller elicits such a tangible awareness that I wonder if it is part of their makeup. Disorienting magnetism.

  My silence causes him pull me closer. Lifting his hands to my hair, he adjusts my veil. “Can you see all right?” he asks. Then he frowns, thinking aloud, “Maybe I should carry you.” His fingers linger around my ears, lightly stroking my hair and sending ripples of awareness cascading across my skin.

  Afraid he is about to heft me over his shoulders like a sack of grain, I step back and away from his touch. “I can walk.” I say rather unsteadily and sway before catching myself.

  Tipping his head to one side, he narrows his eyes as if considering whether to overrule me. “Fine,” he pronounces. “But you will lean on me.” When I open my mouth to protest, he declares, “it is far,” putting an end any argument.

  Picking our way over the difficult landscape—hidden crevices, steep inclines, jagged rocks, and soft pits of mud—Perseus holds my arm, guiding me away from peril and keeping me upright when I lose my footing.

  As we walk, he points out foliage, insects, and the occasional animal as it crosses our trail. When our path becomes a sharp ascent, he remarks, “It is not long now—just at the top of this rise.”

  Straining to glimpse our destination, I see nothing but trees and thick underbrush. The severity of our incline halts our conversation as our efforts turn to the simple task of climbing. Mere feet from the crest of the hill, I see a single butterfly—an explosion of orange against the gloomy grays and dark greens of the forest.

  Then ahead, crystalline brightness beckons as the sun-dappled meadow comes into view. Vibrant green grass is dotted with yellow and red flowers and the dancing orange of hundreds—maybe thousands—of flitting butterflies. It is everything Perseus promised and more.

  As if sensing my overwhelmed state, my companion stops, quietly letting me absorb the beauty as it unfolds before my unaccustomed eyes. When I have looked my fill, I turn my attention to the boy beside me. The captivated delight I feel for the meadow is mirrored on his burnished face—but instead of focusing on the scene in front of us, his attention is singularly on me. My breath caches in my throat, and my stomach does another funny little flip as I register the intense pleasure emanating from his eyes.

  Breaking into a wide smile, he inquires, “Ready to go forward?” When I nod, he takes my arm and leads me the final steps into the achingly beautiful clearing. Stopping in the center of the meadow, he instructs, “Put your arms out, like this.”

  Copying his posture, I lift my arms away from my body, palms up.

  “Good. Now stay very still.”

  Actual sunlight covers my skin in a heated caress. After a long moment, a flame-colored butterfly perches on the tip of my finger. Then another one lands… and another. Soon I am engulfed with the tiny creatures. In amazement, I glance at Perseus, who despite being covered with his own butterflies, stares at me in awe. I cannot help but smile at him, at the expression on his face that makes me feel so special.

  A gust of wind stirs the colorful insects, and we are enveloped in a vibrant, orange cloud. As they flutter away, Perseus takes the pack from his shoulder and produces a thick woolen blanket. “I think we should rest and eat.” Then retreating a few steps, he picks a heavily shaded patch of emerald grass.

  I watch as he arranges the blanket on the earth, then lays out bread, a blob of white with which I am unfamiliar, and raspberries. My stomach rumbles in approval, and I realize it has been a long time since I’ve eaten. Spreading the white paste onto a chunk of bread, he beckons me, holding out the food as an enticement. “Here.”

  Coming to sit beside him, I take the offering and inspect it. “What did you put on the bread?”

  “Goat’s cheese.” At the lack of recognition on my face he asks, “Don’t your people make cheese?”

  Shaking my head negatively, I reply, “No. We do occasionally roast goats though. But meat is scarce, so we only prepare it for the approved holidays.”

  “This cheese is made from the milk of the goat,” he explains. “Try it.”

  I do, letting the creamy texture of the cheese coat my taste buds. Perseus watches me devour the morsel with obvious enjoyment before pressing for a response. “Well?”

  “Delicious.”

  “Good. Have more.”

  Taking another generous piece, I ask, “What about you? Aren’t you going to have any?”

  Delicately nibbling on a raspberry he says, “Not at the moment, so please eat your fill.” While I gobble up more bread and cheese and a fair bit of the raspberries, Perseus divides his attention between me and the visible expanse of sky. “The sun is far in the west,” he proclaims. “It will be evening soon.” In the waning light, the forest is full of deep, lengthening shadows.

  “Hold still, Lyra.” He reaches toward me, his sleeve brushing across my cheek as he removes the filmy fabric from my head. Lifting my chin, Perseus stares into my unveiled eyes. His own chocolate ones are uniquely expressive, not the cold, pale orbs to which I am accustomed. Richly vibrant thoughts flicker across the canvas of his brown eyes, beckoning to me.

