Page 54 of To Ashes and Dust
“Damien.”
I turned to the gentle call of my name. No, not my name. This was Damien’s memory, not my own. It was still strange how my mind melded with his as I gazed through his eyes.
A strange sensation rose in my chest as I found her, sitting at the far end of the room from where I stood in the doorway.
Selene.
She was beautiful, with milky white hair splayed around her as she sat before me. The light fell against her back, illuminating her as her moon-like skin refracted the sun’s glow. There was something different about her, and I suddenly understood what Damien meant. There was an air of kindness, warmth, love surrounding her, and her soft blush lips curved in a gentle smile.
A tall man clothed in black stood at her side, but I couldn’t make out his features, his face almost obscure as he observed us. Perhaps I couldn’t see his face because Damien himself couldn’t remember or hadn’t paid attention to him as a child.
Who was he?
“Goddess!” Damien’s tiny voice sang out as I—he bounded for her.
In her arms was a tiny bundle of shimmering cloth, the fabric laced with starlight. She shifted in her cushioned chair, her white silken gown dipping and shifting against the curves of her body, down the swell of her belly, which wasn’t as full as it had been the last several months.
“I want you to meet someone,” she said warmly, opalescent eyes glowing with adoration.
That strange sensation filled my chest again, growing stronger and stronger, and my pace slowed, little legs coming to a stop as I neared. There was something here, something pulling me, drawing me in as if gravity had shifted.
She lowered the bundle, revealing a tiny babe with pale skin and near white hair curled up in the blanket of starlight. My heart leapt, chest swelling as I gazed down at the infant. The babe’s white lashes lifted, revealing pale aquamarine eyes that shimmered as she looked up at me.
“This is Moira,” Selene said, the warmth of her gaze filling me as I glanced up at her before settling my eyes back on the babe.
“Moira.” I repeated, my voice so small, so... enamored.
“You must protect her, Damien,” Selene said, her voice growing softer. “Promise me. She is vital to the future of our kingdom.”
My eyes met hers again, and a smile spread across my face. “Always, Goddess.”
She smiled, glittering constellations dancing across her porcelain face. “She means everything, Damien, more than you can understand now, little shadow lord, but I know you will understand in time. You must protect her, guide her, remain at her side. Always.”
My eyes fell back to Moira, to those beautiful pale eyes beaming up at me.
“I promise to protect you, Moira,” I said as I lifted my hand when she reached toward me. Her little fingers wrapped around my finger, and my heart swelled, my entire being drawn in by all she was. “Always.”
I pulled back, and Damien’s arm came around my waist as I nearly tripped on the hem of my gown.
“Woah there,” he chuckled as he braced me against him.
“Sorry,” I breathed, trying to find the ground beneath my feet, my hands grabbing onto the lapel of his coat.
“What did you see?” he asked.
“Moira. I saw Moira,” I answered, smiling and breathless. “Selene was like a completely different person.”
Damien nodded. “Something happened several years after you were born, she turned cold and distant.”
“Who was the man in the room?” I asked as he released me.
His brows knitted together. “Man?”
“There was a man in the room, standing next to Selene, but I couldn’t make out his face.”
“I—” His eyes shifted as he sank into deep thought. “I honestly don’t really remember. It was probably just a guard or something.”
Perhaps. She was the creator of their race, after all. She would have guards, right? He took my hand, guiding me through the tall archway before us, and my jaw dropped.
