Read Online Secrets of Moth (The Moth Saga, Book 3) by Daniel Arenson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Daniel Arenson
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down in the sand. She wept into her palms, mumbling
between sobs. "I miss home, and you're so mean to me, and it's
not fair, and if I were still a queen—"
Cam groaned and began stomping
away. "Fine! Stay here. I'm walking back to sunlight, and if you
want to be alone in the dark, singing your song, that's fine with
me."
She wailed behind him. Her feet
padded in the sand, and she leaped onto his back, nearly knocking him
down. "All right, all right! I'm here and I'll be quiet."
He struggled to pry her off.
"Get down."
She clung to him. "I want a
piggyback ride."
He cried out in frustration,
tugged her arms off, and sent her falling into the sand. "No
piggyback rides! Just walk quietly like an adult. Merciful Idar,
you're three years older than me, but you act like a baby."
She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well, if I'm a baby, you're a grumpy old man, Grumpy." She
danced and pirouetted at his side. "If I can't sing, I'm going
to dance as I walk."
"Fine! So long as you dance
silently."
Last month, they had left Ilar
upon an oared ship bearing the Red Flame banners. That ship had
taken them north to the coast of Qaelin, the dark empire Ferius had
crushed, and then west until they saw the glow of dusk. Beyond that
orange horizon lay Timandra, the land of sunlight. The Ilari sailors,
though brave and strong, had dared sail no farther.
"Our journey takes us to
Eseer," Cam had told them. "A desert kingdom in the
sunlight."
The sailors, however, had
refused to sail into the light, and Cam could not blame them; if the
Timandrians saw an Elorian vessel in their waters, they would likely
sink it. And so, a few hours ago, Cam and Linee had climbed onto the
shore, the dusk gleaming on the horizon. They had been walking toward
the light since.
"It's so beautiful,"
Linee said, pointing at the dusk. "Oh Camlin, I missed the
sunlight."
With every step, they came
closer to the light, and Cam found himself agreeing. He had spent
over a year in the darkness. The sight of sunlight brought back
memories so powerful he nearly stopped breathing. He could hear songs
in the tavern, taste beer, smell flowers, and remember his carefree
days with his friends and family.
"I wish you were here to
see this too, Hem," he said softly.
Patches of pink, blue, and
bronze rose ahead like a watercolor painting. Beads of light
glimmered upon the waves to his left, and gold seemed to coat the
sand beneath his feet. To his right, hills rolled into the horizon,
and for the first time in many turns, Cam saw grass—real green
rustling grass that filled his nostrils with its scent. After walking
for another mile or two, he saw the sun itself rise from the horizon,
a burnished disk casting rays between thin clouds.
"Home," Linee
whispered and held his hand. "I missed it so much, but . . . "
She stopped walking. "But I'm scared now."
Cam raised his eyebrows.
"Scared? What are you talking about? You've spent the past year
blabbering on about butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, and
strawberries, complaining how cold and bleak and dark the night is.
And now you're scared of the sunlight?"
She nodded. Her voice was soft.
"I am. Because I'm not the same person anymore. A queen lived in
sunlight long ago, enjoying those flowers and butterflies. But I
don't know who I am now. I'm not a queen anymore, not since Ferius
killed my husband and took over my kingdom. I'm just . . . maybe I'm
just a girl of the night now. Maybe there is no more home for me
here. I know, Camlin, I know I've spent all this time talking about
Dayside, but . . . strangely, I don't want to go there anymore."
Cam sighed and turned toward her
in the sand. "None of us are the same. I left the daylight a
boy, just a shepherd following Bailey on one of her adventures. I
come back now as . . . I don't know who. But we have to go on. You
know that, right?"
She nodded, head lowered, then
took his hands and looked into his eyes. "Can we rest for a bit
first? Maybe sleep for a while, then
between sobs. "I miss home, and you're so mean to me, and it's
not fair, and if I were still a queen—"
Cam groaned and began stomping
away. "Fine! Stay here. I'm walking back to sunlight, and if you
want to be alone in the dark, singing your song, that's fine with
me."
She wailed behind him. Her feet
padded in the sand, and she leaped onto his back, nearly knocking him
down. "All right, all right! I'm here and I'll be quiet."
He struggled to pry her off.
"Get down."
She clung to him. "I want a
piggyback ride."
He cried out in frustration,
tugged her arms off, and sent her falling into the sand. "No
piggyback rides! Just walk quietly like an adult. Merciful Idar,
you're three years older than me, but you act like a baby."
She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Well, if I'm a baby, you're a grumpy old man, Grumpy." She
danced and pirouetted at his side. "If I can't sing, I'm going
to dance as I walk."
"Fine! So long as you dance
silently."
Last month, they had left Ilar
upon an oared ship bearing the Red Flame banners. That ship had
taken them north to the coast of Qaelin, the dark empire Ferius had
crushed, and then west until they saw the glow of dusk. Beyond that
orange horizon lay Timandra, the land of sunlight. The Ilari sailors,
though brave and strong, had dared sail no farther.
"Our journey takes us to
Eseer," Cam had told them. "A desert kingdom in the
sunlight."
The sailors, however, had
refused to sail into the light, and Cam could not blame them; if the
Timandrians saw an Elorian vessel in their waters, they would likely
sink it. And so, a few hours ago, Cam and Linee had climbed onto the
shore, the dusk gleaming on the horizon. They had been walking toward
the light since.
"It's so beautiful,"
Linee said, pointing at the dusk. "Oh Camlin, I missed the
sunlight."
With every step, they came
closer to the light, and Cam found himself agreeing. He had spent
over a year in the darkness. The sight of sunlight brought back
memories so powerful he nearly stopped breathing. He could hear songs
in the tavern, taste beer, smell flowers, and remember his carefree
days with his friends and family.
"I wish you were here to
see this too, Hem," he said softly.
Patches of pink, blue, and
bronze rose ahead like a watercolor painting. Beads of light
glimmered upon the waves to his left, and gold seemed to coat the
sand beneath his feet. To his right, hills rolled into the horizon,
and for the first time in many turns, Cam saw grass—real green
rustling grass that filled his nostrils with its scent. After walking
for another mile or two, he saw the sun itself rise from the horizon,
a burnished disk casting rays between thin clouds.
"Home," Linee
whispered and held his hand. "I missed it so much, but . . . "
She stopped walking. "But I'm scared now."
Cam raised his eyebrows.
"Scared? What are you talking about? You've spent the past year
blabbering on about butterflies, flowers, hummingbirds, and
strawberries, complaining how cold and bleak and dark the night is.
And now you're scared of the sunlight?"
She nodded. Her voice was soft.
"I am. Because I'm not the same person anymore. A queen lived in
sunlight long ago, enjoying those flowers and butterflies. But I
don't know who I am now. I'm not a queen anymore, not since Ferius
killed my husband and took over my kingdom. I'm just . . . maybe I'm
just a girl of the night now. Maybe there is no more home for me
here. I know, Camlin, I know I've spent all this time talking about
Dayside, but . . . strangely, I don't want to go there anymore."
Cam sighed and turned toward her
in the sand. "None of us are the same. I left the daylight a
boy, just a shepherd following Bailey on one of her adventures. I
come back now as . . . I don't know who. But we have to go on. You
know that, right?"
She nodded, head lowered, then
took his hands and looked into his eyes. "Can we rest for a bit
first? Maybe sleep for a while, then
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