Page 3 of Secrets & Curses of Cerithia

"Why not?"

"Do you even know how to defend yourself? Do you know how to climb a tree or sneak through the woods at night? Can you make a joke?"

"None of that matters. I’m going to be King of Kizar one day." Jesper was fit, handsome, and rich, but no matter how many times I kissed him, it didn’t ignite a spark in me. I felt nothing toward him.

"It matters to me," I said, rolling my eyes. "You’re boring."

He paused for a moment, a hurt look on his face. It quickly changed to anger. "And you’re just the king’s bastard daughter," he spat angrily.

My mouth hung open as I searched for something to say, but it shut when I couldn’t find the words. Jesper needed to understand that I only kissed him to see what it was like. There was nothing behind the kiss except simple curiosity. I did not feel anything for him, and that was because he was an entitled prick.

"I’m sorry." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "That was cruel."

"What are you two doing?" Tally walked up, glaring at me.

"I’m trying to get over this damned wall Father built so I can watch the blood moon."

"If you leave the castle grounds, I will tell my mother," she sneered. "They forbade you from going."

"Don’t do that, Tal. I’m going to go with her; you’ll get me in trouble too," Jesper announced. Well, this was news to me because I wanted to go alone. "You can come with us. Have a little fun and not be so boring."

His eyes flickered over to me. Is this why he suddenly had a change of heart? He wanted to prove he wasn’t boring.

"I’ll go if you are." Tally smiled at Jesper, who smiled back at her. I rolled my eyes. Gods, please give me the strength to never fall for a man as boring as Jesper Alcove. I would rather be alone.

"Why do you want to go see the blood moon so badly?" Jesper asked.

"It’s my favorite night of the year; it calls to me. The beauty, the mystery, the stories of wishes coming true. All of it... intrigues me."

"What stories?" Tally scoffed.

"You mean you don’t know?" I asked smugly, glad that I had the upper hand in something for once. "The blood moon is supposed to know your true desires, and sometimes it will grant them to you. Maybe love or fortune. I like the thought that something out there knows what I truly desire and could grant it to me."

“That is not true. It’s just a stupid moon. Nothing but bad things happen on the blood moon,” Jesper huffed, but continued to follow me.

I frowned. Every year, I asked the blood moon for the same thing. I wished for someone who would love me—someone to build a real life with. A mate.

I stopped talking and headed to my favorite spot.

“We shouldn’t be out here,” my half-sister muttered somewhere behind me. When I turned toward her, her pretty blue eyes paled as she looked at the dark forest around the castle.

“Then go home, Tally.”

Her eyes shifted to Jesper before returning to me.

“No.”

I didn’t like the way she only followed when he was near. Jesper was not my boyfriend, but it was clear he had affection for me. On the other hand, it would be nice for him to stop bothering me so much. Tally’s dress tore as it snagged on a downed log. I was the only one of us who dressed appropriately for trudging through the forest, in my trousers and boots.

The darkness made it hard to see the tree limbs blocking the path, and I could feel them pricking my skin and leaving abrasions. I didn’t care much. Tonight was the blood moon, and I wanted to see it from my favorite spot. I turned around when I heard Tally whimper in pain. Jesper scooped her up and held her close to him as he walked. My eyes took in the sight of them. They looked good together.

I shook my head and continued walking up the hill. It was forbidden to leave the castle at night. Our father had always driven it into our heads and the heads of our fae that we would die at the hands of monsters if we were caught outside the walls at night. I had been sneaking out for years and had never encountered a monster. I was starting to think they were made up. I smiled to myself as I saw the field just ahead.

I pushed through the branches and stopped at the small clearing that led to the cliffside. We could see for miles and miles here. The blood moon was so red and beautiful that it nearly stopped my heart. Beautiful crimson red covered everything the moonlight touched. It was such a beautiful color, but I never spoke of that in Cerithia. It was a color that represented our biggest enemies, but something about it made my heart race.

“It’s kind of creepy,” Tally whispered as Jesper set her down next to him. My gaze flickered at her in annoyance.

“It’s beautiful,” I said sharply as I turned back to the moon. It appeared so large that I felt like I might be able to reach out and touch it.

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