The Curse of the Moon

Six

“Well you certainly look different,” Finn smirked at me, catching my eyes through the reflection in the mirror. I’d pulled on a pair of black leggings and the baggy t-shirt he’d dug out for me from Amara’s drawer. My dress now a pile on the floor, my last step in leaving my rehearsal dinner behind for the night. I wasn’t sure how long I could hide out here, knowing eventually I’d have to return to my castle, but for the moment, I felt relieved.

“I feel different,” I mumbled, stepping back from the mirror. My eyes glued to the floor, the gentle hum of voices echoing beneath us. The kings guard would be just downstairs, possibly even just seconds away from catching me.

“They’re leaving,” Finn said with impeccable timing. A rush of relief washed over me as my attention jerked to the window frame. The guardsmen one by one walked away from the house and towards the next. Not another glance was passed in this direction, even as Finn leaned against the window sill and followed them just as carefully with his gaze as my own. I should return to the castle. The thought spun through my head for the hundredth time since I’d first left the grounds, the guilt settling deeper into my chest. What kind of princess runs from her duty?

“Do you want to talk about it?” My eyes flashed over to Finn’s, the question caught me off guard as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Their icy blue made goosebumps raise across my skin, leaving me feeling anything but afraid. Staring back at him, made the doubt drift away. I’d never felt so far from my kingdom, and I’d never felt so free. In his gaze, I wasn’t seen as a princess and a part of me was still enjoying that.

“Not at the moment,” I smiled slightly back at him and silence fell over us once more. The looming question of what exactly my plans were for the night remained. I would have to return to the kingdom eventually, assure my parents of my safety, but the anger I’d felt when I first ran was still bubbling deep down inside me. I needed to get it out of my system, only I had no idea how. Maybe, out here with Finn, I could figure that out. Besides, an hour away wouldn’t kill me, nor them. I slipped my phone from my pocket, quickly sending my mother the vaguest text I could. I’m safe, I’ll be home when I’m ready. Then turned the phone off, and returned my full attention to the man in front of me. “So what do you do around here for fun?”

“You and I might have very different definitions of the word fun, princess,” his voice came back husky. His lips pulling back into that charming smile that had caught me by surprise. Butterflies rushed my stomach under his gaze. This man would surely be a killer with the ladies, catching even my own heart pumping a little faster.

“Lena,” I said, taking my own intimidating step closer to him. Tonight I wished to be anyone but Princess Catalena, adding in, “ and I think you underestimate me.” It was a challenge, and a brave one at that. My idea of fun was afternoon walks in the garden, anything beyond that was deemed simply a waste of time inside the castle. Tonight though, I was craving something different.

“Well then, there’s something else you’re going to need,” he smirked one last time in my direction before turning on his heel. In two long strides he was already out of the room, and I rushed after him following down the cramped hallway of the old house. With each footstep we took, the floorboards groaned in response.

He stopped at the last room on the left, wrapped his long fingers around the doorknob and pushing it open. Following him inside, my eyes scanned over the plain room, no pictures or sentiments. Only a roughly made bed, a wooden dresser set, and a single backpack on the floor. “This is your room?” I asked, as he pulled open a dresser drawer to retrieve something.

“Yeah, didn’t have much when they found me,” he shrugged, standing back up to hand me a black hoodie. I took it with a smile, wondering what exactly I was going to need this for, but I slid it on anyways. I couldn’t possibly imagine what Finn was going through, his room was nothing more than a temporary accommodation, there was nothing personal about it.

“Is this sweater yours?” I blurted out before I could think my words through. My cheeks blushed with embarrassment. Who was I to be prying at something that was likely hard enough for him to deal with.

Finn’s lips turned up in a smile though, his eyes flickering to mine. “Was wearing it when I was found, so I should hope so.” That curious part of me that I couldn’t understand warmed a this words, as if it was somehow important that he was sharing this with me.

Without another word, Finn’s body brushed by mine as he squeezed out of the room. I made a mental note in my head, that a man with shoulders that broad did not belong in a house as small as this. I followed him once more, down the stairs and back into the living room. He retrieved a set of keys from the side table and my heart thudded in my chest once again. I should go back to the castle.

