Page 33 of Favored By the Stars

The words tumbled out now, secrets I'd never dared voice. "Sometimes I..." I swallowed hard, "sometimes I think I'm not just chosen by the Moon. I think I'm something else entirely. Something neither court would accept." What I didn't add was that I was certain of that after what had just happened upstairs with the kings and queen.

The guardian's eyes gleamed with approval as my mark burned hotter than ever before, sending waves of heat all over my skin. "Truth freely given is a rare gift," it said. "The path is open to you."

As it spoke, a narrow passage became visible again. A light, neither the silver glow of the Moon Court nor the golden radiance of the Sun Court, but something in between, illuminated the passage. Twilight made manifest.

The water being dissolved, melting back into the lake. "Remember," its voice echoed around us, "what sleeps beyond has lain undisturbed for centuries. Tread carefully in the forgotten places."

With that, it was gone, leaving only ripples on the surface of the lake.

For a moment, none of us spoke. The weight of our revealed truths hung heavy in the air between us.

Finally, Wyn broke the silence. "Eclipse Child?" she asked softly. "What did it mean?"

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak. The burning in my mark had subsided to a dull throb, but the guardian's words and my own rang in my head like a bell.

"We should move," Thorn said, his voice gruff but gentle. His eyes met mine, and I saw no judgment there, only concern and the deep love of our soul bond. "The courts won't be far behind."

Volker nodded, but his gaze lingered on me with a new intensity that made me uneasy. "Yes," he agreed after a moment too long. "We should follow the path while it remains open to us."

As we approached the illuminated passage, the crystals lining the walls pulsed in rhythm with our footsteps, almost as if the cave itself were breathing. The air grew thicker, heavy with ancient magic that tasted of starlight and shadow on my tongue.

"Eclipse Child," Volker murmured again, his voice so low I barely caught it. "I had wondered..."

I shot him a sharp glance. "What do you know?"

His eyes met mine, calculating and careful. "Legends, mostly. Stories passed down through generations of scholars." He hesitated. "People said that before the courts split, some could channel both sun and moon energies. They were called the Twilight Blessed or, sometimes, Eclipse Children."

My heart stuttered in my chest. "And what happened to them?"

Volker's expression darkened. "They vanished when the courts split. Some say they were hunted to extinction because both courts feared their power."

The weight of his words settled over me like a shroud. I felt Thorn move closer, his presence solid and reassuring at my side.

"This isn't the time," he said firmly. "Whatever Senara is or isn't, we need to focus on getting to safety first."

I shot him a grateful look as we continued down the passage. The tunnel narrowed, forcing us to walk single file. Thorn took the lead, with me following close behind, then Wyn, and finally Volker, bringing up the rear. The crystals' light dimmed the farther we went until only a faint glow remained to guide our steps.

After what felt like hours, the tunnel widened again, opening into another cavern. Unlike the one we'd left behind, this space was dark and still, the air stale as if nothing had disturbed it for centuries.

"Careful," Thorn warned, his voice echoing slightly. "Stay close."

Wyn summoned a small orb of light to her palm, illuminating our immediate surroundings. What I saw made me gasp.

We stood at the edge of what appeared to be an ancient temple, half-reclaimed by the cavern itself. Massive columns of black stone rose toward the ceiling, each carved with intricate symbols that seemed to shift and change as we looked at them. At the center of the chamber stood a dais, and upon it, a perfectly circular pool of what looked like liquid darkness.

"What is this place?" I whispered, afraid to disturb the profound silence.

Volker stepped forward, his eyes wide with wonder. "I believe this is the Temple of Alignment," he breathed. "I've read about it, but I never thought...Everyone believes it was destroyed during the Sundering."

"The what?" Wyn asked, her voice small in the vast space.

"The event that divided the courts," Volker explained, moving closer to examine one column. "When the Sun and Moon fae split into separate factions. Before then, they lived in harmony, balancing each other's powers."

I approached the dais cautiously, drawn to the pool of darkness at its center. The liquid, if it was liquid, didn't reflect the light from Wyn's orb. Instead, it seemed to absorb it, drinking in any illumination that touched its surface.

"Don't get too close," Thorn warned, his hand hovering near my elbow without quite touching me.

But I couldn't help myself. The pool called to me in a way I couldn't explain, a silent song that resonated with something deep inside my chest. My Mark pulsed in time with whatever rhythm emanated from the darkness.

---