After dinner, Ravenna went to her room and changed into her pyjamas to get ready for bed. As she switched off the lights and was about to crawl under the covers, a strange sound resonated outside the window. At first, she thought she was just imagining things, but a dark shadow appeared in the tree. She huddled in place, clutching the blanket tightly, startled.
“Ravenna, don’t be afraid, it’s me,” came a dull voice from the other side.
Recognising its owner, the girl rushed to the window and opened it only to meet Neptune’s dark blue eyes. “What are you doing here at this hour?” she whispered.
The boy leaned forward slightly so that the branch he sat on was about to break off. “I want to talk to you. Can you go outside?”
“I can’t, my parents are still awake, they’ll see me leave. Besides, you know how suspicious my Dad is, I don’t want any more trouble.”
“Just be careful and lock your room door.”
“Why didn’t you come here at least a little earlier?”
“Sorry, I’ve been too busy. Do you want me to come in?”
“No, what if my parents hear you?”
“I’ll be quiet, I swear.”
Neptune gripped the branch above his head more firmly with his hands and moved both legs safely over the edge of the window sill, but remained seated, still unsure about something. An innocent smile plastered on his face and a fresh breeze blew through the open window, barely moving the white transparent curtains.
“Wait, you can’t be here,” the girl tried to dissuade him. “I spend most of the day with you anyway, isn’t that enough? Can we talk tomorrow, please?”
“We can’t. Tomorrow won’t be like today.”
She looked at him intently. “What do you mean?”
“I want to show you something. You have to come with me.”
“All right, I’m coming down. I just need to get dressed, don’t look and climb out of that tree.”
Neptune nodded with a smile and moved his legs back on the branch. After closing the window, Ravenna grabbed her clothes from the chair and hurriedly dressed, peering into the darkness of the night. Neptune was already firmly on the ground, so she quietly sneaked out of the room. Roger and Lynn’s voices still echoed in the kitchen, but she held her breath as she walked, praying that no steps would creak. She reached the front door and stood there for a minute, wondering if anyone had heard her.
“Let’s go to the palace, okay?” the boy grinned broadly when she finally came.
“Why exactly there?”
“Let’s just go, okay?”
“But just for a little while, because my parents will notice I’m not in my room,” she agreed, preparing to leave the yard. “What do you want to show me?”
“Patience, Ravenna,” he smiled. “I know you’ll love it.”
The girl opened her mouth to say something, but her friend grabbed her arm and quietly led her out the gate. Just after crossing the gravel road, they ran across a meadow illuminated by a pale moon. There was not a cloud in the sky, the light of dim stars barely penetrated through the thick veil. The closer they got to the palace, the more Ravenna felt that something was different.
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...
