“Then you will have to find another.” Luna’s mother had already thought of a response, “Luna isn’t trained, she doesn’t know enough, there is nothing she can do to help. Bringing her there will only put her in danger, danger that she won’t understand. It’s too late Lucas, Eranox is already lost…”
“Eranox is still there…” Luna cut her mother off before she could continue making decisions for her, “and my dad is there, suffering. Don’t you even care?”
“Luna, you have no idea what he is even asking you to do, you don’t know enough to help, you’ll only get yourself hurt. It’s too late for them.” She seemed to have made up her mind about it. For one brief moment, earlier in the day, her mother had changed her mind and considered resuming her quest to save Eranox. Luna didn’t know what had changed, something Lucas had said had made her uneasy. Suddenly her mother was prepared to walk away, leave Eranox to perish, and everyone there with it.
“I thought you cared?” Luna was baffled.
“Their plan isn’t solid Luna, you’ll get hurt. I can’t risk it.”
“You can’t risk it?” Luna scoffed, “It’s not your choice.”
“It’s already too late Luna, the curse is spreading again, Eranox will be lost by the end of the week. I know I told you we could help, but it’s too late now, there isn’t anything we can do anymore… we have to move on.”
“What about the people?” Luna shouted, “What about your friends, my dad? What about Lucas?” She rose from the table.
Lucas shifted again, looking quite uncomfortable being stuck in the middle of a spat between Luna and her mother.
“Lucas can stay with us, here.” Luna’s mother lowered her voice, turning to Lucas who was still trying to make himself look small. “You can stay here, and avoid the curse, we’ll make sure you have a good life.” She promised, resting her hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you,” Lucas nodded politely, “But I can’t leave my family, I won’t…”
“I understand…” Luna’s mother softened again, sitting back at the table deflated, “But Luna can’t go with you, she has a life here…”
“I know.” Lucas rose, nodding to the table, “If Luna can’t come, then I must return. We will have to find another way, I can’t sit back and watch the Kingdom die…”
Lucas turned towards the door, taking a deep breath to steady himself before he departed, he was returning to Eranox with more bad news.
“Wait.” Luna called after him, reaching for his arm. “I didn’t say I wasn’t going…”
Lucas looked at her, surprised.
“But I did.” Luna’s mother cut in, standing again, her eyes glaring at her daughter.
“Just because you gave up doesn’t mean I have to.” Luna spat, her frustration turning into rage.
She didn’t trust Lucas, that much was true, but he wasn’t as bad as she had first imagined, and at least he wasn’t giving up. Not like her mother, who had clearly decided that she was going to let Eranox implode without lifting a finger to help.
Luna had never met her father, not really, but he had saved her from the Gateway. Without him, she would have been stuck there until Lucas had brought her necklace. Knowing that, she couldn’t just leave him in there, she owed him a chance, she had to at least try to help him. And if it meant returning to Eranox to test out Lucas’ plan, then she was willing to give it a shot.
“I’m going back to Eranox with Lucas.” Luna decided. The words escaped her lips in a surprisingly serene way. Her mother stared at her with the same expression as Lucas, disbelief.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lucas sat back down at the table in stunned silence, staring at Luna as she finished making her stand.
The room was silent, even the crickets outside had grown quiet as though they were listening.
“So, you’ll come with me?” Lucas asked quietly, “Back to Eranox?” He sounded surprised, “Are you sure?”
Luna sat back at the table, feeling foolish, “Yes.” She confirmed, turning to her mother apologetically, “I have to at least try to help…” She tried to explain, but couldn’t find the words. She had never defied her mother before, she had never had a reason to.
The look on her mom’s face was unreadable, and Luna knew that she had hurt her, taking a stand while her mom was only looking out for her best interests. Luna could already feel the guilt welling up in her as she looked away.
“It really would help.” Lucas’ words came out as a whisper, like he was afraid Luna was still going to change her mind. “It would really help a lot more than you know…”
“I know.” Luna nodded, watching Lucas carefully, he seemed more relieved than she had expected.
Her mother hadn’t said a word since Luna had made her decision. She sat at the table, staring at Luna, her face frozen and flush with emotions, her eyes watering as she held back tears.
“Are you really sure?” Lucas asked again, watching Luna’s face for hesitation, “You heard what could happen? You understand that it could be dangerous, that it might not end well?” He lowered his voice, passing a look to Luna’s mom, clearly he didn’t want to face her wrath again.
Luna considered, she had only been to Eranox once, and it had been terrifying. If the curse was spreading she knew that it would be worse, but she tried to push the fear out of her mind and focus.
“If I don’t go with you…” She paused, trying to find the words, “What would happen to Eranox?” She finally asked.
Lucas didn’t answer right away, he seemed to be thinking, and that made Luna nervous. She could only imagine what an entire world of creatures like those in the Gateway would be like, she shuttered at the thought.
Lucas finally shook his head, “I don’t really know.” He answered thoughtfully, “Eranox would probably fall under the curse completely.” He added, there was a scared look in his eyes.
“And then there would be no way to save them it would be too late.” Luna added, trying to figure it out in her head.
