Moonfall | Book Two

CHAPTER 27

The night breeze nipped at Michael's cheeks as he glared at the gold door in front of him. The way the intricate white symbols that riddled the door gleamed in the moonlight made him want to reach out and touch it, but he knew better than to give in to temptation, and only pushed his hands deeper into his pockets.

He had not come there to give in to his curiosity, but to draw Ellette out. Knowing what he knew now, he suspected why it had revealed itself to him, but it was a theory he could only conclude as true if she would finally be honest with him.

A tingle of warmth suddenly ignited in his chest, and seconds later, footsteps crunched in the snow from behind. He turned his back to the door, and his heart began to race when he saw Ellette emerge from the darkness surrounding the trees.

Before he thought it was his heightened senses that were alerting him of her presence, and although that may have partly been true, he was coming to realize it was her light within him that had been reaching out towards its owner and other half.

When she finally stood before him, face framed by a few loose curly hair strands that had escaped the side braid peeking out from underneath her black hooded cloak, he balled his hands into fists to prevent himself from acting upon the urge to warm her rose tinged cheeks. And before he fell prey to her large brown eyes staring up at him, he turned his back to her and faced the door.

"This is the second time the door has revealed itself to me. Why is that?"

She stood next to him. "It recognizes your blood as the same blood that helped create it."

He sighed.

She could not tell a lie, but she certainly could pick which truths to tell and which to keep. And after everything they had been through and everything she had already kept from him, she was still choosing to be caged by her silence rather than allow the truth to set her free.

"Because my mother's blood runs through my veins? Is that the only reason?" He turned his head and looked down at her.

She faced him and looked up at him, her eyes flickering between both of his.

This was her opportunity, and he was hopeful she would take it and set herself free until she lowered her gaze to the snowy ground.

Another heavy sigh escaped him before he tightened his fists and stepped towards her. "I suppose it has nothing to do with it recognizing your light inside of me?"

She looked up at him with wide eyes, and, in the span of seconds, he recognized her panic first, then fear, and, lastly, acceptance.

"My mother finally told me. Does it upset you that she went against your wishes?"

She did not answer.

"Why did you not tell me? Why did you not take it back? Why did you force me to live with the one thing that could have saved you? Why..." his breath hitched in his throat, "little fairy, do you never choose yourself? There is nearly nothing left of you to give, so why do you let the world continue to take?"

Still, no answer.

"I came here tonight to give back what belongs to you."

She shook her head, but still would not look at him. "Extracting it could kill you."

"And save you."

She turned her back to him. "You cannot force me to take it back!"

He shoved his right hand into his pocket and closed it around the hilt of the dagger. "And you cannot force me to keep it." He pulled it out, took off its sheath and tossed it to the ground before staring down at its blade. "Zanna tasked me to find a dark object as one of the requirements. Who knew the one I found would have so many uses?"