A Cursed Luna

CHAPTER 1

SERAPHINA

"Hurry or we will be late."

"The event does not even start for another hour," the second girl answered, already out of breath.

I pushed myself up from the floor and went to the window just as the first one added, "I cannot wait to see the decorations in the palace."

"Who cares about decorations? I want to see Princess Celestia's dress. I heard they sewed real diamonds into it."

A scream cut her off. The girl who had spoken first pointed straight at me.

"It is only her," she spat.

Both of them stared at me with the same look of disgust. I could guess how I looked with my face pressed to the small pane of glass in that tiny window. My hair was tangled. My cheeks were thin. The taller girl grabbed her friend's hand and they rushed away, as if a longer look from me might ruin their fine clothes. I stepped back and waited until their footsteps faded. I waited a few minutes more to be sure no one else was coming. Only then did I go outside.

The night was bright with moonlight. You could almost feel the excitement hanging in the air. Far ahead, thousands of lights wrapped the grounds, columns, and pillars of Eldoria Palace. They winked like tiny stars. A wind from the east carried the smell of food being cooked for the banquet. My stomach twisted with hunger. I pressed a hand against it and tried not to think about the tables that would soon be full. Maybe I could find scraps once everyone else had eaten.

I stood there longer than I meant to. The palace looked almost unreal from this distance, bright and warm while my little house sat in the dark behind me. I knew every crack in those walls. I knew the leak in the roof and the cardboard I used to cover the worst gaps. Tonight that house felt even smaller.

"Out of the way, you!" a man growled behind me.

I moved aside at once. A stocky, red-faced man with several heavy trays pushed past. He glanced back, glared, and muttered a string of curses. I did not answer. I had learned long ago that answering only made things worse. My eyes went to the palace again. In about an hour there would be a banquet for my sister, Princess Celestia, and her first shift.

The girl had said Celestia's dress was stitched with real diamonds. I sighed and ran my hands over my own thin clothes, washed too many times. The fabric was rough under my fingers. It was hard to believe we were sisters. Twins, even. The difference between us would have been funny if I could have laughed at my own life.

Celestia lived in the richly furnished palace. I lived in a small, rundown house on the palace grounds. It had one tiny window, a leaking roof, and cracked walls. Celestia was spoiled and given whatever she wanted. I washed my own clothes. I took my meals from the kitchen with the palace workers. I almost always ate after everyone else. That meant scraps, burnt bits, leftover pieces no one wanted, or nothing at all.

All of this came from an old prophecy of the Eldoria kingdom. That prophecy had turned my life sour, so I knew every word by heart. I closed my eyes. I could still see the lines written in an old book with yellow pages. I had read it again and again, as if reading it enough times might change what it said.

"Let the prince and peasant, the highborn and lowborn of the Eldoria kingdom beware. Let them heed the signs and the portents, for it is written: two children, twins, will be born. The one shall be full of light, laughter and love, a leader who will bind and unify. Its dark twin shall seek to destroy, to kill and ruin. Its powers and influence shall grow until Eldoria is buried in dust and ashes..."

After our mother gave birth to Celestia and me, she decided to hide one of us until our destinies were clearer. She thought the people of Eldoria might try to kill one of us because of the prophecy. I thought she was right. Fear makes people do terrible things. I, Seraphina Vale, was the twin who had been hidden. Only a few people knew who I was. For a time I was happy and well cared for.

Things changed after my mother, the queen, died under strange circumstances. My father turned against me. Celestia did too. My father became sure that I was the evil twin from the prophecy. I was pushed aside and forced to live like a servant on the palace grounds. I was miserable and alone until the day everything inside me shifted.

A smile touched my lips when I thought of the day I turned sixteen. That was the day I received my wolf, Regina. She was not like the wolves others in the pack had. She was different and strong, a wolf who carried the wisdom and memories of generations of Vale wolves. The first time I shifted, I had been so excited I could hardly breathe. Even now I could hear Regina's warning.

"Do not tell anyone you have your wolf," she had said. "Keep it a secret so they do not make things harder for you."

I had followed that advice at once. I hid the change. I hid the strength. I hid the one good thing that had come to me in years.

Now my wolf stirred. She caught a scent I had never known. It was not food. It was not flowers. I could not place it at all, yet it pulled at me as if a string had been tied around my chest. I tried to stay still. My legs would not listen. They carried me forward, past my house, down the path to the palace gardens.

A hundred different flowers were in bloom there. The air was thick with their smell, sweet and heavy. The only people in the garden were two figures pressed close together under the moonlight. For a moment I thought they were part of the shadows. Then I understood three things at the same time.

They were kissing. One of them was my sister. The man she was kissing was my mate.

Before I could stop myself, I made a sound that was half whimper and half groan. The pair sprang apart. I had eyes only for the tall man with blond hair. He stared at me, shock written on his face. His nostrils flared. I knew he smelled it too, the scent that told him what we were to each other.

"Mate," Regina purred.

