A Court of Stars and Shadow

Chapter 20

I had no choice but to sleep. After dinner I did my chores and came back to my room. My parents didn't bother me for the rest of the night after dinner and it was a small mercy, but it didn't help the endless pacing. At first, I had just stood in the middle of my room, pulling on my fingers; the motion that always gave away when I was nervous or lying no matter how much I tried to hid it. But then, the pacing had begun. Walking in circles around the rug so many times I thought my feet would make a dent in it. I had glanced at my watch after a while and almost collapsed when I saw the time: 2:16 am. I had spent three hours pacing, trying to make a plan, to think of something I could do to speed up the process but every time I thought of a solution, of a line in the book that could possibly be a hint, it led to a dead end. So I had spent an hour after that on my computer, researching every tumbler theory, no matter how crazy and insane it sounded but still... nothing. I was set on staying up for the rest of the night researching, but soon enough yawns overtook my body. I had been up for longer than I was used too; the secret meeting with Amren, then getting ready for the high lord and lady meeting, then all this. Mor's voice from when she had given me some lessons filled my head.

The hardest thing for any of us is sleeping when there is so much to do. But we all do it, we have to, or our minds will be cloudy the next day and we can miss something vital.

The weight of the words heavier now than they were when she had told me but I had taken her advice, and slipped into bed, finding sleep only after multiple tosses and turns. I was gone for too long already. Almost 8 hours; 8 days in Prythian. More than a week. Countless things could have happened. But there was nothing I could do, not until the book decided to pull me back. So as much as I hated it, I slept.

I woke the next morning with a jolt. The sunrise barely streaming through my windows I hadn't pulled the curtains over last night. I sat crisscrossed on my bed and pulled the book out again, examining the wax covered page. Should I try again? Maybe on a different page? No, the wax clumped at the edges, just as it had done with Amren. I had to give it time, time I didn't have, not when a war was brewing a world away.

"Luna, I swear if you are late for school again, I will beat you senseless" my father's voice yelled from outside my door. I clenched my jaw and climbed out of bed, running to my dresser and putting on jeans and a t-shirt. Less dressy than what I would usually wear to school, but I wasn't really going to school, not that my parents had to find out anyways.

"Almost ready" I called back and was met with shoes shuffling away.

Within 5 minutes I had brushed my hair into a ponytail, brushed my teeth and put shoes on. Slinging my duffle over my back I walked downstairs to pack my 'lunch' like I did every day.

"Did you skip lunch yesterday?" My father asked from where he was drinking his coffee on the island stool. I fought the urge to freeze.

"Yeah, I was running crazy late yesterday, didn't have time to pack it."

He scowled. "You've been running late a lot lately. If I have to go in there and wake you up earlier so you're not late, it won't be good for you Luna."

I nodded, keeping my chin held high. "It won't happen again father"

"hmmm" was his only reply. I took that as my cue to leave and I shoved the sandwich into my duffle. I didn't bother with goodbye before grabbing my keys and stepping outside, getting into my car and pulling out of the driveway. I didn't know where I was going but not school, I wasn't ready for the normality; wasn't ever going back anyways so it didn't matter anyways.

~

I returned home around 4, the time I usually got home. I threw the duffle onto the bed and belly flopped; my face pressed into my pillow. I groaned. I don't know how much longer I could wait. 22 hours; 22 days. I groaned again. I spent the morning driving down the streets of the city, a last goodbye. I parked along the river around noon and walked the riverwalk, stopping at the small dip of the sidewalk and fed the ducks some of the bread from my sandwich, finishing the rest. A tear had slipped from my eye, but I wiped it quickly and made sure it was my last. It was worse for them, longer for them but I'd be back soon, I knew, I felt it.