Chapter 5: Luna

　　Luna had snuck out in the middle of the night to obtain snakeroot - a plant that grew well outside the city and was poisonous to ingest. She would try putting it in Elena`s drink when the next opportunity arose. Poison wasn`t a bloody way to kill, but it still worked. She had channeled Kellin for speed and arrived back before dawn, but she was exhausted.

　　She was on her way to Elena`s next meeting, which gave her a perfect opportunity to use the poison she had collected. They walked through the many alleyways of quadrant four, taking an alternative route to the barracks. Luna couldn`t just walk around the city in her costume, yet for the meeting - she had to be the Lady of the Stars. Elena ordered it.

　　"I want you to accompany me to the palace," Elena had said.

　　"What? As your busboy? Or, well, busgirl? Is that a thing?" Luna sighed, "Am I going to be given a disguise?"

　　"No, you`ll attend as the Lady of the Stars."

　　Luna frowned at that, "That`s a bad idea, I`m very noticeable."

　　"Not if you stay invisible the whole time."

　　Her past life, Yelzar had the unique ability to let her turn invisible.

　　That would give me an easy opening to poison her. Plus, everyone will assume that the assassin tried to kill that royal girl from Talvira, and Elena drank it instead. I`ll be free.

　　"I can stay invisible for half an hour before running out of Moonlight," said Luna, "I can only channel Yelzar for so long."

　　"Your Moonlight won`t be a problem. Besides, I won`t take that long, and if I do, you`ll just spit up some blood, not a big deal."

　　She crossed her arms, "I`d prefer not to -"

　　"Why? You already have so much blood on your hands."

　　She scowled. That`s because of your orders.

　　"I can do it if you`re quick."

　　"I wasn`t asking if you could. I was telling you to do it."

　　Luna adjusted her hood. She clenched her fists and released them. Elena was so infuriating, but at least after today, she`ll never have to listen to her sister ever again.

　　"Cloak up," Elena said, "We`re almost here."

　　Luna nodded and channeled Yelzar. The calm tranquility washed over her, and her form vanished into nothing. She was still a solid person, just blended into the environment perfectly. She felt the pressure in her chest slowly rise as they walked out onto the main path of Belmire. They slowly approached barracks four and stopped at the large metal gate. Two guards stood up straight as they arrived.

　　"Hello," said Elena, "I`m the guest of Lady Felisha. Can you provide an escort?" She sounded so sweet, nothing at all like her usual self.

　　The knights exchanged glances, "And what`s your name?"

　　"I`m here to discuss wine trade with her." She reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a scroll with a red wax seal. "This is a royal seal of approval from the Lady herself."

　　Now, how in the hell did she get that? Luna thought.

　　One of the knights swiped the scroll from her.

　　"This real?"

　　"Think so."

　　"The scroll says her name is Elena?"

　　"What`s she here for again?"

　　"She said wine trade."

　　"Huh, does she make wine?"

　　"Why are you asking me that?"

　　They both glared at her.

　　"I import a special brand from down south; she was interested in purchasing a lease to have shipments delivered to Talvira," Elena said. She clasped her hands behind her back and shifted from one foot to the other.

　　She`s trying to appear innocent.

　　The knights shrugged.

　　"Should we call Vance? Or Kieran? Maybe another Elite?"

　　"Nah, he said something about a visitor. I just expected someone . . . more formal."

　　Elena cleared her throat, "Am I good to go?"

　　Luna was confused. She knew Elena could compel people, so why not force the knights to let her in? That seemed like the easiest option.

　　"Yes, you`re good to go," the knight said, "Open the gate!"

　　The portcullis was raised. The path cut straight to the palace, with a second gate that needed opening. They walked underneath the first, and it closed behind them.

　　The pressure in her chest felt highly uncomfortable. It began to hurt like a thousand tiny knives poking her heart. She shifted around, trying to get used to the pain, but before she could, it vanished.

