Hidden Moon

C H A P T E R 20

UNEXPECTED ENEMY

DYLAN

"So you finally decided to help out, huh?" Nadia beamed down at me when I finally got out of the house.

"Do we need anything else?"

"We're almost through here," her smile was blinding me.

"Good."

Wiggling her brows, she asked, "everything 'good' in there?"

Confused, I asked, "what?"

Securing the last of the three portable floodlights they borrowed from Carl on the wooden beam, she got off the ladder and stood before me with both hands on her waist.

"Don't 'what' me, Dy," she huffed. "Did you guys, uhm uh, you know."

"Know what?"

"Oh, come on! Do I have to say it?" She bent to get the remaining bamboo spears off the ground and struck the soft land to hold them upright. "How did it go with Cora?"

"We're good." I couldn't help the smile that escaped. Even without the awareness of Liway, Cora was seriously considering being with me. She was ready to choose me had I been free. "After a long talk, we're better than fine, I guess."

Forcefully throwing the rest of the spears away, she released a disgruntled snort.

Pointing a shaking hand towards the window of Cora's room, she said with disbelief, "you talked for nearly an hour?"

"Yes." I was beyond happy to spend an hour with her before everything that was about to go down tonight. It was just like the old times.

"They just talked?" Murmuring to herself over and over as she held her head like she was experiencing the worst headache. "Talked..."

"What's wrong with her?" Haliyah walked over with a golden weapon in her left while she was summoning another one in her right. She asked me, "did she crack her head?"

"It's already cracked from birth. I think it's either from that rotten rogue Pierce's poorly executed kidnapping attempt or her old mutt Kai's fault. She must have jostled her too much or accidentally dropped her at some point when she was a babe."

We have to ready and arm up soon. It was almost darker while the rain kept alternating between moderate to heavy."

"Har har," Nadia went up the ladder again and spoke over her shoulder, "Dylan and Cora just talked back there. Would you believe that?"

The other spear successfully forged, Haliyah took them in one hand and leaned on them like she was waiting for me to say anything. But expecting nothing from me, she didn't wait until I could speak and instead focused on creating a third as quickly.

"I coaxed her to eat dinner too. She was too anxious but, she had to eat. I don't want her fainting on us later," I said.

"Oh, would you look at that," Nadia exclaimed, "she fed her too!"

Paying us no attention, Haliyah approached the window and then planted her weapons on the ground to block it from being opened. As soon as she stepped away, the spears glowed and emitted a force field that went all the way to the back, enclosing Cora's room. I guessed that must have been her limit, or she won't have enough for the fight later.

Referring to her weapons of gold that formed the shield, she said, "keep them away from displacing any of these. It won't be easy uprooting them, but I don't know how strong they are right now, so if a stronger creature comes and succeeds, Cora would be left unguarded."