Page 100 of A Hunter for Luna

Maybe his coldness was a shield. A way to protect the fragile, wounded parts of himself. Parts that hoped and hurt, that loved so fiercely it broke him.

I looked at the man beside me, shadows and firelight playing across the planes of his face. Benedetto met my gaze, the flames reflecting in his dark eyes. In them, I glimpsed a reflection of my own longing and uncertainty.

“Last,” Sofia continued, “like all sorcerers, he has a sigil, which he’ll manifest when he uses his greater magics. That sigil can be used to manipulate him or harm him,ifyou can control it. Or if I can. That’s why I’m here, now.”

Could this change everything? We were two broken, untrusting people on a nearly impossible quest. But this information could transform it to a chance at redemption and hope amidst the darkness.

As if sensing the shift in the air between us, Sofia glanced from Benedetto to me and back again.

Benedetto’s grip tightened on his sword hilt, knuckles pale against the dark leather. "How will he manifest his sigil?"

“When he tries to break your minds.”

His voice was low and intense, each word precisely measured. "You can contain something so powerful while I beat him physically?"

Sofia held his gaze, unblinking. "Yes. It won’t be easy...or painless."

I suppressed a shiver, wrapping my arms around myself. When she was like this, she was scary.

"Moonshifter is arrogant, like all Sorcerers," Sofia said. "He underestimates those he views as beneath him. That will be your window, your single chance to fight him as I turn his magic against him. And I’ll have to be disguised; he won’t manifest if he’s aware of me."

"A chance that could kill us if we fail," I said quietly, voicing the fear pulsing through me.

Sofia inclined her head, her expression somber. Her outline flickered, and an elderly female sellsword sat with us, clad in shabby but well-maintained armor. "Yes. The risk is great. But so is the reward if you succeed. And no plan survives contact with the enemy. It’s likely that we’ll have to change how we attack, and you both need to be ready for that, too."

Her gaze flickered to Benedetto. "If we beat him, make him swear by his Name he’ll undertake the restoration of your brother’s mind… and whatever else is needed."

In the dancing firelight, I recognized the calculation in Benedetto’s expression. He was thinking again, rather than brooding.

Slowly, hesitantly, I reached out and placed my hand over Benedetto’s on the hilt of his sword. His skin was warm, the contact sending a jolt through me. He stiffened but didn’t pull away.

"We’re in this together," I held his gaze. "Whatever happens, we face it side by side. No more lies. No more walls between us."

For a long moment, Benedetto was still, his expression still. Then, almost imperceptibly, he nodded. His hand turned beneath mine, fingers interlacing with my own.

A silent promise.

Sofia's attention lingered on me, a flicker of something unreadable in the dark eyes of the illusion she wore.

Benedetto's hand tightened around mine as he narrowed his eyes at Sofia. "You're very eager to help all of a sudden. Why?"

The wrinkled scarred face of her illusion looked odd with sad, almost pitying smile. "Because I've seen too many people die. I'd rather not add Luna’s name to that list. And since Soulrider fancies you as an apprentice, protecting you fulfills my obligations to him."

I studied Sofia, trying to decipher the emotions that played across the unfamiliar features. Regret, sorrow, a hint of weariness, the burdens of a life spent navigating the treacherous currents of magic and politics. How much had she lost? How many ghosts haunted her steps?

As Sofia stood up, her glance flicked to my abdomen, a quizzical look that sent a chill down my spine. What did she sense?

The thought crashed through my mind like a tidal wave, panic rising. Instinctively, I pressed a hand to my stomach, as if I could shield the tiny life that might have been growing there. My cycle was a week late. I'd forgotten about it in the chaos of the past days. The realization hit me like a physical blow, stealing the breath from my lungs. What if it was true? What if I was pregnant, and we were about to face a sorcerer who could destroy us both?

I swallowed hard.

But as Sofia met my gaze, I caught a flicker of understanding, a silent acknowledgment of the truth we both suspected.

I forced a smile, hoping it didn't look as brittle as it felt. "I’m glad you’re here. We appreciate your help, more than I can say."

Sofia inclined her head, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Just try not to get yourselves killed. I'd hate to have to explain that to Soulrider. I’ll set up my shelter over here. I’ll accompany you from here on."

With those words, she picked up her pack and moved to the other side of the small camp, beginning the process of setting up a small tent.

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