Page 65 of When the Moon Met the Sun

Then, she made a run for it.

I busted out of the shop, not bothering to tell Byn or Laurence what I was doing. My mission was simple—catch up to her and talk to her.

Ask her why she looked so much like my mother.

“Wait!” I called out to her, but she was already weaving her way through the crowd at full speed.

“Stars,” I cursed under my breath, then set off in a sprint, in the direction I last saw her.

The buildings and clothes of the people were mostly colorful, so the female’s black cloak stood out like a sore thumb as I gently yet firmly pushed my way through the crowds of other fae who were simply out shopping for the day.

I decided to run instead of startling the people around me by flying, and I listened for the sound of the female’s soft footfall over the sound of my own. The boots she was wearing had a small heel on them, clicking against the cobblestone ground with every step she took.

Soon, we cleared the crowds in the square and made it down a side road. I heard Laurence telling me to wait up from somewhere behind me, but the female just turned down another street and I feared I was close to losing her. The thought carried my feet even faster than before.

“Please! Wait!” I yelled out to her as I rounded the corner, and suddenly we were running down a straight, narrow street with nobody else on it.

The female never bothered to look back, but my words seemed to frighten her as she picked up the pace and raced ahead even farther.

She made a swift, sharp turn down a dark alleyway. I caught up a few heartbeats later, rounding the corner and saying, “Please—” when I realized the alleyway was empty, and led to a dead end.

There was no female present. Nothing but a couple trash cans, boxes, and some litter. The alleyway was drenched in shadows,so I walked the length of it, thinking maybe she’d hidden behind one of the trash cans, but she was simply gone.

I returned to the mouth of the alley when Laurence finally caught up, out of breath. I was panting myself, my heart pounding from the chase, but I was more confused and frustrated than anything.

“What,” he panted, “was that?”

“I… I saw somebody. She-she looked like—” I was cut off by the sound of a blood curdling scream in the distance.

From this part of town, we were closer to the forest now—I could see the tree line in the distance. I realized with a start that it was the sound of a female screaming, but then I heard it.

Chirps.

Distressedchirps.

I knew without a doubt those were the sounds of a griffin—not any sort of normal bird or beast. I’d grown up in a place with far too many griffins for me not to be able to recognize them.

Just then, I saw Byn round the corner, along with Quinn and Rayven, coming from the direction of the town square.

I took one heartbeat to meet Byn’s eyes, and I knew he heard the noises, too. He dipped his head once, then jerked his chin towards the sky. I could feel his anxiety in my chest, but I pushed it down, not letting it overpower me.

Trying to keep my mind clear, I began to flap my wings forcefully, launching into the sky.

I heard Laurence curse as he watched me take off.

I didn’t know who was in trouble, where they were, or what they did, but I needed to find out. And somehow, I knew Byn understood.

I loved him all the more for it.

I flew up and over the buildings of Cairnyl, flying in a wide circle until I pinpointed where the screams were coming from.They sounded closer to the forest than to the town, so I quickly readjusted my course to head that way.

The closer to the forest I got, the louder the voice and chirps became.

“There’s been a huge misunderstanding!” the female voice called out, and I spotted her in the same moment, right on the outskirts of the forest, thankfully outside of town.

I realized as I listened to her cry out that I knew that voice.

I’d heard it most recently in my dreams.

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