“We’ve already been forgotten,” Lucas agreed, “No one else would come to save us, that would be the end of Eranox.”
“And that portal, the one in the back yard… what happens with it?” Luna stared at her mom, “Can they get through, will it come here next?”
Lucas stared at Luna, “I have no idea… I guess it’s possible, it would only take one of them…”
Luna nodded her head, she had made up her mind, “Then I have to go with you.” She decided again, “I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t, if I just let that place disappear… I can’t let it come here.” She knew that what she had said was true, even then it was hard to forget Eranox. If she just let it go, let it fall under a curse, she would never be able to forget that she had been a coward.
Maybe it would have felt different, if there had been another way to save Lucas’ world without going with him, if there had been something else that could be done to stop the curse. But Lucas sounded quite sure that this was it; Eranox’s last hope, the last chance they would have to save a world from a horrible fate.
Luna’s mother turned, staring at her, “Are you absolutely sure Luna?” She asked quietly, she sounded like she was still holding back tears, “You don’t even know what it is they want from you, what they want you to do, the plan… how hard it’s going to be.” She was grasping for something, looking for any excuse to have Luna stay in River Falls.
There was a hint of fear in her voice as she spoke that Luna couldn’t ignore.
“Are you really sure?” She asked again.
“I am.” Luna nodded, positive that she wanted to see it through, “It can’t be that bad Mom…” She sighed, she wanted to help Eranox, but she couldn’t leave with her mom so upset.
“I already lost your father Luna…” She pleaded, “I can’t lose you too…”
“I know mom.” Luna couldn’t find the right words to make it better, she knew that her mom was terrified, “But if I go back… if it works… then you
get him back too…”
“I know Luna, that doesn’t make it any less dangerous…” Her mom looked away.
“Luna, I want you to be sure.” Lucas sighed, “I won’t take you back unless you are absolutely certain that you want to, that you can handle it.”
Luna felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place, she really wanted to go back, she wanted to help, she couldn’t live with herself if she didn’t; but she couldn’t leave knowing that her mother was so worried, she couldn’t live with herself if she left her mother like that either.
“Do you think we could have a minute?” Luna asked, “I just need to talk to my mom for a minute.”
“Sure.” Lucas looked around the house for somewhere to go so they could have some privacy.
“You stay here, we’ll go to her office.” Luna suggested, saving Lucas the awkward departure.
“That would be easier.” Her mom answered, walking with Luna from the kitchen.
“We’ll be right back.” Luna promised Lucas as she left him behind at the table looking nervous.
There was a thick silence in the air as the office door closed and Luna’s mom began pacing beside her desk.
“Mom?” Luna waited for her mom to cool down a little before she interrupted her pacing, she knew better than to bother her while she was deep in thought.
Finally she stopped, turning to face Luna her tears gone, her face set. “I know you want to help Luna, and things have changed…” She shook her head, “But if the curse is spreading again…” She trailed off lost in her thoughts as she began to pace again.
“You don’t know what it was like there, when it started…” She ran her hand through her hair, her eyes wide with fear, “It’s not, it’s not safe for anyone if the curse is spreading again…” She looked towards Luna, her eyes pleading, there was a terror in them that Luna had never seen before.
Her mother had never talked about her life in Eranox, not once, Luna hadn’t even known that it had existed; it hadn’t even been a childhood story she had heard about at bedtime. Whatever had happened to her mother there, whatever had happened when she had left Eranox, it had her scared.
“I really think that I should go.” Luna sat in the office chair trying to stay calm while her mom continued pacing across the room, “I think I could help, and if I don’t go… mom if I don’t go, I’m always going to remember that I didn’t. Eranox is a real place, with real people, I can’t just let them…” She sighed afraid that she was pushing too hard.
“I know Luna,” She shook her head, wringing her hands, “It wasn’t easy for me to leave, it still isn’t.” She sighed, “You don’t even know what they want from you, what they expect of you… you don’t even know how to use your power.” She sounded like she had started talking to herself, she didn’t glance at Luna once. “You would be helpless, there is nothing that you can do for them… and the danger…”
“Okay mom,” Luna waited for her to look back over, “But what if I just go back for a little bit, and hear what they have to say?” She suggested, she didn’t want to leave if it was going to be on bad terms with her mom, “If I can’t do it, if it’s too dangerous… then I’ll come home…” She added.
Her mom stopped, staring at her like she was crazy, “And what if they won’t let you leave Luna? You are their last hope, do you really think it will be that easy for you? That they will just let you go home if you don’t feel up to it? Without you there is no Eranox… there is nothing without you…”
“We could tell Lucas that it is a condition, if I don’t feel right about it then I can come home.” Luna crossed her arms.
She knew that she could convince Lucas to go with her plan, and if she couldn’t, she had already escaped Eranox once before, “If he doesn’t agree, then I don’t go.” Luna nodded at her mom, sure that it would be enough to make her agree.
“Are you really sure about this?” Her mom finally looked at her, she seemed to have calmed down while she had been pacing, but there was still a hesitance in her words.