  Sweeping his gaze outward, he focuses on my flaxen hair. “May I?” He wait
s for my consent before delicately capturing a fine strand between his thumb and forefinger. With a gentle tug, he examines its silken texture before leaning in to inhale my scent. His exhale is a low sigh, nearly a hum. “You’re—so different.”

  “I’m yellow,” I admit with resignation. My awareness has always been such that his description carries no sting. “Most of my kind are silvery-white, like the moon. I am too dark to be considered a beauty.”

  “Dark?” Perseus gives his head a gentle shake. “No, not dark…” He peers at me with his fathomless eyes, his finger twining around the lock of my hair. “And you are not yellow. You are golden, like shimmering sunshine. And so soft.”

  His pronouncement causes strange sensations to radiate through my insides, like I’ve swallowed a handful of moths that now beat madly to get out. “I guess compared to you and Cassius, I am not that dark.”

  Frowning over my shoulder into the distance, he purses his lips, musing over some memory only he is able to see. “I have always been the most adventurous of my friends, stronger and more daring, too. But it is Cassius who captures the girls’ fancies. Compared to his perfect dark features, I am nothing.” In that moment, he seems sad and lost—and my heart wants to break for him.

  “You are not ‘nothing.’ You are handsome, like the heroes of old. When I look at you I am reminded of our ancient stories and my chest aches from beauty of it.”

  “And you,” he murmurs solemnly. “Like something out of a fairie’s tale, something elusive and pure.”

  From deep within the forest, a bird calls and is answered by another. Although the light wanes, it is impossible for me to judge the evening’s passage. “What time do you think it is?”

  “Almost night. You can go back to your people soon.”

  “And you should return to yours…”

  Eyes—so dark—large and grave, pierce me as his mouth broadens into a rueful smile. “I’m thinking it is past time I experience this night of yours. For so long I’ve wondered—I’ve dreamt about the night. The dream is too close to give up now.”

  Despite the terror I am certain grips my family—likely my entire colony—concerning my fate, I say, “I don’t need to go home yet. I have until dawn to return to the vaults.”

  “So, you’ll stay with me?”

  A small thrill flutters low in my stomach at the expectancy in his deep voice. “If you wish it.”

  “Yes.”

  Such a simple word, deep and soft yet uttered with a hard conviction. His “yes” steals my breath.

  When I am able to breathe again, I inquire, “Does the twilight frighten you?”

  “A little.” His guileless admonition touches undiscovered places in my heart. “My whole life I’ve been taught to dread the dark. To abhor the moonwalkers.”

  “And do you?”

  He laughs to himself before gazing at me from beneath his dark lashes to share his thoughts. “I could no more fear you than my own self.”

  “My people are as afraid of the sun-dwellers. Even at night, their fear keeps them inside the colony borders and away from the forest. We should be safe here, in this meadow. If you like, I will show you our constellations and tell you the stories of our ancient ones.” When he nods, I add, “Although, now that night is falling, we should probably move to the center of the clearing.”

  Perseus stands—a deft, powerful movement filled with grace—and offers me his large hand. His warm touch sets my whole body on fire. Tiny currents of electric awareness spark where his skin touches mine and tingle up the length of my arm. After I have gained my feet, he continues to hold my fingers. When I start to move, his grip pulls me back to him.

  His burnished brown eyes are feverish as he searches my face, eyes lingering on my mouth before snapping back upwards. “Have you even been kissed?”

  “No.” I swallow down the lump that lodges in my throat. “You?”

  Shaking his head back and forth, he confesses, “All the girls want to kiss Cassius. Never me.”

  The pain he feels is the twin to my own. Lonely and rejected, we are incomplete souls without hope of solace. Wanting to ease his suffering, I admit, “Nobody wants to kiss me, either.”

  His eyes drift downward, back to my lips. He swallows. “I do.”

  Turning quickly, I wrench my hand away and walk to the center of the clearing. As Perseus follows, I stare at the rose-colored sky, memorizing my first sunset. The way the pink melts into scarlet. Perseus wants to kiss me—I memorize that moment as well.

  Continuing to stare straight ahead, I feel his fingertips twine with mine. And I’ve never dared to dream—never even hoped—of having an occasion like this. A boy at my side who wants to kiss me. Part of me is dying to taste his full, warm lips, but another part is terrified, not of being kissed but of returning to my people and my loveless future with the memory of Perseus’s kisses burned into my brain.

  Rough fingers gently graze my cheek as he brushes the hair from my face. “Don’t you want me to kiss you, Lyra?”

  I want to answer no…and yes.