　　The pressure was gone. It had never been gone while she was using magic. She panicked; was she visible? No, Elena would have noticed. There was absolutely no stress on her body from using the magic. Her Moonlight. . . it was infinite!

　　Is there some kind of danger? Luna wondered. Perhaps her past lives have bestowed a boon upon her to assist in the evil that would arrive. She kept glancing around, looking in all directions for a possible threat.

　　"Ms. Elena?" a voice called.

　　"Oh, hello there. Are you going to be my escort today?"

　　Luna spun around to see a young man walk out the barracks door and approach her. He had dark skin, black hair, and a sword slung around his waist - which was odd. The knights usually held maces. He wore a leather tunic with a fluffy overcoat.

　　"Yes," he saluted, "Squire Arkell, at your service today."

　　Arkell? Like Isabel? Luna thought. That would make him. . . she channeled her Moonlight, replaying a memory from her own mind. The best part about being a successor for the Tigress was being able to replay her own memories. While her predecessor`s memories take time to watch, her own memories are recalled instantly.

　　Caden, she thought, viewing a memory of being told about him.

　　"I haven`t seen you in years," Caden said, "how have you been?"

　　"Oh, please, we can chat on the way to the palace," Elena said, "Go ahead and open that gate for me, okay?"

　　He obeyed immediately. Caden adorned a smile similar to a small puppy, eager to assist Elena.

　　Does she compel him, too?

　　Luna was still on edge with her hand clasped over her dagger.

　　"Who is that clown?" he asked, "Why do they look so blurry?"

　　Luna froze. The boy was looking right at her.

　　He can see me? she thought. She channeled Yelzar further, hoping to vanish from the world entirely.

　　"Who?"

　　"The girl you`re with, right over there? She`s like wearing a cloak or something."

　　Luna pulled out her dagger. Kill him? No, she didn`t want to, but. . . she needed to stay hidden.

　　"Are you feeling okay?" Elena asked with narrowed eyes. "I`m here all alone. There is no one else here. Are you going crazed? Do you still remember your name?"

　　"What? Yes. I . . ." Caden shrugged, "Sorry, must be . . . something else." He glared harshly at Luna, and she dared him to make another move.

　　They moved through the barracks and onto the palace blacktop. An enormous flat plane of stone sat between the barracks and the palace. When the Royals lived in Belmire, they would spend their time in this area; they called it a courtyard, although it was just a bunch of stone.

　　Caden led them toward the palace. He kept glancing back at Luna with an investigative expression on his face.

　　"So, why don`t you visit me anymore?" Elena asked.

　　"I`ve not seen you since I was a child," said Caden.

　　How do they know each other?

　　"That`s a poor excuse. Now, why don`t you visit me?" Elena pouted, she. . . pouted? It was either some kind of manipulation tactic, or she went insane.

　　 "I`m. . . investigating."

　　"Oh," said Elena, "You mean her. . ." Her expression dropped quickly, and she folded her arms across her chest.

　　"Yes."

　　"Any leads?"

　　"Just one. The Lady of the Stars."

　　Luna froze.

　　Elena laughed, "Please, child, you shouldn`t seek someone so dangerous."

　　"I think she knows something about who killed her. It was obviously a Pyromancer, but thousands are living in Belmire. The Order says the vagrant militia did it, and if the Lady of the Stars runs the militia, then. . ." Caden paused. His cheeks turned red, and he put his hands up defensively. "I`m sorry, I`m just rambling on, my bad."

　　"No, no, keep going, tell me more."

　　He shook his head no. "My apologies. It`s not my place to share such information."

　　"Very well." Elena rubbed her nose and slowed her pace to line up with Luna.

　　Luna tugged on her shirt to let her know she was near.

　　"He`s special," she whispered, "he has strength in his blood. I want you to watch him tonight. More orders will come soon."

　　She said nothing in reply.