My heart raced with excitement. Then it turned to dread as he looked me over from head to toe. His gaze moved from my worn clothes to my thin face and stayed there, as if he could not believe what he was seeing.

"You?" he said in a deep voice that matched his size. "How the hell are you also my mate?"

CHAPTER 2

SERAPHINA

I blinked and tried to make sense of what he had just said. What did he mean by me also being his mate? Did he already have another? My eyes went to Celestia as she straightened her clothes. The man was quickly zipping up his trousers. Heat rushed into my cheeks when I understood they had been doing more than kissing. I wanted to look away and could not.

Celestia's eyes burned as she looked at me.

"The other maids are helping with the banquet," she said. "So what are you doing here?"

"Maid?" the man spluttered. "You mean she is a maid?"

"Yes, she is. Look at her, Damien. What else do you think she is good for?"

Never in my life had I wanted so badly to tell the truth. I even opened my mouth. I wanted to tell him he was wrong, that I was not a maid, that I was someone worthy of being called his mate. The words sat on my tongue. Then I saw Celestia's face. Her look promised quick and cruel punishment if I said a single word against her. My mouth closed. Shame and fear mixed until I could hardly breathe.

"I cannot believe this." Damien shook his head hard and shoved his fingers through his perfect curls. He kicked one of the potted plants. Dirt spilled over the path. Then he glared at me as if he wished I were the plant.

"I cannot bloody believe this," he said again. "How can I have two mates? That is supposed to be rare. And not only do I get this rare thing, but the other one who is supposed to be my mate is a goddamn maid?" He gave a bitter laugh. "The Celestial Goddess must be playing a cruel joke on me."

Celestia slipped her hand into his. He held it tight. His face softened the moment he looked at her. He tucked a strand of windblown hair behind her ear.

"I mean, look at you, darling," he said. "And then look at her."

I did not need a mirror to understand the comparison. Celestia and I were twins, but we no longer looked alike. She had curves, glowing skin, and a perfect face. My meals were mostly scraps, so there was little flesh on my bones. Whatever shape I still had was hidden under baggy, poorly fitting clothes. My cheeks were hollow. It would have been hard for anyone to believe we had once looked the same.

Damien's sharp blue eyes ran over me again. He muttered that I looked like a stupid half-starved dog. The words cut straight through me and left a burning ache behind. I felt small in a way that had nothing to do with my size.

I supposed I did look a little foolish, standing there and staring at them. I was still trying to accept that Celestia and I shared the same mate, and that he was just as unkind as she was. The bond I had felt only minutes ago now felt like a bruise.

Celestia began to sob. He turned to her at once, held her shoulders, and pulled her close.

"What is the matter?" he asked.

She shook her head. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.

"It is just that... I just realized something."

"What? Talk to me, please."

"Now that you have two mates, it means I will have to share you... with her."

She rested her head on his shoulder and broke into tears. It took him a while to calm her. He murmured to her and stroked her hair as if I were not standing a few steps away. I stayed frozen, afraid that any movement would make things worse.

"What is your name, maid?" he snarled.

He had to repeat himself before I understood he was speaking to me.

"S-Seraphina," I stuttered.

Damien put an arm around Celestia's waist, drew himself up to his full height, and said, "I, Damien Blackthorn, today reject you, Seraphina, as my mate."

"No!" I cried. The tears I had been holding back spilled over. "You... you cannot-"

He took a threatening step toward me.

"Who do you think you are to tell me what I can or cannot do?" he growled. "Say that again and it will be the last thing you ever say."

He looked so angry that I could not get another word out. My throat locked. He stepped back and turned to Celestia. She gave him a watery smile.

"Come on. Let us get out of here," he said. "The banquet starts soon."

"You go ahead. I just need a moment to compose myself." She sniffed and dabbed her wet cheeks with a handkerchief.

Damien did not look happy about leaving her with me, but he nodded and walked away. The moment he turned his back, Celestia dropped the act. Her face twisted with hate until it almost made her ugly. As I turned to leave, she grabbed my wrist.

"You," she said, her voice shaking. "You have been keeping secrets."

"Let go. You are hurting me," I cried.

Her long nails dug deeper into my skin.

"Tell me. Tell me when you completed your shift, or I swear I will make your life more miserable than it already is."

"Let go."

I yanked my hand free, lost my balance, and nearly fell. Then I was running, my sight blurred by tears. The garden path seemed longer than it had ever been. I stumbled and fell more than once. Gravel bit into my palms. I kept going until I reached my house. I curled up on the floor and cried harder than I ever had.

On top of everything else I had suffered, my mate had rejected me and my sister had threatened me. Celestia did not make empty threats. I knew my life was about to get worse. I cried until there were no tears left, then I just lay there and stared into the dark. The leak in the roof dripped somewhere above me. I listened to it because it was easier than thinking.

