Trials of the Moon (book 3) Peter Pevensie Romance

The Pressure's On

Edmund's POV

I knelt next to my unconscious brother. I didn't know what could have done this but I would guess it was the necklace. I've never seen a crack that big on the moon before or any crack for that matter.

"Oh dear, goodness! Whatever happened?" Mum exclaimed.

Lucy knelt beside me and checked his pulse. "Still alive."

"This is what happens if you work your kids too hard, Helen," Aunt Alberta advised Mum.

I just rolled my eyes and checked the moon again, but I jerked my hand back. Yikes! That was cold.

"Is there a way to wake him?" Lucy's eyebrows were marked with worry.

"I really don't know, the moon's cold as ice," I replied.

"But that can't be right, Layla couldn't have changed her mind. She's- our friend," Lucy protested.

"Things have been rough for Peter lately, Lucy," I reminded her.

She sighed, "I know."

I shook Peter's shoulders, "Pete?"

No response.

I shook him more vigorously, "Peter!"

He bolted upright, "Layla!"

"You ok?" I asked him.

He wheezed. "I don't know."

I helped him stand up. "Do you think she might've changed her mind?" He asked.

I had no answer for that.

Peter looked at the others in the room and wheezed again. "Sorry, I just- need a break." He grasped the necklace and stumbled outside.

"Peter!" Mum called worriedly.

"It's ok Mum," Lucy assured her. "We'll check on him."

****
Peter's POV

I slowly hobbled over to the house's brick wall and leaned against it. The heavy tightness in my chest was slowly beginning to easy up but it still felt like icicles.

Taking a shaky breath, I rested my head against the warm wall.

"What if she starts falling for Asher?"

The Professor cocked his eyebrows again. "Sonny, if she did, you'd know."

I gripped the moon, feeling the crack against my fingertips. She couldn't have. Yet there was the proof.

"What if this is my destiny? To stay with dad.....and Asher?"

"Peter? What the heck happened in there?" Susan exclaimed. "It's unreasonable of you act that way. It's just a necklace."

"Su," Edmund growled under his breath. "Don't you even remember what it was capable of?"

"Those were just products of our imagination!" Susan argued. "Little games we played as kids."

"Su? Please.." I didn't want another family argument to start up again.

"What about Aslan?" Lucy asked, slowly. "Surely you remember Him."

"That's enough Lu, there is no such thing as a talking Lion. I just wish you guys would get your heads out of the clouds." Susan scowled.

"Our heads aren't in the clouds," Edmund corrected.

I pushed off the wall and frowned at them. Family arguments like this always started with Susan around and usually it was her doing the disagreeing. "Shut up, all of you. I'm done with these useless arguments."

****
Layla's POV

"I'm afraid I made things worse, mother. My feelings may have been what made my moon crack." I put my hands on the back of my neck. "I'm scared that something serious might have happened and I wasn't there to prevent it."

Mother reached over from her hospital bed and squeezed my hand comfortingly. "You were always concerned about them ever since you left for that magical land you told me about." She smiled softly. "The Guardian is a tough role to fill no doubt. I'm sure it wasn't your fault that the moon cracked. Remember that all things have their reasons to happen and this is just one of the moments."

I stood up at went over to the window in the room deep in thought. "It's my duty to protect them. However, I just can't do it with my father's constant eye on my every move. The stress is very real, mom, and I'm sure I'll break under all this pressure! Why is it so hard for father to give Peter his approval? Every disapproval he gives me is like another stumbling block in this living nightmare!!" I took a deep breath to calm my already rising anger against dad. "He was very mad at me when he learned that I broke up with Asher this morning. He said I was a ruthless fool and that I deserved to be in the streets for what I did. Can't he see that I never wanted this life? I meant every word."

I looked back at mom, "I wish everyday that I could go back, back in time to when everything perfect and I lived with you before father was like this. Before I had to start living with father." I sighed and gripped the necklace. "Things had to change though and I'm afraid I may have dug a deeper hole for Peter and I because of what I did."

Mom looked at me sadly, "I'm sorry he turned out like this, I never expected he would be this sort of father to you."

I went over her and took her hand, squeezing it. "I'm positive it wasn't your fault to be blamed for father's behavior. I do promise that I'm never going to marry someone like father."

Mom looked back at the celling of the hospital. "I'm glad about that, my dear. Peter sounds like a very nice young man according to what you've told me. He'll be a very good husband for you."

The fact that mother had said 'husband', clearly referring to Peter, made my cheeks turned bright red but mother just kept looking at the celling. I'd be lying if I told you that the thought didn't cross my mind once or twice. Peter hadn't asked yet and I'm pretty sure I was still trying to get father to approve him as my boyfriend.

"I wish I could meet him and maybe his family before I die," was mom's wish and I squeezed her hand again.

"Maybe you will, mother. Maybe you will and very soon."