  Staring in indecision, the compulsion to run my fingers through his chestnut hair becomes all-encompassing. Raising a trembling hand, I tentatively graze his temple. His hair is course and thick but surprisingly soft. Perseus’s eyes close as he leans into my caress. Of its own volition, my other hand snakes around his neck to cup the back of his head. This brings our faces closer together, mere inches apart; my nose level with his chin.

  When his eyes open again, my answer is written on my face. Tipping forward, my sun-dweller brushes his lips against mine, as soft and fleeting as our orange butterflies. Then he pulls back the space of a breath. “More?” he asks uncertainly.

  “Yes.” My heart hammers in my throat as my insides quiver with the after effects of his whisper kiss.

  Perseus cups my face, slowly kissing each corner of my mouth before pressing his lips fully to mine. My senses fill with raw heat and exotic spices, with the essence that is uniquely this boy. His exploration starts slow, as he traces the shape of my mouth with his tongue before capturing my bottom lip between his own. The electricity, the headiness of what is occurring, makes me anxious to begin my own discovery. My tongue darts between his parted lips, to start its own dance. He tastes of raspberries.

  After I have been thoroughly kissed, his head drops to rest against my neck. His hot, trembling face presses into my flesh. His breath rushes out in gasps, stirring my sensitive skin. I lean my cheek against his wavy hair, content to breathe Perseus in as I cradle him with my body.

  When he finally looks at me, his lips are swollen with kissing. Tracing my lips with a fingertip, he chuckles in a way leading me to believe mine are similarly affected. What now? After kissing like that what comes next? Not in the physical sense, but for the boy who worships the sun and a daughter of the night, where do we go from here?

  Seeing the askance in my eyes, he presses a kiss to the back of my hand in a kind of reassurance. “I’ve never seen a sunset. Have you Lyra?”

  “No.”

  Fetching our blanket, he lays it out in the center of the meadow. As the first owl of the evening lets loose its mournful cry, he reaches for me. I sink to the ground, my curves fitting perfectly against his hard angles as I share his heat. My head comes to rest in the crook of his arm as if each was created with the other in mind.

  He does not kiss me again and I am glad of it. Easily I could lose myself in Perseus’s kisses. Forget my people, my home, my family, even Quil.

  As if reading my thoughts, he says, “Tell me of you home, of your family.”

  I tell him everything about my life in the vaults. Of my parents and my young, subversive sister with her no longer foolish ideas. Of the all-encompassing fear that governs our colony. Of my aunt and uncle, and grief so ragged it can only be tempered by strong drink. When I get to the part about Sirius, Perseus smoothes his fingers against my hair.

  “But sun-dwellers have never been what your people believe th
em to be. So what happened to your cousin?”

  “I don’t know.” That is the truth.

  “Perhaps he got lost in the forest or attacked by animals?”

  Lifting my head to look at him, I reply, “It is a mystery. One, I fear, we shall never answer. Now tell me about your family.”

  Hovering over him, I watch as he talks animatedly about his parents and three younger brothers, about life in the repositories, and the livestock in the pastures. When he broaches the subject of Cassius, his features cloud.

  Remembering the look on his face when he admitted the girls all want to kiss his best friend and not him, I cannot help but kiss away the tiny puckers on his brow. Continuing my ministrations, I kiss his eyelids, his high cheekbones, his nose and chin, before coming to rest against his lips. “I only want to kiss you, Perseus,” I whisper against his mouth. “Only you.”

  Some minutes later, when we return to our senses, Perseus points upward. By now, the sky has darkened, allowing the first stars of the evening to appear in the indigo sky. Our owl hoots and is answered by somber cry further off in the distance. With a sly smile, Perseus says, “I believe I was promised nighttime stories.”

  For much of the night I lay across his chest, pointing out formations in the heavens above and telling my people’s ancient lore. Tales of heroes triumphing, of monsters defeated and maidens rescued. Once the stories have been told, we grow quiet, content to listen to the intermingled beating of our hearts as we hold one another.

  “I can’t bear the thought of the night coming to an end.” We have been quiet for such a length of time, that the deep timbre of his voice startles my train of thought, yet, I understand him perfectly—for his feelings are my own.

  Covering his hand with mine, I search his face in the darkness, resigning myself to what must inevitably happen. “Eventually we have to return to our people, you to your repositories and me to the vaults.”

  With a pensive, faraway look he muses, “Maybe I will stay out here for another day. Then at night, you could come to me again.”

  I like the idea, more than I care to admit. But it seems terribly selfish to make his people worry needlessly. Still, if they already fear the worst, will another day really matter? “Won’t they come looking for you?”

  “No, they’re terrified of the forest. My people never go into it.”

