Chapter 34

"Yes, I like it. It's beautiful," I said, staring at the painting in front of me. The moon, the sun, and the stars seemed to meld together in a cosmic dance, their edges blending into a celestial harmony that felt eternal.

Damon stood beside me, his presence as quiet and commanding as the night depicted in his work. He tilted his head slightly, his enigmatic smile softening his angular features. “The moon can be beautiful, yes. But it can also be a curse.”

“A curse?” I frowned, shifting my gaze from the painting to him. “What do you mean?”

His dark eyes bore into mine, an unreadable intensity behind them. “A legend once said that some are slaves to the moon, while others are slaves to the sun. Nature has its balance, but balance comes with chains.”

I blinked, trying to make sense of his cryptic words. “How can someone be a slave to the moon?”

Instead of answering, Damon’s gaze flicked back to the painting, his lips curling slightly as if the answer were obvious but he didn’t care to share. When I turned back to the canvas, hoping to find some hidden meaning in its strokes, and looked back to him—he was gone.

The air seemed colder, the gallery quieter. I stood frozen, grappling with a mix of intrigue and unease. Damon’s cryptic remarks and uncanny ability to vanish were unsettling, and yet, I couldn’t shake the pull he had on me.

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Later that evening, Chloe, Vanessa, and I piled into Chloe’s car, ready for a much-needed movie night. Claire and the other council members were tied up in their meeting, leaving us free to unwind without any parental interference.

“You’re seriously still thinking about that painting, aren’t you?” Chloe teased, glancing at me as she adjusted her rearview mirror.

“No,” I lied, though my mind couldn’t stop replaying Damon’s words. Slaves to the moon? What did that even mean?

“Elizabeth and her mysterious artist obsession,” Vanessa teased from the back seat, buckling her seatbelt. “I still think he’s weird.”

Chloe rolled her eyes dramatically. “Weird or not, Damon is 'hot' Anyway, tonight is about fun—no creepy artists allowed.”

We laughed, and for the first time that day, the tension in my chest began to loosen.

The theater was buzzing with energy when we arrived. Families with kids, couples on dates, and groups of friends all crowded the lobby, their voices mingling with the scent of buttery popcorn. Chloe, ever the planner, had already bought our tickets online, so we skipped the line and headed straight for the concession stand.

“Large popcorn, extra butter, three straws for the soda,” Chloe ordered, her confidence making the bored cashier perk up.

“Don’t forget the candy,” Vanessa chimed in. “If I’m suffering through a horror movie, I’m doing it with sugar.”

Chloe grabbed a pack of sour gummies, tossing them onto the counter. “Happy now?”

“Ecstatic,” Vanessa deadpanned, making me snort.

The theater was packed, but Chloe had somehow snagged perfect seats—center row, just far enough back to avoid neck strain but close enough to feel the intensity of the screen.

As the lights dimmed and the opening credits rolled, Chloe leaned toward me. “You’re going to love this one. Blood, guts, creepy kids—the works.”

Vanessa groaned, sinking lower into her seat. “Remind me why I agreed to this again?”

“Because you love us,” I teased, popping a piece of popcorn into my mouth.

The movie was everything Chloe had promised and more. We screamed at the jump scares, laughed nervously when the tension got too high, and threw popcorn at each other during the lulls. Halfway through, Chloe whispered a particularly bad pun, and Vanessa laughed so hard she snorted, earning glares from the row in front of us.

By the time the credits rolled, we were a tangle of laughter and adrenaline.

The parking lot was eerily quiet as we made our way back to Chloe’s car. The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of rain, and the streetlights buzzed faintly overhead.

“Best scene was definitely the one with the mirror,” Chloe said, rummaging in her purse for her keys.

Vanessa shuddered. “Nope. Mirrors are officially banned in my house now.”

I chuckled. “I’ll admit, that part got me too. I wasn’t expecting—”

A sudden chill ran down my spine, cutting off my words.

I froze, glancing around the dark lot. The laughter died in my throat as an overwhelming sense of being watched crept over me.

“Elizabeth?” Vanessa’s voice was hesitant, her earlier lightheartedness replaced with concern.

Something moved—fast, too fast to track. Before I could process what was happening, a blur shot out of the shadows and slammed into Chloe.

She hit the ground with a sickening thud, her keys clattering to the pavement.

“Chloe!” I screamed, rushing toward her.

The figure stepped into the flickering glow of a nearby streetlight, and my heart stopped.

He was tall, unnaturally pale, with glowing red eyes that burned with malice. His mouth stretched into a predatory grin, revealing sharp, razor-like teeth.

It was the same creature from the forest.

“Stay away from her!” I shouted, though my voice wavered.

The creature laughed, a low, guttural sound that sent shivers down my spine. “Oh, little one, you really thought you could escape us? I could smell your blood from miles away. Sweet, precious, powerful blood.”

Vanessa grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. “Elizabeth, what is that?”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the creature. “It’s him,” I whispered. “The one from the forest.”

The creature’s grin widened. “You should have stayed hidden, little one. Now you’ve brought your friends into this.”

Chloe groaned softly, still unconscious on the ground. Vanessa and I stepped closer to her, instinctively trying to shield her from the creature’s looming presence.

“Don’t come any closer,” I warned, though the tremor in my voice betrayed my fear.

The creature laughed again, a cold, mocking sound that echoed in the empty lot. “You think you can stop me? Your blood sings to me. It’s only a matter of time.”

He lunged toward us, moving faster than I thought possible. My mind screamed at me to run, but my legs felt like lead.

“Stay back!” Vanessa screamed, her voice filled with desperation.

The air around us seemed to shift, charged with an invisible energy.

Suddenly, the creature stopped mid-lunge, clutching his head and screaming in agony. His shrieks pierced the night, a sound so unnatural it made my skin crawl.

Vanessa stood frozen, her hands trembling at her sides. Her wide eyes were fixed on the creature as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing—or doing.

“What’s happening?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the creature’s wails.

I didn’t have time to think. My instincts kicked in, and I grabbed Chloe, dragging her limp form toward the car.

“Vanessa, come on!” I yelled, shoving Chloe into the back seat.

Vanessa hesitated, her gaze still locked on the writhing creature, but I yanked her arm, pulling her into the passenger seat.

The creature was still on the ground, clawing at his head and screaming, but I didn’t wait to see what would happen next. I slammed on the gas, my hands trembling on the wheel as we sped out of the parking lot.

Vanessa finally broke the silence, her voice shaking. “Elizabeth...what just happened back there? How did he—how did I—”

I shook my head, my grip tightening on the wheel. “I don’t know. But whatever it was...it wasn’t normal.”

Vanessa turned to look out the window, her face pale and drawn. “This isn’t happening,” she murmured, more to herself than to me.

I glanced in the rearview mirror, checking on Chloe, who was still unconscious but breathing steadily.