Our lips parted for a moment, and we were breathing hard. We stared into each other’s eyes, almost unable to believe we’d arrived safely at this moment. But Dym kept holding me tight. I stroked the back of his neck. At last, he spoke.
“I finally did it,” Dym murmured. He raised one hand to my face and put his fingertips to my cheek. “I kissed the moon herself.”
Chapter 17
It was late in the afternoon, just before sunset. Thoughts of that morning drifted away as I tried to focus on the tasks at hand. There was still a lot of sweeping to do, not to mention a laundry list of other things. But I could feel my energy begin to rise with the approaching night. I’d already thrown Cutter into the asylum furnace. I considered moving the girls to a separate room until Dym and I could put them to rest properly. It was something I dreaded, but at least the one I loved would be there to help.
Dym. Even the thought of him had me smiling. I was sure his ego would be very satisfied to know that, not that I was going to tell him. We’d made plans to meet again tomorrow at the pond. After that, who knew what would happen? Right now, I had to concentrate on getting Silver Hill back in order. And I had to find a clean pair of trousers for Dym.
I’d just finishing cleaning a large part of the main entrance and was sweeping rubbish down the front steps when my eyes met with the strangest sight. A lone rider on horseback was galloping up to the front door at breakneck speed. The horse’s hooves sounded like falling coconuts as they went across the stone bridge over the moat. It didn’t look like there was any attempt to slow down. I jumped out of the way, and at the last minute, the rider jerked the horse’s reins to one side. The horse let out a loud whinny and swerved into a stop, spraying gravel everywhere.
The rider was a postman.
What on earth is a postman doing at Silver Hill? I thought. Patients weren’t allowed to receive letters or packages, not that there were patients here anymore. Perhaps it was something for the recently deceased or absent staff. The postman climbed off his horse and looked around. The front doors were wide-open, so he could easily see the building’s disastrous interior.
“What ’appened ’ere?” he asked in disbelief, giving me only a cursory tip of his cap in greeting. I looked around at what could only be described as utter chaos.
“Remodeling,” I replied.
He glanced at the falling ceiling, the bullet-riddled and broken walls, shattered mirrors, and of course, the debris-strewn floor.
“Remodelin’? Looks like a bloody meteor came through ’ere!”
“A heavenly body was definitely involved,” I said.
The postman’s brow furrowed. “What’s that, then?”
“Never mind.” I nodded to the item in his hand. “It seems you have something for Silver Hill?”
“What? Oh, yes. This.” The postman stopped staring at the devastation and handed me a large white envelope with my name on it. “It was only recently the post office got orders to begin deliverin’ mail ’ere again. Well, any mail not addressed to ‘Dr. Catron and Staff,’ that is. Wonder why we got the order all of a sudden.”
Dym, I thought. I looked at the address on the front of the envelope. It was written in my mother’s hand.
“Say, where is Dr. Catron, anyway?” the postman asked. “’Aven’t gotten any mail for ’im in a while.”
With a satisfied smile, I glanced behind me at the crater-shaped hole in the middle of the floor.
“He’s gone away on a long trip,” I said. “He won’t be back anytime soon.”
“Well, I’ll be on me way, then. That is, unless you’ll be needin’ me ’elp with anythin’ in there . . .” The nosy postman peered over my shoulder, trying to get a better look inside.
“Thank you kindly.” I stepped in front of him. “But I’m sure the Hartlandian postal service has much more important things to do than sweep floors.” Disappointed, the postman tipped his cap to me again.
“Good day, then, miss,” he said. “Good luck with your ah . . . yeah.” His voice trailed off, and with one last glance at Silver Hill’s rubble, he jumped back on his horse and sped off into the distance. As soon as he left, I threw my broom down and tore open the envelope. Tossing the latter on the ground, I took a deep breath and focused on the tight, elegant script.
“Dearest Seluna,
“If you are reading this letter, then you have realized who you are. Your father and I cannot tell you how happy we are for you. We also understand you met Endymion, who has incarnated as a mer in this lifetime. We know this because the messenger god, Hermes, witnessed these events and reported them to us. But as it is not his role to directly influence earthly affairs, he was prevented from intervening in the dangers you faced.
“By now, you must also realize that we are the incarnations of the Titans Theia and Hyperion.”
What? No, I felt like saying, I did not realize that! The shock was so great, I nearly dropped the letter. But I continued reading.
“Your brother, Helios, is the god of the sun, and your sister, Aurora, is the goddess of the dawn. Together, you three form a triumvirate: the Protectors of Light. All of you are reborn again and again to perform a special mission upon the earth: to safeguard light. It’s possible Endymion will be able to assist you in this mission during your incarnation. But you may not remember all this just now.”
I was suddenly aware that my mouth was hanging open. There really is a Hermes? My parents are Titans, and my siblings deities as well? In addition to discovering I was a goddess and Dym was a mer, I didn’t know how many more surprises I could take.
