The Farm

The Farm
ARIA

The rest of the day goes by slowly and I can't wait for tomorrow. 

I've already decided that I'm going to find out what's been happening at the farm. I can't sit and wait for things to resolve themselves. 

I have to go after the truth.

Dinner is brought to the room and because I haven't had a proper meal in days because of the drive, I wolf everything down until I'm so stuffed I can't breathe. 

Zach knocks on the door and I sit up straighter while telling him to come in. I can tell by the look on his face that something's going on, but I can't guess what it is.

"It's strange," he comments as he makes his way to my side. "The way they're trying to avoid the topic of the other Ironclaws...they're up to something."

"I'll try to find out what it is."

Worry flashes across his eyes. "Maybe you should leave it to me, Luna. I'm competent enough to find out what's going on and it won't be suspicious because they're not watching me."

I know he's right, but my stubbornness rises to the surface and I can't see anything past it. I have to see what's happening with my own eyes. I don't trust Yarina and I have a strong feeling that she's hiding something. 

It's not that I don't trust Zach—I just have to do this myself.

I ask him about his room situation and his response is, "Yes, she gave me one. It's outside, but it's comfortable enough."

"Did she say anything strange to you?"

"Like what?"

I study his face. "I don't know. Anything."

Zach stares back at me for a few seconds and I have the feeling that he'll say something, but then he changes his mind and shakes his head. "No. She didn't tell me anything."

The next morning, I make sure to wake up earlier than I usually do, despite my exhaustion, and I head downstairs after a quick shower. 

The mansion is completely silent and I don't come across a single person on my way down the long flight of stairs. If I can just make it down the long driveway and reach the farm, I'll be able to figure out what it is about this place and that woman that irks me so much. 

Thankfully, nobody tries to stop me. In truth, I don't see guards walking around at all. I guess they believe the wall is enough to keep enemies out. Here, life is completely normal. They're peaceful. 

Ironclaw is a whole different story, and every time I think about how different things are now, it kills me. A few months ago, I thought my biggest problem would be everyone finding out I was a Nocturn. 

Now, all I'm worried about is Ryder's safety and the end of this war. 

I keep walking, ignoring how sore my body is, for some reason. I'm hoping and praying that everything will be in order and that my fear is just paranoia. 

For the time being, I push everything else out of my head and simply focus on getting there.

Finding the entrance isn't easy. I have to walk all around the fence in hopes of finding a gate that will lead me inside the compound. Meanwhile, I take note of the large wooden farmhouse, where I'm assuming everyone is staying, and all the other structures around the place. People are just starting to wake up, but they're way too far for me to recognize anyone. 

At last, I find the gate. It's hard to open, but I manage anyway. I walk for about seven minutes to reach the house, and the whole time, I'm asking myself how I'll even go about my questions. 

I hope I'll find someone I recognize. 

I walk up to the big, three-story house and make my way toward the entrance. A few people are walking up and down the place, all of them dressed in overalls. 

Once inside, I look around the lobby for a familiar face. Some of the people who walk past me give me strange looks, but don’t question my presence there.

This doesn’t last for long, though. 

I’m approached by a middle-aged woman who asks me, “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Luca Ortega, or the Ortega family. Do you know where I can find them? Are they here?”

She doesn’t answer me and starts backing away. 

“Excuse me?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she replies over her shoulder. 

I watch her disappear into another room and I’m alone by myself for a few minutes. I start walking and looking around, and that’s when someone calls my name. 

“Aria?”

I recognize Luca’s voice before I whip my head around to look at his face. His skin is more tanned than I remember it being and his eyes are wide with shock, maybe even fear. He definitely looks surprised to see me, and this just intensifies my unease. 

“Luca.”

He starts toward me slowly and I take note of how he looks around. “What’re you doing here?”

“Things back in Ironclaw are escalating, so we decided it would be best if I stayed here at Moon Rose for some time. I came here looking for you. I asked a lady whether she knew you, and she told me she’d be right back, but—”

Luca grabs my hand with no warning at all and starts dragging me toward the exit. I don’t say a word, just my heart starts beating a lot faster. 

What’s going on?

We start heading toward a barn on the other end of the farm, and I patiently wait for us to get there so I can ask him what’s going on. 

Once we’re inside, he makes sure we’re alone before returning to my side. I don’t take my eyes off him for a second. “Luca, what’s going on?”

His eyes return to my face. “This place…it’s not what we thought it was. You shouldn’t have come. None of us should be here.”

I swallow the knot forming in my throat and brace myself to finish the rest of his story. 

The whole time, the only thing I can think of is how I knew it would get to this. 

I knew it deep inside of me.