“We’re heading out Amara,” Finn announced as he stepped into the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. I watched as Amara appeared in the doorway next to him, seemingly shrinking under the striking height difference between the two of them. Her hand shot up to grab his ear and he winced, leaning down. Her eyes never leaving my own as she whispered something to him then pushed him away.

“You ready?” His attention turned full to mine now and my eyebrows ruffled together. What was that about?

“Enjoy your night,” her head nodded in my direction before she returned to the kitchen once again. Finn’s arm snaked around my waist in that same way that felt all too good and I found myself leaning in as he led me out the door. Who was this man and what was this strange effect he had over me?

The crisp wind wrapped around the two of us as Finn led me over to a rickety dirt bike at the edge of the garage. I raised my eyebrow to him as he stopped in front of it and turned to face me. “Don’t look at me like that princess, we can’t all have carriages,” he smirked and I scowled back in return. His hands brushed my cheeks, pulling up the hood of the sweater he’d given me. Tucking the loose ends of my hair inside to hide them, he tied the strings together to hold it in place.

“Lena,” I corrected him again, although I wasn’t even quite sure why I was so adamant about it. There was just something that felt wrong about him calling me by princess. I didn’t want him to know me as that, as if I could for only this night, completely separate myself from the identity I’d grown up with. With that rush of courage I swung my leg over the bike, climbing on as I pushed my fear to the back of my mind. I wanted a night of freedom, and I was determined to have it.

“Alright then,” he smirked back at me, climbing on in front of me. The engine roared to life and instinctively I wrapped my arms around him. Feeling the adrenaline rush through my once more, my doubts surfaced. I should go back to the castle. But once again, I forced them down. Before I was even able to acknowledge them, we’d taken off, the bike hitting a dirt path as it picked up speed and we headed towards the forest.

We moved so quickly, my eyes struggled to follow as we weaved through the trees. I squeezed myself tighter around Finn’s torso, leaving all my etiquette behind me as we pushed forwards. I didn’t know how long we travelled for, when suddenly we broke out into a clearing. Ahead of us, shadows of crumbling dark structures hung under the moonlight. I blinked a few times, leaning over Finn’s shoulder as I tried to focus on the buildings in front of us. For only a moment I wondered what I was looking at, until my eyes caught on the remnants of a torn blue flag flying at the head of the tallest building. The northern kingdom.

“I should go back to the castle,” I said the words out loud this time, coming out in a blurted rush as the fear bubbled up inside of me. I should be anywhere but here. This man is a stranger, and maybe the adrenaline in my system had been sheltering me too much until now but suddenly I was realizing the bad decisions I’d been making. I was in danger, I’d left myself vulnerable.

The bike came to a stop at the edge of the crumbled building, and as the engine cut, I found myself scrambling off the bike in a hurry. Finn was faster though, his strong arms loosely wrapping around me to stop me from going too far. His strength by far overpowered mine, I had no doubt about that. But as I met his blue eyes once again, all desire to run faded from my mind, that same calming aura coming over me.

“Lena,” his voice came barely more than a whisper, his hold on me loosening now. For the first time, calling me by my name and only my name.“You’re safe with me. I would never let anything happen to you.”

“I don’t know you,” I reminded him. My heart thudded against my rib cage as my eyes scanned the trees behind him. The ones we’d just come from, the same ones we’d have to venture through to get back home. I’d be lying though, to say I didn’t know if I could trust Finn. The way his eyes captivated mine, the protective wrap of his arm around my waist, he made a sense of calm come over me that I had never felt before. When I looked at him, there was no debate. I was safe here, but that was perhaps the most dangerous thing of all.

“I know, but you’re just going to have to trust me on this,” he responded and my confidence wavered. Could I trust a complete stranger? Then as if to make a peace offering, his hand curled around mine, dropping inside the keys to the bike. “Or, I can take you home. You’re choice,” My fingers wrapped around the metal, knowing damn well I had no idea how to make the bike start, never mind drive it, but still I found comfort in his actions. Somewhere deep down inside of me was overcome with a faith that I could trust him and that he meant every word he’d said. He would keep me safe, so against my better judgment, I followed him forwards, towards the ruins.