A long time later-I could not say how long-I shuffled to the kitchens for dinner. The halls were still busy with banquet work. No one looked at me except to get me out of the way. I had little appetite, so I took a hot cup of tea. The cook almost shoved it at me and waved me out. Back in my house I managed a few sips. The tea went cold in my hands. I was too sad and tired to crawl up to the nest of blankets I used as a bed, so I fell asleep on the cold stone floor.

Then I found myself in a dark, wide space. Part of me knew I was dreaming, but the dream felt real. A sharp pain stabbed through my head and grew until I thought my skull would burst. I screamed for help again and again. There was only darkness pressing down on me.

In my mind I heard Regina's howls of pain, and her voice saying in a rush, "Seraphina, we have been drugged. I feel... I am losing consciousness."

Her voice grew faint. The thought of losing my wolf was more than I could bear. She was my only anchor in this cruel world. She was the one who had kept me sane when the pack mocked me, laughed at me, and left me half starved.

"No! Stay with me!" I screamed.

"Run, Seraphina! You are in danger. Leave the Eldoria kingdom!" Regina cried.

Then she fell silent.

CHAPTER 3

SERAPHINA

"Regina! Regina!" I called. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my head.

I could not afford to lose her. She wanted me to run, but to where? Where was I supposed to go? I had lived my life hidden, treated like a maid. I had barely seen the kingdom beyond the palace grounds. I did not know the roads. I did not know who would take me in.

"Regina, if you can hear me, I really need you," I called again. Tears ran down my face as I huddled on the cold floor. I hit my chest again and again, hoping the pain would ease. It did not. My mate had just rejected me, and now my only companion would not answer.

"Run, Seraphina. You are in danger. Leave the Eldoria kingdom!"

The warning rang through me again. I sprang up, wiped my face with the back of my hand, and grabbed whatever I owned. There was little to take. I shoved it into a dusty old sack in the corner. Packing took almost no time at all.

My eyes burned with sadness. I slung the sack over my shoulder and opened the door as quietly as I could. I kept my gaze on the ground. A shadow fell over me and stole the thin light from the small bulbs in my room.

"And where do you think you are going, witch?" Celestia screeched.

I dropped to the floor. My heart raced even faster.

"I do not think that is any of your business," I hissed. It was the first time I had ever spoken to her, or to anyone, with that much nerve. I was surprised by it myself.

I scrambled back to my feet and staggered for a few seconds. My legs were weak and my head still hurt. My tired eyes met her furious ones. She looked ready to end me then and there.

"You seem to have forgotten your place," she scoffed, keeping a careful distance. "What gave you the idea that you could talk to me like that?"

I said nothing. I only wanted to get out before the guards came looking for their perfect princess.

"Out of my way, Celestia," I said.

She giggled, eyes wide, shocked by the boldness.

"After you tried to steal my mate?" She stepped closer. My fists and jaw tightened at those words. The one thing that had felt like mine had been taken, and I had been able to do nothing about it.

I was running out of time. I had to leave the palace. I tried calling Regina again. There was still no answer.

"So you finally got your wolf, huh?" she paced.

"At least something good can come out of your existence," she added. Once those words would have cut deep. I had heard them too many times to flinch now.

"You do not need me," I said. "You do not care if I live or die. Why not let me leave and be out of your life for good?"

"I swear by the Celestial Goddess and the guardians above, if you dare step out that door, there will be bloodshed, and it will be yours!" she roared. Her eyes shone in the poor light. A shiver ran down my back when I saw her smile.

"Do you think our parents would be happy with that?"

"Brave of you to assume they are still your parents. After you killed Mother with your witchcraft? She could not care less whether you live or die, and I am sure Father has always despised you."

My eyes filled. Soon the tears came freely. I could not hold them. My mother had been the most precious person in my life. She was the only one who had truly cared for me. Being accused of her murder hurt in a way I could not name.

"You would become a murderer," I sniffed.

"Well, let us see who they believe. A dead, unwanted, miserable pauper, or the harmless, gentle princess." She smiled. I shook my head as more tears fell. I could never win against her. Not here.

There was no point standing there arguing. I took a deep breath and narrowed my eyes. She kept talking about how little I mattered. When I saw an opening, I took it and ran.

I ran as if my life depended on it, because it did. My heart hammered. A growl rose behind me and my stomach dropped.

She had turned into her wolf just to catch me. Why?

I did not stop. I burst out of the house and into the fields. No one was in sight, and that helped me. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me and pushed harder whenever it seemed she was gaining.

By the time I reached the border I had no breath left, but I could not stop. She was still behind me. Why did she want me to stay so badly?

Out of panic I crossed into the neighboring country. She halted at once. There was no sense in following me there and putting herself at risk.

I watched her turn back. As she did, my body gave in to the bruises and the blood from the injuries I had taken while running. My eyes grew heavy. I fell to the ground and let the dark take me.

I thought I had died. Then a flickering light over my head pulled me back. My vision blurred and cleared, blurred and cleared. When it finally settled, I was sure I must be dreaming. It was the most luxurious room I had ever seen.