  “But Cassius, after he explains—”

  “—they’ll be even more afraid. That a moonwalker is in the forest by day will make them more petrified to venture outside our borders. And Cassius—when he is finished telling his tale—will probably make it seem like I was enchanted away.” Before I can comment, he shakes his head, pronouncing, “No—they will write me off for dead.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry for me, be sorry for them.” I am sorry for them. The same way I am sorry for my own colony. For my aunt and uncle, for my parents and all those who live in mortal fear of the sun-dwellers.

  Sun-dwellers…

  My thoughts turn to Perseus, and when I realize he is staring, he winks at me. “And I was by the way.”

  “Was what?”

  “Enchanted away.”

  He pulls me forward for another kiss, and the night retreats as I am pulled into his luminance. Sometime later, as he cradles me to his chest, arms wrapped tight around my trembling frame, I have the kind of fantastical thought worthy of Quil. “What if we don’t go back?” I can scarcely believe I am speaking aloud, yet I continue, “Ever. What if we keep going deeper into the forest?”

  Stroking my hair, he asks, “Then what?”

  “I don’t know...We’ll find our way as we go.”

  For a moment, he gravely examines my face, and then stands, lifting me with him. “Okay.” He folds the blanket, returning it to his sack. “I couldn’t go back now anyway. Not without you. I don’t suppose your people would welcome me any more than mine would embrace you?” My mind flashes to Regulus, to my uncle and some many others in the vaults bound by hatred. When I shake my head, he brushes his lips over mine. “So we find our own way. Together.”

  “Together.”

  Moving out of the meadow, we pick our way through the darkness down the far side of the hill, searching the horizon for an indication of the breaking dawn. We walk for a very long time, but it is a good kind of walking. Hand in hand, Perseus and I move toward our shared destiny.

  Finally, birds begin to wake, Hidden in the canopy, they call to one another in greeting. In the dusky haze preceding the rising of the sun, we see an opening through the trees. Gray tendrils of smoke rising lazily into the sky confirm we are not alone.

  Drawing closer, a small rustling makes us freeze warily in our tracks. A small child—neither dark nor pale, but somewhere in between—with tousled, caramel hair and bright emerald eyes emerges from underneath a bush to stare at us. Before I can open my mouth, the child puts his finger to his lips in warning. Silence…

  “Castor!”

  Perseus grips my hand tightly, his protective energy rolling over me in tense waves.

  “Castor.”

  A man, clearly in pursuit of the child, weaves his way through the underbrush, coming to an abrupt halt behind the child with a triumphant grin. “There you are. I found you.”

  The boy giggles and I realize his warning has been part of a game. Hide and seek. Perseus relaxes his grip but doesn’t let go as we wait for events to unfold.

  Although he bears little resemblance in coloring, I can only surmise the smiling man before us is the boy’s father. His angular face is fair, yet ruddier than mine; his fine silver-white hair gathered into a band at the nape of his neck and pale colorless eyes are eerily familiar. Watching him scoop the smiling child into his thin arms, recognition dawns. “Sirius?”

  Thinking himself alone with his child, he whirls on us, blinking in surprise. “Lyra? Is that you?” When I nod in confirmation he exclaims, “I’d know your flaxen hair anywhere.” He regards Perseus, surprise flashing across his face as his astonishment melts into a broad, welcoming smile. “So you found us, cousin!”

  Continuing to stare, I stammer, “But—but you’re dead. A victim of the sun-dwellers.”

  His booming laugh causes me to jump. “I didn’t die, Lyra. I left. But you’re right about one thing, I did fall victim to the sun-dwellers, one at least. My wife Miram.”

  From behind Sirius steps a dark woman of equal height as my cousin. Coppery skin, sleek ebony curls, and large onyx eyes, she is more lovely and exotic than I could’ve ever imagined. At first shy, her dark curving brows arch in surprise as she regards my companion. “Perseus?”

  “Hello, Miram.” Percy’s still-swollen lips quirk in amusement. “I am relieved to discover you did not fall victim to the moonwalkers and their insatiable lust for blood as our colony feared.” As I open my mouth to protest, he gives me a playful wink, his hand wrapping possessively around my waist.

  “The only thing I fell victim to was my desire to see the night sky… Well, that and Sirius.” Linking her arm through her husband’s, she graces him with a radiant smile.

  My long-lost cousin kisses his wife’s dark cheek, his pale eyes full of adoration. Then turning his attention back to us, he beckons, “Come and meet the people of our settlement.”

  I frown, looking from Miram to Perseus to Sirius in confusion. “I don’t understand. What are you? Are you and your people sun-dwellers or moonwalkers?”

  “Neither,” he pronounces with a laugh. “And both. We live as the ancients, before the divide and the fear that’s kept us bound to our vaults and repositories. A life spanning daybreak and nightfall—lived in harmony and without fear of one another. That’s the most important thing, Lyra. Without fear, we truly live.”