One week went by and Ravenna never once visited the Crystal Palace. She usually spent time with Agnese in the backyard or by the river. One day she had the urge to tell her all about her secret place, perhaps the two of them could go there. But the girl hesitated before making such a risky move. She wasn’t sure if Agnese would remain silent, so in the end, she decided patience was the best option. The longer she waits, the less chance Roger will catch her doing something she probably shouldn’t.
“Ravenna?” Agnese leaned over, looking closely at her sister. She was digging a hole in the sand with a curvy stick, sitting on the bank of a river, with her feet dangling over the steep edge.
“What?” the girl replied, the rippling water hardly touching her toes.
“I know something’s been troubling you lately. Even if you try and hide it from me, I know you too well. Why don’t you talk to me?”
“I can’t.”
“I thought we shared everything, even secrets.”
Ravenna smiled sadly. “Sorry, not this time.”
The girls sat in silence for an hour. Ravenna knew Agnese felt hurt by her words, but she had to keep her mouth shut, so she just waited for her sister to cool off.
Agnese eventually suggested, “Maybe we should go along the river? At least it will distract us from negative thoughts. What do you think?”
“Great idea,” Ravenna agreed. “I’ve always loved this river, I could spend all day here.”
“There’s an estuary down by the lake. You must see how amazing that place is!”
“Really?” the girl’s jaw dropped open. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Because it’s quite far from here. Would you like to see it now?”
“Sure, let’s go!”
Ravenna jumped to her feet, grabbed her sister’s hand and hurried along the footpath. Agnese was no longer angry, and together they could admire the awakening nature and watch the flowers unfurl as they emerged from the night.
“Did you know that not all flowers rise with the sun?” Ravenna asked.
“Why?” Agnese worriedly furrowed her brow. “Maybe they’re sick?”
“No, they’re called Moon-flowers, which means they rise with the moon,” she said, looking up at the sky, a dreamy expression on her face. “I’d like to see them one day. They’re probably very pretty.”
Agnese also looked up at the sky. “Moon-flowers, you say?”
The girls walked in silence for a while. Even though it was a long way and they spent almost an hour getting there, it was worth it. The place Agnese took her to looked nothing like Ravenna had imagined.
“So beautiful!” she exclaimed with wonder in her voice.
They stopped where the river flowed into a small lake. The soft rays of the rising sun bathed the surrounding birches, lindens and oaks. The trees, frozen in the still air, seemed leaden and silent, as if in a fairy tale. At the very end, the river flowed slowly between the scrubby bushes, circling huge rocks neatly arranged on the grass.
YOU ARE READING
Demon Daughter (Book I)
FantasyOn the night of the Blood Moon, a girl was born, destined for a dark future. She is the daughter of a demon, created from a false love, but she knows nothing about her origins because during the war she was sent to live on Earth with Lynn and Roger...
