Suns and Shadows

Blood and Water

"Are you still alright?" Joshua whispers and I sigh, nodding. "Okay." He says, but I don't tell him he looks more worried than I am. We go to the table and are about to sit when two figures approach us.

They are both athletic-looking blondes, with ice blue eyes that vaguely remind me of Saiya's. Each of them is deathly pale, a haunting almost sort of beauty radiates from both of them. One is a boy around twenty, the other a girl around my age from her looks. I know who they are from Zillah's endless lessons.

These are the people I've been waiting for, the Pero family. "Joshua," The girl says sweetly and flutters her eyelashes. "We haven't seen you since the last meeting a week ago! Really you must come calling sometime to the family manor, it's just been redone you know."

Joshua blushes at the tone of her voice. "Yeah." He mumbles. "Maybe." But I know from his expression he won't be visiting anytime soon. I've never seen him look so uncomfortable.

Then the girl notices I'm there and all of her previous sweetness disappears. "Who are you?" She demands and I see a glimpse of who this girl is underneath. The boy next to her shoots her a glare and the girl plasters another smile onto her face. 

I smile back and say, "I'm Rose Whittlow. I'm a good friend of Joshua's."

Her eyes widen a bit, but she says through gritted teeth, "Amenis Pero, Secretary to the Pero family seat."

"Oh, you're a Secretary too!" I smile. "I'm Secretary to the Lightbook family seat." 

Amenis looks back at Joshua, nervousness bleeding through her facade. "You've never introduced us to Rose. Did she just appear out of thin air?"

Joshua waves his hand. "Old marriage disagreement. Rose is a distant relative. Her mother married less than advantageously, so we haven't seen her in a while. The Whittlow name doesn't carry the same weight as the Pero one."

The boy flicks his eyes over to me. "I'm Zachariah Pero." He says with an air of superiority. I grit my teeth as his smug expression reminds me of being back with Saiya, where we were only useless cogs in a machine, easily replaceable. "I hold the Pero family seat."

Amenis glances at me. "Would you like to go get some tea after the meetings? We have a wonderful array of cooks at our home, they have exotic teas, even some from Shadowlands, however barbaric they are, they sure know how to make good tea!"

I suddenly feel my temperature rise as I assume my face turns red. "Marvelous." I spit out.

"Since this is your first time, let me show you around." She insists and now my arm is wrapped around hers like we're old buddies. Then she starts to lead me away from Joshua and I give him a look, begging for help, but he's busy chatting with Zachariah. 

Then she leads me into a dark corner that surrounds me, her outside political face leaving her. "Now you better listen to what I'm about to say."

I push her away from me slightly. "I can't listen to you when you're this close to me. Personal space."

She growls and pulls a silver dagger out from nowhere. Putting it next to my throat, she whispers "I don't know where you came from, Rose Whittlow, but Joshua belongs to me. Our families have been matching us together from the moment we were born, understand? You're not going to ruin this for us. Are you actually even related?"

I look at her let out a laugh. "Oh darling, you can have Joshua. He's only here to help me get that seat and we're about as related to them as you are. Just old family friends."

Amenis snarls at me. "I saw the way he looked at you."

I laugh again. "Really? Trust me, you have it all wrong, we're-"

"And I saw the way you looked at him. I'm not stupid Rose Whittlow and if you get in the way of the Pero family...you have to be removed." Then with a hair flip, Amenis leaves from the corner she hid us in. She glances back at me just once and says, "Joshua Ligthbook is mine."

I open my mouth to reply with something snappy and stop. Did she just say...?

Joshua.

Joshua Lightbook.

Joshua can't be a Lightbook. The old monarchy before they abdicated a throne and formed a council. He's a prince. 

I swallow a lump that has risen in my throat, remembering how he always shrugged off questions about his past. 

He has a lot of explaining to do.

Hi everyone!! Wow, we're at like 300 reads already...that's so crazy. Thanks for all the support on my first actual novel. If you guys like this material please vote!! It would really help me out. Also, thanks to Rose_Helenz for help on this incredible journey. You're the best!! Also....sixteen chapters?? Dang, I never thought I'd get this far. So tell me in the comments, how do you feel about Joshua hiding his past from Ebony?