My mission is to “safeguard light”? What in blazes does that mean? Is the sun in danger of burning out? Apparently, that’s my brother’s department, since he’s the god of the sun. This was crazier than anything I’d witnessed at the asylum. It was too unreal for words. Slowly, anger started burning a hole in my chest. How could they do this to me? Throw me into the path of a sadistic madman and his minions? I could literally feel the heat of rage as it rose in my throat. I kept reading.
“You may be angry that we placed you in harm’s way.” You bet your bloody souls I am! “Please believe us when we say that we knew you were strong enough to defeat these monsters. You may not know it now, Seluna, but you are perhaps the strongest of us all.”
The strongest of them all? I don’t understand. I sank down on the steps, clutching the letter. I stared harder at the words, as if doing so would force them to make sense.
“We did not send you to Silver Hill for the reason you believe: that we feared you would end up like Aurora. She’s actually not mad at all; your sister really can talk to animals. No, we sent you to the asylum because it was the only way to show you your strength, and who you really are. Words would not have sufficed, for if someone had told you that you were a goddess, would you have believed them?”
You could at least have tried to tell me! I thought, almost in a silent scream. But I couldn’t help agreeing with my parents a tiny bit. I had always been the skeptical sort. If someone had tried to convince me I was the goddess of the moon, I likely would have laughed at them, no matter how trustworthy or sincere they were. It was the reason Dym didn’t tell me; he said so himself. But there was more to the letter.
“You seem to have this difficulty in every lifetime, not understanding your heritage or your powers. Please believe us when we say we gave a great deal of thought to helping you come to terms with them. We hope you understand, and perhaps can even forgive us. And yes, we always come down to Earth as a family. Oddly enough, Helios and Aurora never seem to have any trouble accepting who they are.”
Nice to know I’m exasperatingly special. At least now, it made sense why Mother and Father had been worried about me. Though I didn’t know that sending me to Silver Hill was the best way to resolve my identity crisis.
“But don’t think just because you now know the truth that things will be easy. Quite the contrary. Your fortitude will be tested in ways you could never have
imagined. You may find that, with the knowledge of your divine nature, living as a mortal is more challenging than ever.”
I groaned. Why didn’t they tell me that before I fell in love with a mer? Though I supposed it wouldn’t have changed anything.
“When you are ready, please send for your brother and sister. They will explain more about your mission, and how you three can work together. Your father and I will remain at home for now, so that you, Helios, and Aurora can reacquaint yourselves fully in your new incarnation.
“We are both so proud of you, Seluna. We cannot wait for you to show the world all you were meant to be.
“With everlasting love,
“Your parents, Theia and Hyperion”
I sat on the steps of Silver Hill for a very long time, staring into the sunset. There were so many conflicting thoughts and feelings running through me. Confusion. Anger. Love. More confusion. I couldn’t even begin to sort them out. I’d definitely have to give it some time.
There’s no need to send for Helios and Aurora immediately. My parents did say “when I was ready.” I’ll have to decide when that is. I was curious to find out if Aurora really married a cricket. If so, I could easily invite him as well. Silver Hill was certainly spacious enough to accommodate any number of guests. And of course, I thought with a little smile, you can’t beat the garden.
But what about the “others” Catron spoke of? The letter didn’t say anything about them. Does my family even know? Maybe they’re part of the challenges the letter mentioned. I’d have to ask about it at some point. But despite Dym’s concern for my safety, I was intrigued to meet these new villains. I wanted to know who they were, what they wanted with me. And whether or not I could kick their asses like I did Catron’s.
It would be interesting to explain this “Protector of Light” thing to Dym. I wasn’t even sure I understood it myself. What is his part in it? What is mine? I hoped the future would bring us both some answers.
I heaved a loud sigh and put the letter in my pocket. Then I stood up, retrieved the broom, and headed back into Silver Hill. At least repairing the place would take my mind off things for a while. Plus, I could get ready for these “others,” if and when they decided to show up.
As I moved the broom rhythmically over the stone floor, I thought about what Catron had said. How he would know the goddess because she would be power hungry. But he’d been wrong. I just wanted power over myself and what happened to me. I wasn’t different from most girls in that respect.
The broom hit something hard, but it didn’t sound like the glass or stone I’d been clearing away. I looked down to find myself staring at the wooden horse Laura’s brother had given her. She must have dropped it when the nurse wheeled her out of the asylum for the last time.
I picked up the toy and ran my thumb over it. I knew I wasn’t to blame for what took place here. That guilt lay with Catron and his band of evildoers. But I still felt a sense of responsibility to the other patients. What happened to those girls happened because of me. It was my duty to make it up to them, to bring peace to all our spirits. I vowed to make Silver Hill worthy of them, as it always should have been.