　　The palace doors were enormous. So, they took an alternative entrance, a small door that led straight into the dining hall. Caden said that was for the best, as the main entrance was near Cerise Hall - and they did not want to deal with the Crusaders.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

　　Luna lagged behind, which proved a mistake, as Caden rushed ahead and opened the door for Elena. The squire looked right at her and smiled. They entered, and despite Luna sprinting for the door, she was left outside.

　　She cursed under her breath and immediately sought out another way inside. She channeled Kellin and pooled Moonlight to the small of her back. An invisible force threw her skyward, and she soared up in a straight line, gliding in an arc. She landed on a balcony attached to the palace.

　　The pressure in her chest returned, and her Moonlight began to drain exponentially fast. When she channeled two predecessors at once, she lost an insane amount of energy.

　　That boy does give me power, she thought.

　　She opened the doors to the balcony and strode into the palace, still completely invisible. It was a bedroom, one that looked abandoned for quite some time. She closed the door and traveled out into the hallway. She came to a railing that overlooked the dining hall and watched as Caden and Elena approached a large table with many food and drink choices. Her Moonlight was infinite once more. Whatever Caden was, it gave her power when she was near him.

　　She leaped over the balcony and used Moonlight to push herself up just before she hit the ground. It was like an invisible wind blowing out from underneath her, allowing her to glide a few feet to the floor. Kellin`s speed was such an incredible asset for her.

　　Elena had sat down at the meeting table next to whom Luna could only assume was Lady Felisha. Many knights were stationed around the room, so she had to be careful not to be spotted. The squire absently wandered around the table.

　　Felisha looked odd. She was incredibly pale, with whiter skin than anybody in Belmire. She had blonde hair and a face full of makeup. Her dress was a lovely red, layered more like a robe than a dress. She was adorned with golden jewelry and a small tiara.

　　"I believe there`s a reason you have set up this meeting," said Felisha. She took a sip of wine.

　　"My wine trade offer does not entice you, Your Majesty?"

　　"Oh, it does, but you aren`t all that you seem," she gave Elena an investigative glance, "You were able to get me to agree to your terms quite easily when I arrived. You seemed very persuasive. . . It`s quite odd that my first formal meeting is with a lady as lovely as yourself. I was under the impression that Belmire was full of brutes. Tell me, what is it you truly want?"

　　"Like I said, I am simply here for -"

　　Felisha shushed her.

　　Luna was expecting some kind of methodical quip or reply from Elena, but instead, she listened. Why?

　　"Tell the truth, or I`ll have you sent away."

　　She faked a laugh and put her hands up defensively, "Very well, you caught me."

　　Caden glanced directly at Luna, which caused her to shift and retreat backward. His gaze narrowed on her. He slowly traveled over as Felisha and Elena continued to talk. Luna backed away as he advanced.

　　"Are you real?" he whispered, his hand tentatively reaching for her.

　　She didn`t dare move. If it came to confrontation, she would leave the palace before being caught.

　　"Squire boy," said Felisha, "Be a doll and get us another bottle of this delicious wine."

　　Caden jumped, turned, nodded, then frantically scrambled to the kitchen.

　　"Okay, he`s gone," Felisha whispered, "Now, speak freely."

　　"I`m here to offer you . . . a job."

　　Felisha laughed but quickly realized she was serious. "I`m a Princess. What job could I possibly take."

　　Elena glanced around the room. "Perhaps we could go somewhere. . . private."

　　"While I am flattered by your offer, we would need an excuse, or the guards will follow."

　　She sighed, "Very well, I`ll have to be vague then. I offer you knowledge - unlike anything you`ve ever seen."

　　The Princess raised an eyebrow, "Speak your mind. I`m all ears."

　　"I do warn you not to speak of such matters to anyone else."

　　The Princess nodded in agreement.

　　"Knowledge of lost magic. . . Talvira`s lost magic. They call it," Elena whispered, "Cryomancy. The lost Sigil of Frost."

