Page 160 of Starlight and Shadows

Corey looked over the note again, eyes narrowing as she studied each letter. “Is this even Luna’s writing?”

“I’ve never seen her writing,” Damien admitted. “I don’t know.”

Silence fell.

And it seemed to last forever until Arleen broke it. “So the options are: Luna has either run off alone into the Forest of Endlessness, or you just gave her to the Darkened One?”

Heat roared in his ears.

“Fuck.” Damien spun on one hoof and headed to the door. “I have to go find her.”

But he didn’t get very far. Standing on the other side was Gregory.

He took one look at the group's panicked expressions and asked, “What’s going on?”

“We have to tell Crawford the deal’s off,” Damien said, pushing past him.

Gregory’s face went pale. “Problem with that . . . They may have already left.”

“We have to go after them!” Damien was already moving down the hall. “I have to get her back.”

Gregory followed, his boots thudding behind him as he called out, “What are you talking about? We don’t need problems with the Darkened One, and delaying his curse-breaking is a very good way to earn some.”

Damien didn’t pause as he explained what they believed happened to Luna as quickly as he could. When he finished, Gregory stopped dead in his tracks.

“You’re thinking about the wrong danger,” Gregory explained, his voice calmer than expected.

Damien spun around to face him, his brows furrowed.

“The Darkened One is predictable,” Gregory continued. “He bargains. He keeps to the rules. You hand him what he wants, you get something back. Eventually.” He jabbed a finger towards the forest beyond the stone walls. “But the fae? You don’t get second chances with them. You don’t get bodies back. You don’t even get graves.”

A muscle ticked in Damien’s jaw.

Gregory went on, “If Luna’s in that carriage headed towards the Darkened One, fine. We can still trade back if we find Nina. But if Nina’s the one wandering around out there glamoured as Luna?” His eyes swept the room. “Then we have a ticking clock before she slips past the treeline and disappears. Just like Ella.”

The name landed like a stone.

Damien didn’t breathe for a moment.

“And if it’s Luna out there,” Gregory added quietly, “defenceless with the fae, she won’t last long. You know that.”

Damien’s hands curled into fists.

Gregory was right, their options were limited. If Nina was loose, they needed her in order for the exchange to be finalized, and if Luna was, they needed to get to her before she ended up with the fae.

He could only hope they weren’t too late.

“Get your weapons,” Damien said, voice steady. “We start with the forest.”