Testing

Testing
ARIA

I exchange a look with Yarina and tell her, "Hide, quickly!"

"Where?"

"Under the bed!"

I head toward the door while she starts crawling under the bed. Yarina, or rather, the woman posing as her keeps knocking on the door and calling my name. I open the door only once the real Yarina is out of sight and the impersonator smiles at me. 

"Took you long enough. Is everything alright, Luna Aria?"

I can't smile back at her even though, at this point, my life practically depends on it. "Everything's perfectly fine. What do you want?"

She lets out a chuckle. "Well, you don't have to be defensive. I just wanted to call you down for lunch."

"Someone already brought lunch, but thank you."

Alarm widens her eyes. "Who? I didn't send anyone up here with your food."

She eyes the tray over my shoulder and panic washes over me. Dammit, I didn't know that the real Yarina hadn't been sent up here. Then again, why would she? If they're trying so hard to hide her, why would they send her my way?

"Who brought you that?"

"I don't know the name. I don't know anyone's name around here."

"But it wasn't the woman who usually brings you meals, am I right?"

I keep my lips pressed together and I don't answer her. My heart is slamming against my ribs so loudly that I'm afraid she'll hear it. 

We make eye contact and her expression grows sterner. I don't back down. I can't show fear or give away the fact that I know who she is and what she's doing. 

A slow smile spreads across her lips. "No matter. I'm sure we'll get to the bottom of this. The food appears to be untouched. Why don't you come with me to the living room?"

I have no choice but to agree and follow her downstairs. As I close the door, I hope and pray that the real Yarina won't be found. This situation keeps getting more and more complicated, and I'm starting to feel hopeless. I don't let it take root, though. I trust that something made me come all the way here, even though I don't know what it is. 

I have to keep trusting that feeling. It's the only way I'll get through this. 

The fake Yarina doesn't look back at me as we head downstairs. I don't know what her real name is, so I'll have to stick to calling her Yarina in my mind. We reach the living room and I'm surprised by the sight of more people seated at the table. Zach is seated on the other end of the table, and when Yarina moves to sit at the head of the table, he's on her right, and I can't help but notice the look they exchange. 

What in the hell is going on here? 

"Have a seat, Luna Aria," Yarina says, gesturing at the only empty seat. It's on the other end, and when I sit, I'm flanked by strangers. 

There are about eighteen people present, including me. They're of varying ages and I've never seen them before, but one thing I know for sure is that they're all Nocturns. 

In fact, the only person who isn't a Nocturn is Zach, who hasn't looked at me since I got here. 

Something's wrong. 

Really wrong. 

"So," Yarina begins almost cheerfully. "Shall we?"

Lunch is served and I have zero appetite. I'm wondering if the real Yarina made it out of the room undetected, and if so, whether or not she'll be caught. 

She clearly put herself at risk to deliver that message to me. 

The things she told me...they're crazy to think about. 

These people are dangerous, and as I stare back at Yarina, I can't help but wonder if this is the reason why so many Nocturns were oppressed and killed at every opportunity. Could it be that innocent people died because there were certain Nocturns who were too obsessed with power? 

If that's the case, then where do we go from here? What do we do? Give up on the war?

We can't control every single Nocturn with the wrong intentions. 

"I was talking to Zach here," Yarina begins, interrupting my train of thought, "and he told me that he had no idea why packs decided that ice hockey was the way to solve disputes and settle things. Do you know the reason why?"

"No," I answer dryly as a glass of wine is placed right inside of me. 

I make eye contact with the person and my heart skips a beat when I see the real Yarina. She looks at me with a blank expression for a few beats, then smiles in a way that unsettles me before walking toward the fake Yarina and standing beside her with her hands clasped in front of her. 

What the hell is going on?

"The explanation is simple," she claims. "You see, from the beginning of time, Alpha-borns have been terrified of us. They knew that we as Nocturns were the rightful leaders, but they were too arrogant and proud to step down and let us rule. They're afraid of the power and authority we have over them, and so, they settled on the only way that would prevent a Nocturn from having influence over any pack's decision-making."

I manage to tear my eyes off the real Yarina. "I don't understand."

"Nocturns can compel Alphas to make decisions, but we can't make an Alpha a better hockey player. We can't give them skills they don't have. So, ice hockey became a sure way of preventing Nocturn influence over anything, which is why we all agree that it's about time it's abolished."

I frown. "Why do you think you get to decide such a thing? Numerous packs are ruled by Alphas and that won't change because of the war."

She smirks. "Who says it won't?"

My heart thunders in my chest. I lean forward, unable to control myself. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

"Luna Aria, this war isn't going to stop Alphas from persecuting us. Don't you see that? Don't you get it? As long as they're leading packs, they will always side against us, and so, the only way to guarantee our survival is to take control of all the packs until the Alphas are all beneath us, under our command."

Her words are so ludicrous that I scoff. "You can't do that. You have no right! That makes us just as bad as them, can’t you see that? The other Nocturns would never agree to this!”

My voice seems to echo and every eye on the table is on me. Even Zach has managed to look up and it scares me that I have no idea what’s wrong with him, but I don’t like it one bit. 

His energy is off, and he’s supposed to be the one person I trust around here. 

Yarina clicks her tongue against her teeth briefly, then leans forward to. “You’ve chosen your side, Luna Aria, and that saddens all of us. We were hoping that you’d be an ally of ours.”

“I’ll never stand with something wrong,” I grit out. “And what you’re all doing is wrong! You can’t hurt innocent people in your ascent to power!”

“Is that what you think we did?” she asks quickly. “You think we hurt people? Where did you get that notion from?”

I tense and grow cold, but I keep my lips sealed and try not to glance at the real Yarina, who’s still standing beside the other Yarina. 

“I see,” she mumbles before settling back in her seat. “Well, Luna Aria, now that you’ve positioned yourself so clearly, you’ll have to deal with the consequences of your actions. We’ve been testing you from the moment you got here, and you fell so easily.” She glances at the ‘real’ Yarina and they both exchange a smile. “If you’re not with us, you’re against us, and that means you’re no longer wanted here.”