“I think I am.” Luna answered, she just needed her mom to be okay with it before she made her answer absolute.
Her mom sighed and sat on the edge of her desk, looking far away, “I thought it would be hard to let you leave for college…” She mused, “This is so much harder…”
“Mom…” Luna held back a smile, knowing that she had her mother’s blessing to go, “I’m coming back.” She promised.
“I know,” She smiled sadly, “It’s just hard to let you go, especially knowing how dangerous it is. College would have been easier… maybe…”
Luna leaned towards her mom for a hug, “Thank you.” She whispered.
“I guess your decision is final.” Her mom’s voice was muffled in her arm, she squeezed Luna tightly. “Promise you will stay safe, and come home if it’s too dangerous.” She added, pulling away to give Luna a stern motherly look.
“I promise mom.” Luna turned towards the door, “We shouldn’t leave Lucas waiting, he’s going to want an answer.” She added, getting up to open the door.
“I still have questions for him.” Her mom followed her back into the hall towards the kitchen.
Lucas was waiting at the table, staring at a cup of tea that he had poured and probably not even touched. He looked up when they walked back into the room.
“Is everything okay?” He asked cautiously.
“Yes.” Luna answered quickly, “I’m going with you.”
Lucas’ eyes lit up, “Really?” He glanced to her mom, knowing that she had some say in the matter.
“There are conditions.” Luna’s mom slid back into the chair at the table, getting down to it. “If Luna doesn’t feel up to it, if it’s too dangerous, even if she just changes her mind… you bring her home.”
“Absolutely, I will make sure of it.” He was looking at Luna’s mother as he spoke, promising to return her daughter safely, his face was serious and for a moment Luna felt like she was being exchanged from one handler to another.
“I think I can handle myself.” She interjected, before they continued.
“I know Luna, I know.” Her mom shook her head, clearly forgetting that her daughter was sitting right beside her. “I just need to know that you’ll be safe, that they won’t hold you there against your will.” She explained, shooting Lucas’ another look.
“They won’t.” He answered before she could even ask.
“What about the curse? It’s spreading, will it be safe to travel?” Luna’s mother was already moving on to the logistics, not missing a beat as she ensured that everything was in place to keep Luna safe, and bring her home in one piece and un-cursed.
“If we cross just before dawn, the Gateway will be clear during the day to travel.” Lucas assured her. “We would arrive at the gates to Eranox while it is still daylight. It would be a full day of travel, but it is the safest way.”
“We will need supplies then, and I’m bringing Earth clothes this time.” Luna decided.
She had been through the Gateway twice, and each time there had been something that she had wished to have with her. At least this time she could prepare before she had to travel through the winding maze that led to Eranox.
“It’s pretty late already.” Lucas looked at the clock on the stove, “We should get ready, the Gateway will be closing in a few hours.”
“That soon?” Luna’s mom stared at her, wiping a tear from her eye.
“We don’t have much time to waste, every day counts…” Lucas pleaded, trying not to push it too far, he didn’t want Luna or her mom to change their mind.
“Well, if that’s the case, then we need to get started.” She steeled her shoulders and turned towards the kitchen, “You’ll need food.” She walked away from the table.
“I’ll help Mom.” Luna walked to the hall to grab her school bag, it would be the easiest way to carry things. She unzipped the bag and dumped the contents on the floor. With everything else going on she probab
ly wasn’t going back to school, ever. Somehow that revelation didn’t seem strange to her at all, one trip to Eranox and her whole world had changed, school didn’t seem that important anymore.
When she returned to the kitchen her mother was busy filling the counter with nearly everything from the fridge and cupboards. “Oh that will work perfectly.” She took the bag from Luna and shooed her away. “Go rest.” She insisted.
“Rest?” Luna passed a look to Lucas.
It was already after midnight, there wasn’t much time to rest.
“You too, both of you.” Luna’s mom shooed Lucas away from the table and into the living room. “Get some rest, I’ll get everything ready and wake you when it’s time to go.” She insisted again, tossing a blanket from the couch at Luna.
Luna sighed, her mom had a point; if they were planning on traveling for the whole day they would need to be well rested. Even a small nap would be better than being tired in the Gateway, where you needed to be ready for anything.
“Fine.” Luna sighed, stepping towards her mom with her arms out, “Thank you mom.” She pulled her in for a hug.
“Get some rest Luna.” Her mom whispered into her hair, holding her close, “I want you to be safe out there.”
Luna nodded and turned back to the living room.
The couch had been propped against the back door and the comfy chair was still turned to block the hallway.
Lucas had already squished himself into the chair, so Luna made her way to the couch, pulling the blanket over her as she watched her mom work frantically in the kitchen.
It didn’t take long for the tiredness to take hold, one minute she was staring at her mom in the kitchen, the next she was being shaken awake, her mom’s face in front of her as she opened her eyes groggily.
“Is it time?” Luna mumbled.
Her mom nodded stoically, “Are you sure?” She asked one last time.
Luna nodded.
Her mom moved across the room to wake Lucas from his contorted sleep in the chair.
“Lucas!” Luna shouted across the room while she rolled off of the couch.
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