Silver Moon (Colors of the Moon #3)

Chapter 23

The last thing I remembered was seeing a pool of blood before my eyes flew wide open. My throat was squeezed tight, causing my breaths to come out short and ragged. Despite the darkness I immediately recognized the sleeping face only a few inches away from me. Just like last night, Theo and I were lying on our sides, facing toward each other. And the longer I continued to gaze at his serene expression the further my heartbeat settled.

It had been a while since my last nightmare, but I wasn't surprised by its return. After five years, I was used to its reoccurring pattern. However, I couldn't say the same for the content of the nightmare. No matter how many times I saw my mother being killed, it never ceased to be any less painful.

Just like so many times before I grounded my swirling thoughts by figuring out what my most pressing issue was. And today there were two. Firstly, I needed to figure out if Darlene really was involved in my mother's murder and secondly, I needed to learn the truth about my grandmother.

My heart told me there was one room where I could get my answers. The mere thought of entering the said room, however, had my blood freezing. And yet deep down I knew it was my only option. I needed to know the truth and to do that I needed to go into my mother's study. The room she had been murdered in.

Once I made the decision I focused my eyes back on the present and found myself still facing Theo's sleeping face. The temptation was too big to resist, so I slowly lifted my hand. I brushed a lock of his hair off his forehead and then trailed my fingers down his cheek.

Looking at him, I knew it was time to tell him the truth. While everyone else could wait until I was sure about Darlene, he couldn't.

"Good morning."

The sleepy drawl had my eyes snapping from his cheek to his now open eyes. 

A slow grin played on his lips, which instantly twisted into furrowed eyebrows. "Why were you crying?" 

He lifted his arm off my waist, but I beat him to it. I removed my hand off his face and swiped it across my cheeks. The warm liquid that remained stuck to my skin told me he was right. I had been crying.

"It's nothing. Just another nightmare."

"That's not nothing." He swatted my hand away and instead, used his own thumbs to wipe off the remaining tears. "Next time wake me up when you have another nightmare."

I slowly nodded, despite knowing I would never actually do it. I have dealt with my nightmares for five years, so there was no reason I couldn't continue to manage them on my own.

Theo seemed to believe me because he closed his eyes with a soft smile. I rested my eyes on his relaxed features for another moment before I gave in with a loud sigh. "It's time to get up." I couldn't believe I was the one suggesting to get up at such an early hour. After all, I was sure it wasn't even nine yet.

His only reply was to sneak his arm back around my waist and pull me closer to him.

"Come on." I nudged his side.

With a grumpy huff, he cracked open one eye. "You're usually the one who has to be dragged out of bed. So why are you doing this? We have nothing urgent waiting for us on the other side of the door."

"Darlene? The rogues who attacked the castle?"

"They're still going to be here tomorrow and the day after that." He closed his eye again. "We both deserve a break."

No matter how alluring his suggestion sounded, I knew I didn't have a real option here. "Do you want me to use my magic?"

Seconds ticked by while I began to gather my magic in my hand. If needed, I was prepared to fulfill my threat.