　　That`s far weaker than what you have. Renna - her past life - spoke.

　　Renna? Luna thought. Could she hear her thoughts? What is it you`re trying to say?

　　You always use our magic, but never your own. Learn something of value, please.

　　She stopped listening. She needed to poison Elena. This was much more important than past life business. Why do they constantly interrupt at the worst of times?

　　"Please," Elena said, handing Felisha a paper, "take this. There`s a date and time here. You could make something up, I`m sure. But if you`re interested, I have a special job for you."

　　Luna stopped listening and mentally noted the servants who scuttled around and refilled drinks. She watched the squire boy exit the kitchen and place a bottle on the table. One of the servants grabbed Elena`s cup and plate and took off with it. Perfect, they exchanged meals, giving her time to mix in the poison. She peered over to the kitchen, and the squire boy was standing by the door, smirking.

　　God, that boy is infuriating. I`m supposed to be invisible. Luna wanted to shout at him. But instead, she cautiously followed the kitchen staff into the room, passing by the squire swiftly.

　　In the kitchens, only a few servants worked. One was over a pot of stew, the other was grilling some kind of meat. A few marble tables were placed in the center of the room, and an oversized cooling case was in the corner.

　　She waited patiently, watching as they crafted two plates of food and drinks. When nobody was looking, she lifted a plate and dropped it.

　　The servant boy jumped and began to clean up the mess. Before anybody could see, Luna pulled the snakeroot from her pocket. She had crushed it into a powder the night before. She poured it into Elena`s cup and watched the powder become visible to everyone. Luckily, nobody was looking at her.

　　It was pretty odd how Yelzar`s ability worked, like an invisible field that clung to her skin. Although, she couldn`t seem to make other objects turn invisible if they were too big. A bag of poison? Sure. Her daggers? Not all the time unless she kept them sheathed.

　　Not the bloody death I`d prefer, but at least it`s something.

　　Luna turned toward the door and froze. She slipped into a corner as the second servant boy carried the trays of food and drink. Caden Arkell was watching her, staring right at her with his back against the kitchen door. He looked so smug, his arms crossed like he was investigating her.

　　I`m going to punch that kid in the mouth. Luna thought. She paused for a moment, realizing she was channeling Isabel. She took a deep breath, and a memory rippled through her.

　　In a flash, she was Isabel, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, scouring the entire town looking for someone, for something. A crippling pain ripped through her head, and for the very first time, she heard Isabel`s voice.

　　I`m so sorry.

　　Then it hit her, the unbridled rage. She looked at Caden, and she wanted to kill him - and the only person she had ever truly wanted dead was Elena. Something was wrong; the boy affected her emotions, and Isabel was channeled against her will. She needed to keep that under control.

　　So, she cut off her predecessors, all besides Yelzar. She brushed past Caden and dashed out toward Elena - each step offering silence to the room. The poisoned cup was right in front of her now. All she had to do was drink it, or had she drunk it already?

　　Caden was suddenly there, standing behind Elena, reaching for her cup.

　　Don`t you flaming dare, Luna thought. Isabel`s rage seeped into her bones once more.

　　Felisha and Elena were too busy in their conversation to notice. He was going to take the cup. Luna had to do something, anything. She dashed around the room, approaching the boy. She grabbed his arm, and he jolted back, knocking over Elena`s cup. The wine poured over the table, the floor, and Elena`s shirt.

　　"Have you gone mad?" Felisha exclaimed, standing.

　　He froze and stuttered out some words nobody could decipher.

　　Luna dashed into a nearby corner. That was not what I wanted! She scolded herself for being so reckless.

　　Caden`s face was red. He put his hands up and finally gave an answer. "I`m really sorry I -"

　　"It`s quite all right," said Elena, "He is just a squire, after all, they make mistakes."

　　"They should send someone who knows how to handle themselves properly. I knew this city was full of brutish men like him."

