Suns and Shadows

What We Find in the Dark

I sit alone in the white bedroom I woke up in earlier. I'm not asleep, I'm just staring at the ceiling, gears shifting in my head. My plan. why I'm pretending to work for the Inferno. In reality, I could care less about their morals, I just want to help Saiya.

So I will go to the Councillor meetings, gain access to the ships and sail away from here, far far away. To the Shadowlands. They'll be able to help Saiya there. I shift my body, the covers winding around me. Deception is a dangerous game.

But I am willing to play.

Karpov and Joshua left me here after I saw the room. I've been wallowing in my thoughts and self-pity. They gave no word when they would take me to see Saiya and Mother again. They just left me wondering. 

I also haven't been able to get to a library yet. From what I've seen of the Dark House, I assume that there would be a library here. I've peeked outside a couple of ties, now that I'm not being rushed from one place to another, and gasped. The hallways are covered in gold paint from top to bottom. I'm not sure it's real, but my own house lies unpainted at home. 

People like that have libraries, maybe even forbidden libraries. I learned how to read in school, probably enough to read through what Karpov wants. Regardless of it all, I strangely trust him. Still. After everything.

I groan and stand up, my limbs aching in response. It's been a long day. I've gone to prison, been rescued, joined a secret organization, and betrayed them in a few hours. My hands shake as I wrap my hand around the cool metal of the doorknob. I twist the door open and step outside. If they won't give me a tour, I'll give myself one.

It's night now and the moon shines overhead from an arching glass window. It's beautiful here, marble gold, and silver put together to create the Dark House. I would've stayed here under different circumstances. I turn down a few corners, making sure I remember each step as it echoes into the vastness of the hall.

Occasionally, I stop by a door and try to open it. I'm giving myself a tour after all. Most of the doors are locked, they must be bedrooms like mine or rooms that the Sun boy doesn't want me to see. 

I reach my hand out, grasping it against the polished wood of the door. This one isn't locked. So I step inside and close the door behind me. The inside is marvelous. 

The entire room is covered in books, more stories than I can count, ladders twisting high up towards the ceiling. A stained glass window depicts the picture of a star and a crescent moon. I know what it means as I rub the crescent moon that sits on my forehead.

Suns and Shadows united. 

It's a nice thought. Peace, harmony, and equality. But it isn't possible. Suns have been on top for too long. Why climb back into the hole? They won't and I know it. I look around again at the library and my heart sinks. How am I ever going to find the book I'm looking for?

I walk slowly to the first ladder. I'll just have to search every bookshelf. And that's fine. I might be here for a long time.

"I don't know what you're looking for, but it'll probably be easier to just look it up on a computer." I recognize the voice as Joshua's. The Sun boy. I think that's why I don't bother to turn around. I also don't want to admit I have no idea what a computer is.

He guesses this and smirks at me, turning to what looks like a smaller screen than those at the market. It also has a little rectangle at the bottom with letters on it. I squint at them. "You just press the button with the letter on it and type in the title."

I pick up my pointer finger and search for w. Then h, y, w, w,e, a,r,e. Then Joshua presses a button. The screen changes and shows a picture of a book with a navy blue cover and gold markings. He looks at my choice and knits his eyebrows together.

"Why do you want to read that?" He asks. 

"Because I'm bored and Kar-someone recommended it," I say. "You left me in a random room with nothing to do but stare at the ceiling. I've never been here before so I gave myself a tour. I figured I might as well catch up with all those years of school I missed out on."

Sun boy purses his lips. "Maybe try a different book. This one is banned." He points to the red letters on the screen. Then he gives me a look clearly asking what I'm up to. I just put on a neutral face.

"Oh. Why is it banned?" 

"Because it has bad stuff in it. You'll only be able to find a book like that in the Shadowlands." He means it as some sort of insult because he cracks up when he says the words. I clench my fists into my dress. I know what he's implying, but what did I expect really? He's a Sun, they're evil.

Through gritted teeth, I ask, "Why are you here anyway?"

"Because I promised you you'd get to see your family. We're going now unless you're too tired, princess." He smiles lazily at me before I slap him.

I don't slap very hard, only hard enough to leave a mark. Joshua looks back at me in shock. "Don't call me princess," I say or insult the Shadowlands. Both will earn you another slap. 

He puts his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright."

"Now, are we going to my family or what Sun boy?" 

"I'm not allowed to call you princess, but you can call me Sun boy. That is so unfair." He mutters underneath his breath.