Page 57 of When the Moon Met the Sun

Part of me was stunned that he was telling me all of this so openly. I was so accustomed to being told next to nothing, the open communication still took me by surprise.

He looked at me curiously, and I could tell by his expression he was wondering why I felt surprised.

“I’m… not used to being kept so in the loop about things,” I said after a moment. “It’s a good change, and I appreciate you telling me. I simply have to adjust.”

Robyn nodded in understanding, likely recalling one of our previous nightly conversations.

He looked up at the sky suddenly, watching as more stars blinked out, and a crease appeared between his brows. “We have to hurry,” he said, quickening our pace.

Soon, we came across a rocky part of the beach and approached an ivy-covered wall of stone. From the looks of it, this part of the beach was usually a couple inches under water. I looked around and could note nothing special, until Robyn, with a flick of his wrist, shifted some of the thick vines out of the way with his zirilium, revealing a hidden tunnel in the surface of the rock.

I gasped, shocked that something so large could be hidden so thoroughly. Robyn, still holding my hand, smiled at me.

“After you, m’lady.”

I didn’t hesitate, knowing that he wouldn’t tell me to venture somewhere unsafe. I plunged ahead into the darkness, tucking my wings close to my body. The space was too small for us to walk side by side, though Robyn’s hand on my shoulder was a constant comfort.

After a couple seconds of walking blindly, I could see the end of the tunnel, and I realized it was a rather short passageway. Before I could step out of the tunnel, Robyn gently tugged on my hand.

“Do you trust me?” he asked quietly, close to my ear. I could hear him holding his breath as he waited for my reply.

“Yes,” I said with no hesitation, “I trust you.”

I didn’t have time to think about the significance of what I just declared before his hand gently took its place over my eyes,obscuring my vision. His other hand landed on the small of my back, and gently led me forward out of the tunnel.

Once we were out, I could hear the sound of the waves softly crashing onto the shore not too far off. He turned me slightly to the side, then slowly lifted his hand away from my eyes as he said, “We made it just in time.”

I blinked a couple times, but considering the sun wasn’t up yet, my eyes adjusted easily to the soft light—Northerners could see better than Southerners in the dark. I was facing the ocean, watching as the waves kissed the shore. The sun should be rising any moment.

“Turn around, Avi,” he called to me softly.

Turning on my heel, I realized we were in a small, hidden cove. There were the same cliff faces surrounding us, blocking off this part of the beach from everything else. When I turned around, my eyes landed on Robyn, then jumped to what was behind him.

And suddenly it dawned on me why he wanted to bring me here so badly.

Moon lilies.

Behind Robyn, there was a small waterfall cascading down from the cliff face and landing in a small pond. And surrounding the pond were dozens of moon lilies.

A piece of home.

I gasped and covered my mouth with a gloved hand. Tears sprung to my eyes as I walked over to them, falling to my knees. I gently cupped one of the white and gray flowers, their centers a vibrant purple, bowing my head to inhale their soft, sweet scent.

Now I understood why we had to rush here—moon lilies closed up for the day once the sun rose. And we likely couldn’t have gotten through the tunnel during high tide, which I assumed would come soon.

I laughed suddenly, a tear escaping and falling down my cheek. My emotions were jumbled, and I couldn’t tell them apart. Theseflowers meant so much more than home to me—they remind me of my mother.

Of the last time I saw her.

“Are you alright?” Robyn asked, kneeling next to me.

I nodded. “These flowers. I didn’t realize they grew anywhere else besides the North. They’re called moon lilies.” I paused, a sad smile taking over my lips. “They were my mother’s favorite. Anytime I was sick or feeling down, she’d bring me a bundle of them from the royal gardens. They remind me of her, and of her kindness. After she… passed, Father got rid of all of them from the gardens. I haven’t seen one since.”

I could feel Robyn’s guilt for bringing me here, for inflicting these memories on me, so I spoke quickly, trying to reassure him. “Don’t feel guilty, these aren’t tears of pain. It’s joyous, to know my father couldn’t completely erase her. Thank you for bringing me here,” I said, making sure to look him in the eye as I spoke so he knew how genuine I was.

He nodded, and I felt his guilt ease. We both stood up, brushing ourselves free of dirt and sand. Robyn leaned down and gently picked one of the flowers, then walked a few paces away, closer to the beach. I followed a step behind.

He turned towards me and motioned to my hair with the flower. “May I?” he asked.

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