　　"I`m really sorry, I just thought that-" Caden stammered, glancing at Luna.

　　"Well? Spit it out, boy!"

　　"Nothing, I`m uh," he backed away, "I`m so sorry. Please, let me clean this up, and I`ll pay for your shirt, Ms. Elena."

　　"Nonsense! Leave us at once. My servants will take care of this, off with you!" Felisha waved him away. "Shoo! Shoo!" She turned to Elena. "Please, you can borrow a new shirt from my wardrobe, come, come! I have plenty of beautiful garments." She waved her hand to one of her servants. "You! Kitchen boy, clean this up now."

　　She took Elena`s hand and scurried away, down a corridor and out of sight. This left a flustered Caden guarding the door.

　　Luna made an obscene gesture at him as she passed, but he probably couldn`t tell. She trailed behind the two until they reached Felisha`s quarters. They entered, and she stood waiting by the door, eavesdropping on their conversation.

　　"Gosh, some squire huh? To think they go to that academy yet still don`t know anything. Doesn`t Belmire have a Scholar Branch? They should attend that as well."

　　"They value brawn over brains, Your Majesty."

　　"Here, this should do just fine. Try this on."

　　"Thank you, you really didn`t have to."

　　"Please, don`t act humble," she paused, "Now that we are alone, what does this job entail?"

　　"There`s a sect of books in the high tower of the palace, a place forbidden to all. I plan to. . . sneak in there, they call it the -"

　　"Forlorn Library," said Felisha. "I`ve heard of this place, but it`s not in the palace. I`ve checked."

　　"Come to the meeting," Elena said. "Make up any excuse you can, but please attend."

　　"I will. . . do my best," Felisha did not sound convinced.

　　"Make sure not to repeat this to others," Elena said, voice full of authority.

　　There`s the compulsion. Luna thought.

　　"Very well. Now, please be on your way. We`ve been here an awfully suspicious amount of time." Felisha laughed.

　　The door opened a moment later, and they passed by Luna. Elena had a different shirt on, a very odd green turtleneck. She tailed them until they were back in the dining hall. The squire still waited for their return, and he awkwardly saluted.

　　"Ms. I am so -"

　　"Quiet child," Felisha snapped, "Bring her past the barracks and don`t cause a ruckus. You`re lucky I`m not sending word to your supervisors. Please, you`re a tiny thing and don`t look very knight-like to me. Just be careful."

　　"Yes, Your Majesty. Absolutely, thank you very much." He nodded, then turned to leave.

　　Luna and Elena followed him out of the palace, and soon, they were on the blacktop again.

　　"Excuse me," Caden broke the silence, "Ms. Elena, I don`t understand. Why did you ask me to spill your drink on you?"

　　Luna stopped. What? Did she plan that? Impossible. There was no way she knew about the poison. It must have been to get Felisha alone. Or. . . was it both? She clenched her fists tightly and continued moving.

　　"It was so I could get the princess alone long enough to invite her to my tavern."

　　What? She`s telling him the truth?

　　"What do you mean?"

　　"Well, I had to invite her for a little job that many of the knights wouldn`t like. A bit of treason never hurt anybody, huh?"

　　Luna paused. Was she insane? Why tell this boy anything?

　　He stopped in place. "Treason? What are you talking about? I. . . could turn you in for that."

　　"Of course, you could," Elena said, continuing forward.

　　Luna placed herself in front of Caden, ready to kill him with a single look from Elena. She prepared to draw her daggers.

　　"But you won`t, though. Because we share the same goal. . . find out who killed Isabel. So, just forget about this entire talk of treason. Bye, for now, I`ll be seeing you quite soon."

　　He was silent. They said nothing at all as they passed through the barracks, past the metal gate, and traveled back into the maze of alleyways. She was surprised at how much time passed, as it was near nightfall. As they left, Luna felt the pressure in her chest return. A light snow began to drizzle in the alleyway, and a few snuffed torches were lingering on the wall, filling the air with smoke.

