Under the Shadow of the Moon

Chapter 22

Sylvia felt the car stop and the driver-side door open and close. She heard shuffling in the back seat before the back doors slammed shut. She felt herself being lifted from the car, and resting in the arms of the boy that had saved her.

He set her down, shaking her softly. "Hey, Sylvia... Sylvia... You've got to wake up..."

"Who-who are you?" Sylvia asked, rubbing her eyes and shaking the sleep from her clouded mind.

"You don't need to worry." he responded briskly, stepping away from Sylvia, keeping a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "I need you to talk to Luna. I need you two to become friends. Don't ask me why, I can't tell you. But you need to find her—and find Lily-Rose."

"What?" Sylvia studied the boy, confused by his words. "I don't understand." Her words were slurred, everything around her cobbled together in an overwhelming jumble.

"I wouldn't expect you to." He leaned her up against a tree, climbing back into the car, now void of the two boys. Sylvia thought that she might have just imagined them, but she was certain she had seen them. And those piercing blue eyes. Sylvia knew only one other person with eyes that blue.

She turned, seeing that Silas had dropped her off in front of the Vis house. She cringed, sucking in a breath. She had to make things right, even though it wouldn't be easy. She walked up to the front door, rapping slowly on the wood. Her heart was racing a million miles an hour, the displaced nerves of all that had gone down bubbling into her throat. Her head still ached, but she tried to shake it away.

Razaia opened the door carefully, looking Sylvia up and down. "Is there something you want?" she said coldly, about to shut the door.

"Look, I am so, so sorry for everything I did in the past... please... I want to make things right."

"Why are you suddenly so eager to make things right? You know I can call the cops. This is trespassing and stalking you know... The party's one thing, this is their house... Why are you at their house? What the hell do you want?" Razaia started to turn, likely to call someone else over.

Sylvia's heart felt like it was about to beat its way out of her chest. She swallowed nervously, choking on her words. "Please, I just want to talk..." Sylvia looked down at her feet, cursing herself for being so immature. She would do better. Yes, she would do better tomorrow. "I really am sorry for everything..." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I did things I shouldn't have, and I hurt people..."

Razaia knit her eyebrows, a look of concern taking over her features. "Where is all this coming from?" she said carefully.

"I-I-"

"Raz, who is it?" Luna's voice called from inside.

"Luna!" Sylvia gasped, trying to get her attention.

"I... It's..."

Luna stepped beside Razaia, pulling the door open wider.

"Sylvia?" Luna looked confused. "Do you need something?" Her tone wasn't cold, just weary.

"I need to talk to you, it's important." Sylvia was shaking.

Luna nodded, opening the door all the way. "Please, come inside."

"Are you serious?"

Luna nodded again, an expression on her face Sylvia couldn't quite read. Distaste, she thought bitterly.

Sylvia stepped inside, Luna shutting the door behind her. Sylvia looked around, seeing the others piled in the living room. Lloyd, Colin, Trae, and Lily were sitting around, a card game spread out in front of them. There was another girl there, the one from the party with the dyed pink hair. They were laughing, but their faces fell when they saw Sylvia.