Blessing Moon

Twenty-Eight: Strellemarè

Oslac laughed.

"What's funny?" Beanni snapped. "Did you not hear what I said about my family? Strellemarè is going to be miserable with that lot!"

"I take it your father didn't tell you," Oslac said with a smirk.

"Tell me what?"

"He invited me to celebrate with you." His smirk bloomed into a full grin.

"You're lying!" Beanni gasped.

Oslac shook his head.

"You're lying!" she repeated with a squeak, jumping onto her knees.

"I'm not lying, Bay. Your Dad invited me before you two left Astrid Palace," Oslac explained. "He did so to thank me for rescuing you and he also thought that it'd help your recovery, he told me that."

"Strellemarè is going to be amazing! By the stars!" Beanni couldn't contain her excitement. Her mind raced ahead to what the next seven days would entail; they were coloured much brighter now that she knew her best friend would be there experiencing every moment with her. "I can't believe it!"

"Okay, okay, but calm down, Bay. Your father doesn't know that you know. You don't want him to find out about the shard," Oslac said in a hushed tone.

"No, no you're right."

A knock at the door made Beanni jump and clutch the shard to her chest.

"Got to go, see you tomorrow!" she whispered towards it without taking her eyes off the door.

She then quickly slid the shard under her pillow.

"Come in," she called out, whilst making herself look busy by picking up a history textbook.

Beanni watched the door slowly open, anticipating seeing her father's face. However, to her surprise, it was Dillan who stepped inside her room.

"Hi?" she said, the smile that took over her mouth did not reach her confused gaze.

"Hello, Bay."

"I thought you were not talking to me anymore, that you were mad at me."

"What?" Dillan scowled, then made his way to the bed and sat down.

"I thought finding out who I really am made you hate me or something."

"That's stupid," Dillan scoffed, then looked at Beanni with warmth in his amber eyes. "You're my sister. We grew up together, that'll never change no matter who gave you up."

Beanni's bottom lip trembled, she looked towards the window as she contemplated her big brother's words. The Earrons pastel colours were shining brighter as midday light approached the sky.

"So, what's going on then?" Beanni turned back towards him. "Why have you not been talking to me? Since I got back, all of you, Mum, Aeron-Lius and you have been avoiding me."

"I can't speak for Aeron-Lius," Dillan said with a shrug. "I never understood him, but Mum has not been avoiding you, Bay. She's just too preoccupied with being mad at me."

"She's mad at you? Why?"

Dillan took in a long breath before he answered. "I've been building myself up to tell you. I was going to tell you before anybody else, I was going to tell you that day, the day you were taken..." he rambled.

"Tell me what?"

"Then when we didn't know where you were, Mum was worried, we all were, even Aeron-Lius, in his own way... I ended up blurting it out to Mum in an argument. I couldn't take it back. I wish I could."