Although I hadn’t given Dym much detail regarding my plans, I’d decided to make the asylum a safe haven for those who’d been driven out by their families. A place where girls could use their talents, start a business, or refuse to marry. A place they could go even if they just saw things differently than those around them.
I would turn Silver Hill into a refuge, make it truly live up to the name “asylum.” I only hoped my so-called mission wouldn’t interfere. But surely it was possible to accomplish more than one thing in a lifetime. I tucked the wooden horse into my trouser pocket and gave it a few pats.
It was dawn when I finished sweeping and removing the majority of the rubble from the main entrance. I was exhausted; the time when my magic was strongest was at its end. But before I slept, I found a crowbar and began removing the bars from all the windows. I admired the dazzling colors of the sunrise as they shone through the glass.
Never before had the asylum seemed so alive. Never before had I known such light.
Epilogue
The vines were enjoying the peaceful weather, hanging lazily along the trees. No longer sinister and threatening, they wound their way freely down to the lake and dipped their toes in the water. No one tried to hinder them, or destroy their curious ways. And like Seluna until she returned to her heavenly realm, the vines were truly part of the garden now, and home. Home at last.
* * *
THE END
See what happens next in the Seluna series with Casting Shadows: Book II of Seluna!
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About the Author
Ilana Waters writes mostly fantasy for adults, young adults, and middle graders. She once pet-sat an electric eel and crashed her car into a house, though not on the same day. Before she became a writer, she was reprimanded and/or fired for reading in every job she ever held.
* * *
She considers this her greatest accomplishment to date
Read more from Ilana Waters:
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Forbidden Thirteen
Forbidden Legacy Book 1
Erin Richards
Forbidden Thirteen © 2017 Erin Richards
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference.
Cover Designer: Fiona Jayde Media
Editor: Kimberly Cannon
Forbidden Thirteen
Friday the 13th is no time to be a telekinetic—at least, not this one.
The number thirteen follows Aria Elle Walker like a bulldog. Lucky or unlucky, it triggers her telekinesis in freaky ways. In an era of banned magic, it could get her jailed…or worse.
One Friday the 13th, Aria’s telekinesis goes wild and she accidentally kills a bounty hunter in her home. Before her freakout begins, in walks Ronan Riley, another “thirteen” telekinetic, and his doppelgänger—a dying Forbidden fairy. Hells bells, everyone knows fairies and the Forbidden are extinct!
After claiming she’s the gateway “key” to releasing ancient magic into the world, the doppelgängers whisk Aria away from the goons Ronan’s father hired to snag her. Dodging bounty hunters and screwy magic, the trio race to fix the damaged Rift before tainted magic kills the doppelgängers…or opens the floodgates to abolished magic. But Aria never expected their desperate alliance to generate a force of a different kind...an uncanny bond and undeniable desire for both doppelgängers.
Destroying Ronan’s father, the mastermind behind the mayhem, is just icing on Aria’s chaos cake. If her luck cooperates and doesn’t kill her first, that is. And will unluck add Ronan to the body count after he betrays Aria?
Chapter 1
It figures my natural bad luck and a blind date on Friday the 13th dumped me in the emergency room. I should’ve shied away from the creepy combination of cursed luck and locked myself in a closet. Lucky for me, I was okay. Unlucky for my date, Michael, he’d suffered an allergic reaction after eatin
g Mexican cornbread. Talk about bonehead move. I mean, hello, he has a corn allergy. What part of Mexican cornbread had he missed in that little tip? To top that off, the inept artist had left his epinephrine shot at home. Zoe, my soon-to-be ex-best-friend, swore her cousin was available and smart. No wonder he was single. No sense in pleading the fifth on smart. Just another craptastic date on a merry-go-round of losers.
A guilty sigh pushed out of me as I stepped onto the elevator. I punched the fourteen button and the doors whooshed shut. The fact that Michael had ordered dinner number thirteen and the thirteen sombreros hanging from the ceiling had everything to do with him landing in the hospital. My stomach became a tight fist of unease.
Too many thirteens together equaled crapstorm in my life. Cursed at birth, I’d entered the world on Friday, January thirteen, at one thirteen in the afternoon. Or in military terms, thirteen thirteen. The bad luck number affected everything around me. I controlled some of it if I caught it in time, and fate took a spin on the rest.
Had Michael become an unwitting victim in my jinxed life or what? I certainly hadn’t known he had a corn allergy until after his face nearly exploded. Honestly, I barely paid attention to what he was ordering while he ogled my chest and babbled on about how he’d love to paint me in the nude for an art class project. As if. Knowing it was Friday the 13th, I should’ve paid more attention once I’d counted the sombreros due to my insane need to count everything to avoid the number thirteen. Or my not-so-insane need to use my telekinesis to thwart the inevitable bad luck. Or I could’ve persuaded him to order dish number seven, but he was so freaking obnoxious, he’d left my brain practicing its freedom to terminate the date.
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