　　It wasn`t until they were halfway back to Goran`s Tavern that Elena spoke once more. "So, how did you like that taste of power?"

　　Luna was exhausted but revealed herself, finally becoming visible again. Yelzar`s memories faded from her mind, and she felt sad, feeling the man go after channeling for so long. "I have many questions."

　　"Ask away."

　　"Why does he give me infinite Moonlight?" She crossed her arms.

　　"So, you noticed?" she laughed, "Let`s just say he`s different. He has Heliomancy - magic from the Sun. It was given to him."

　　"By who?"

　　"Some deity, I suppose. I`m not entirely sure how it works."

　　Luna grunted. Another secret she`d keep. . .

　　"I wasn`t positive of it until that little experiment, of course."

　　"You mean I could have run out of Moonlight in there? I could have died!" Luna threw her arms up into the air.

　　"But you didn`t."

　　She clenched her fist. "Why did you tell him to spill your drink?"

　　"To get Felisha alone, of course," Elena said, her voice slippery with deceit.

　　Luna grabbed her by the shoulder and stopped her. "Don`t lie."

　　Elena laughed, "Because you poisoned it, obviously."

　　How could she have known?

　　She pushed her sister into the wall of the alley and drew a dagger from her belt. Elena didn`t flinch, not even as the blade grazed her neck. "How did you make him do it?"

　　"I simply asked."

　　"How do you make me do things?"

　　"I`m persuasive."

　　"What lies did you tell Felisha? Why is she important? And how the hell did you know about the poison?"

　　She sighed, "I`m very persuasive. I told you, dear sister, learn to lie. It will help you. Now, please, sit still, okay?"

　　I could do it right now, drive my dagger into her throat. She`s not even fighting back. Why can`t I move?

　　"I want the truth."

　　Elena released a deep sigh. "I`d never lie to you. Now, put your weapon away."

　　She obeyed, twirling her dagger before placing it back in her sheath.

　　"Now, Felisha is vital to our job as she knows the ins and outs of the palace and can provide relevant information from within. I also believe she has Cryomancy, but I haven`t seen any proof yet. She`s also from Talvira, which serves this job well. Now be quiet; if you keep disobeying me, there will be dreadful consequences." She spoke that last sentence with narrowed eyes and an empty voice.

　　"What else do we need for the meeting?" Luna relented, hoping if her assassination attempts failed, she would at least be able to obtain her freedom by trusting Elena - if that was even possible.

　　"Well, here`s my proposition to you," Elena said, "I need someone of your prowess, someone willing to listen and do my dirty work. Killing is. . . required, although I`m unable to do it very well. So, to set you free, I will replace you."

　　"Replace me?"

　　"Precisely," she ushered Luna forward, and the two began to walk back to the tavern. "Someone equally as powerful. I can`t just let an asset like you go without having someone to fill your place."

　　Luna scowled.

　　"Luckily, this experiment proved very successful. Here is your assignment today. Go out tonight, Kill Twill and his knight squad for Erodan`s men to have disguises, then grab Caden Arkell for me. Make sure to rough him up a little and get his adrenaline flowing. But don`t hurt him too badly."

　　"How is he going to replace me?" Luna asked.

　　"I told you; he has Heliomancy; it`s like Pyromancy. Magic of the Sun. It makes him quite powerful."

　　"So, magic that`s just based on a legend?"

　　Elena stopped. She turned to face her sister, her eyes wide with an emotion she rarely shows: Joy. "It`s not just a legend." Her smile broadened. "It`s real. The Sun was a ball of fire in the sky that gave heat and light to everyone for free. It was taken from us long ago. Isabel died trying to break the curse." She placed her hands on Luna`s shoulders. "You asked what the job is multiple times, so I`m going to tell you. The Sun is real. It has been trapped with magic in the Palace of Belmire. . . and we are going to steal it."