Page 111 of Heir of Darkness

“Well, you should, dummy. I only said that so they would leave it alone,” Gianna told her, yanking her shoulder so Luna could turn around. It worked. The blonde was stronger than she looked.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“Valerio would never agree to let you go, especially if he thinks Finn is dodgy. But if he thinks you’re here protected tomorrow, then he won’t have to worry about you. It gives you the chance to sneak out with Finn,” Gianna said.

“Why would you want me to go?” Luna asked, testing the waters. It felt almost too good to be true that she would willingly want her to go off into danger.

“Because you deserve to get your justice.” She grabbed Luna’s shoulders, looking her dead in the eyes. “Get your revenge for everything he did to you. For wanting you dead, fortrying to sell you off. Do it for all the girls that never had the same chance.”

Luna felt like someone had kicked her in the chest. It made sense. She wasn’t doing this just for herself and everything she had ever been through in her life. She was doing it for every girl in their world that lived the way she had. Who were sheltered, forced to miss out on moments of their life for the sake of keeping their purity. Who contemplated ending everything to avoid the very fate that put them in the hands of abusers and predators.

Luna nodded her head. “Okay.”

Gianna nodded, pulling her along with her to her bedroom so they could discuss just how far Luna was willing to go.

Even if Finn didn’t do it, she would be there, landing the final blow.

FORTY-FOUR

LUNA

It was a quiet night.After Blair and Cecilia had filled Luna in on Finn’s plan, they decided to take it easy. They all sat on the couch, oddly quiet. But what would come tomorrow hung over all of their shoulders.

Tomorrow she would kill someone. Tomorrow, they hoped change would come.

The thought made Luna feel nauseous. She decided that planning the actual event must have been worse than actually doing it. Knowing what was going to be done, reliving the scenario in her head over and over again, it was horrifying. It wasn’t just thinking about killing her father, it was thinking about everything that could go wrong that left her feeling haunted.

Valerio kept a strong face, and she wanted to know whether it was an act or if it was genuine. It wasn’t the first time he would kill someone, but this wasn’t just someone.

“Let’s go outside,” Luna whispered to Valerio. “I want to see if the stars are out.”

He nodded absently. It was like he was there, but he wasn’t. He stood, allowing her to pull him with her.

They walked out the sliding door that led to the backyard. The sky had already begun to drop small flecks of snow onto the ground, promising for more.

“It’s cold out here,” Valerio said, immediately taking his sweater off to hand to her. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

“I’ll be fine for a little bit,” she told him. He still helped her get it over her head. It was covered in his warmth, making the cold of the night seem impenetrable.

Valerio stared back out in the horizon, getting lost in his thoughts all over again.

“Are you okay?” Luna asked.

He nodded. “I haven’t done anything yet. There’s no reason not to be.”

“You have every reason to not feel okay if that’s how you feel,” Luna said. She placed her hand on his back. “I’m terrified for tomorrow. I’m terrified for you. Of you getting hurt, but mostly of you afterwards.”

Valerio shook his head. “Don’t be. I’ve killed people before. We have a solid plan. It’ll all go how it should.”

“I know you’re not used to people caring about you and your wellbeing, but I do. I can see you’re not okay, and that’s okay. You will be eventually.” Luna wrapped her arms around herself. “You don’t have to be strong around me.” She whispered the second part, looking out into the distance herself.

Valerio wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. His lips were close to her ear, almost as if he wanted to be sure only she could hear him. “I am terrified for tomorrow. I am terrified of killing my father, of doing what I have dreamed about doing my entire life. I am terrified I won’t be able to do it, that I’ll fail you, that I’ll fail my own mother.”

“Your mother would never be disappointed in you,” Luna said. Her eyes were wide, swallowing the admission.

“I know that. It’s not my mother I’m truly worried about,” he said, looking down at Luna. “I’m terrified you’ll look at me differently. If I choke and I put you at risk, I will never forgive myself.”

“You could never disappoint me.” She held her hand to his cheek. “I would never blame you for anything.”

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