Lunars of the Caribbean

On Your Side (16)

Kaito gulped and struggled to hide his growing fear. "What book?" he asked.

His father gave him a look of uncertainty. "The one you are holding."

His jaw set and he glanced down at the book. "Oh! This one! Silly me, I forgot I had this. I'll just go put it back now." He turned on his heels to go.

"Wait, Kaito." His father's voice sent a jolt down Kai's spine. Damn. "Why do you have that book?"

He faced his father slowly. Kai shrugged, feigning innocence. "Just a bit of light reading."

Torin rolled his eyes and said, "If it is not too bold, Governor, your son is the worst liar in the entirety of Port Royal."

His father shook his head, letting out a chuckle with no humor behind it escape his lips. "I have to agree with you there, Torin." His father held out his hand to Kai. "Please, give me the book, Kaito."

Sighing – quite dramatically, his father might say – Kai handed the book ti his father. Rikan read the title and eyed the book with concern. He constantly changed his line of sight from the book, to Kai, to the book, then Kai again. "What are you doing with a book about Lunars?"

Again, Kai tried and failed to avoid the truth. "I thought it would be an interesting subject to learn. Seeing as how you plan to marry me off to Levana to appease her."

The remark shocked Rikan and Torin, as both of them showed in on their faces. Kai had been hiding that he knew that for a couple of years now. She'd made the request years ago, but Rikan always turned her down when the subject rose from the depth. They had never told Kai, he'd over heard it by chance one day.

Torin was aghast, though he did not question the accusation. Rikan took a different stance. "I was planning of no such thing. Levana may have suggested it, but I do not intend to allow that ... that witch to marry you, Kaito. I would never let it come to that."

It still stung that Rikan never told Kai outright that it was something that could happen. That he'd overheard it on his Birthday of all days. But Kaito was twenty-years-old now. He was an adult, and could make choices of his own.

Now, he was making his own choice.

"Well, I think I found a way so it will never have to." Kai approached his father and turned the book back to the page with the information on the tattoos. "After I was kidnapped, I was taken to Cinder's Blacksmith shop. She rescued me and protected me from the pirate and-"

"I know what she did," his father interjected. "Why is that important?"

Kai continued, "Because she was arrested for being a Lunar." At the mention of it, Rikan rolled his eyes. Kai already pleaded with his father so many times to pardon Cinder and allow her to go free. It wasn't her fault that she was a Lunar. But now, it could be the reason why hundreds of lives are saved.

"Cinder's mark is not the one of a normal Lunar. Her's is one that signifies Royal heritage. Which is this one, here." He pointed to the Royal Lunar tattoo. "It's the same one Levana has. So she has to be the true heir to the Throne. That's why Levana wants to find her so badly. Because Cinder can make a claim to the throne and ruin Levana's empire!"

Intrigued, Rikan studied the drawing of the tattoo. "And you're sure that this is the tattoo Cinder has?"

Kai felt lighter at the sound of his father calling Cinder by her name, and not just "the Lunar" or "That girl who got arrested".

"Yes," he said. "I'm sure of it. She is the heir to the Throne. But .. there's just one, small problem."

Rikan and Torin gave Kai confused glances. "She has no idea that she's the heir."