A Nightmare In The Moon

A Spy

 ¬ Chapter Three ¬

Don't talk to anyone. Don't make friends. Keep your head down. Don't let them break you.

Those were the first things Lily told herself as she stepped through the door of her new home: An apartment in the earth kingdom. She'd met her cousin, Princess Magnolia, Queen Olive's daughter, and she'd made her swear not to tell anyone she was there. Magnolia wasn't very powerful against her dark magic. Lily knew dark magic was dark, but it wasn't evil. She might have been the only one to realize what made dark, evil, and the differences. Dark magic was Evil, plain and simple - that was what others thought. Magnolia had agreed to give her a place to stay if she didn't hurt her people. As if I would, Lily thought. Actually, on second thought, I just might yank someone to the school by the ear if they annoyed me and pretend they vandalized it and leave them to the principal. Yep, she'd definitely do that. She laughed softly to herself. No one would suspect her. Everyone would forget her. She'd be free at last. She fumbled with her hair, remembering Moonlight's expression as she pushed Olivia off the ledge. She wished she could see that again. You got what you wanted; now I can too. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Moonlily said coldly. Her eyes narrowed and her expression darkened. The door swung open. Magnolia peered in. She was around the same age as Arisha, and had dark brown hair that was braided here and there. "Hello," she said, barely a whisper. "Hello," Lily replied darkly. She did not return her cousin's weak smile. Magnolia opened her mouth, but stopped. She glanced around at the room: re-decorated with black wallpaper, spider webs hanging off the ceiling and pieces of paper filled with curses and evil plans. "Um, actually," she whispered, "I think I'll prefer not to come in." Lily watched her with her dark gaze, studying her every move coldly without appreciation. Magnolia shivered. "I just wanted to say - Moonlight's sent a spy to pursue you, and she's in the great hall right this moment. I think you would w-want t-to . . . leave." Lily cackled, a high-pitched laugh. "I make my own decisions," she hissed softly. "Do you agree?" Magnolia nodded and slammed the door shut, speeding off down the corridor and trying her best to forget about the dark scene. Lily sat up and stretched her arm. Icicle gave a cry and soared through the window, landing on her arm. "We're leaving," she announced. Fang leapt up from her bed and she jumped onto his back. The wolf howled, then leapt out the window and into the courtyard. Moonlily left a cackle in the air as she escaped once more on Fang's back. There was someone waiting for her. Someone waiting. Someone made of complete darkness. Moonlily slid off Fang and approached the figure cautiously. She could name any star you wanted: Polaris - the Northern Star - Corona Borealis - the northern crown - Lupus - wolf, but this was out of even her knowledge. She'd never seen somebody made of shadows. The figure spoke in a raspy, dry voice. "Welcome, Moonlily. We have been waiting for you." Lily was completely weirded out. Shadows couldn't talk - unless that person wasn't made of shadows. She reached out and the shadows flew to her. The person disappeared. Nope, definitely shadows. "Waiting for you, waiting for you, waiting for you, waiting for you," The wind whispered as more figures surrounded Lily. They started closing in on her, faster and faster, stronger and stronger, more and more and more shadows enveloped Lily. She felt someone in her mind. Everywhere they stepped, dark magic covered her. Soon it was like a cocoon. There was a bright flash of light and the cocoon unravelled. But Lily had transformed. Her silvery-blue hair was braided tightly and she wore dark clothes. Even her eyes were darker than usual. "So," She hissed at the figures. "Where do we start?"