Warrior of the Moon

3

Serena had carried Muiress' note in her pocket for the past day. She allowed Will to read it again whenever he asked, but she always took it back. The feel of the now-folded-up parchment was a reminder that she was not fully alone. It was a reminder that she had reasons to go back. Most importantly, it had shown her that she had a part to play. She was not helpless. She did not have to wait for Tarin to retrieve her. She was needed.

After celebrating the news that they were both to return home after all, she and Will had thrown all of the supplies back into his pack, and Serena was only stopped from rushing out the door to do who-knew-what by Will's indiscreet cough and pointed glance at her towel. She had blushed slightly and stepped back into the bathroom to change into one of the light dresses the water nymphs wore that her great-grandmother had packed for her. She would much rather be in leggings, but for the moment, it was all she had.

Will had desperately wanted to get out of the hotel. He paced back and forth through their room until she was sure he was going to wear a path through its carpet. She realized that a warrior Fae like him would not be used to this kind of living: Tarin's Wolves spent most of their time on missions, and when not on them, she had seen them mostly on the training fields. Either he had energy to expend, or Will was feeling claustrophobic. He had spent his last days in the Realm as a prisoner, after all.

Serena wanted to get out, too. Just to be moving, even if with no set destination, would be a step forward in her mind. It would be easier to pass the time that way.

However, they had to stay somewhere. And she knew of only one place that would welcome her with open arms.

She had asked Will to go to the continental breakfast downstairs, reminding him how to use the elevator and telling him how the buffet worked. She told him what she would like brought back up for her, and told him to grab a few extra bagels and apples if he could - things they could stick in their pack just in case. It was a precaution that likely would not be necessary now that they were back in the human world - the world she knew how to navigate better than her own, unfortunately - but a precaution she would take nonetheless.

Once he was gone, she had picked up the hotel phone and took a deep breath before dialing. The ringing that sounded in her ear as she waited made her heart pound at a pace that it never had when making a call before. She was not sure if her nervousness was called for or not, and that just made it even worse.

It rang twice before she picked up. "Hello?"

Serena could not help it; she let out a gasping breath. It felt like so long since she had heard that voice. "Lyla."

Silence.

Then: "Serena?" Lyla exclaimed.

Serena leaned against the headboard of the hotel bed, bringing a hand up to her forehead. She was burning hot, and she quickly drew her hand away again. Every night she had been under the curse, her body had burned from the inside until her skin was hot to the touch. It was not something she would ever be eager to relive.

"It's me," she murmured back. "Lyla, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything." The words came out without any volition. She had treated her friend so poorly, had chosen her Fae family over Lyla's without hesitation. It was unforgivable, and yet she still hoped Lyla would forgive her. She was all she had in this world; the Murphys were literally the only people in her entire human life that had ever cared for her.

"Serena, where are you? When did you get back here? Have you talked to my parents?"

"I'm in Sursey, Ohio. I got back yesterday. And no, you're the only one I've spoken to besides some worker at a gas station and the hotel receptionist," Serena answered, being sure to hit all of Lyla's points. She did not want to anger her friend again, especially now.