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Chapter 2

LATER THAT NIGHT across the vast City of Lorne, a young man remained awake in spite of the city’s slumber. He sat on an ornately carved, high-back chair with his fingers tapping a relentless beat. He ran his fingers through his golden curls and rubbed his eyes to stave off the weariness of the sleepless night. His piercing blue eyes stared deep into the crackling flame nestled in a large stone fireplace. The white shirt and black trousers he wore were ragged and untidy. The need for rest beckoned to him like a siren’s call, but he could not answer, not while Luna was still out there.

        He could feel the heat from the smoldering fire brush against his skin as his eyes watched the light play with the shadows of the elegant willow leaves carved into the mantel. The warm glow of the burning embers lit the large room showing the tall cherrywood shelves that lined the walls. Each shelf was full of old books and beautiful trinkets, a collection that fostered much pride in its collector. To the back of the library were two adjacent staircases that led to a second level of bookcases that parted for a large doorway leading to the rest of the house. The beam of moonlight through the glass balcony doors added a white contrast to the orange glow of the fire.

        The young man retreated from the fireplace to the balcony. He threw open the doors and took in a deep breath as he felt the brisk night breeze against his face. His gaze drawn to the starry sky, he hoped that the sparkling spectacle would distract him from the anxiety weighing heavily on his mind. The helpless feeling of being able to do nothing but wait for her return, he hated that more than anything. As a Master that was all he could do; he could never fight with her no matter how strong he was. The battle of Knights was a clash between beings that were more than human. It was no place for a normal man. This was a fact in his mind, but not his heart.

        He stared at the ring on his hand with a deep sense of longing. It was a simple band of silver decorated by black-and-white pictures of each phase of the moon. He spun the ring around his finger as he looked back to the night sky.

        Suddenly, the ring began to shimmer with a familiar silver light. His eyes lit up, and his lips curled into a happy but wry smile. “Decided to take your time, Luna? I was starting to worry,” he welcomed.

        Luna stepped out from the shadows of the second level and greeted Cole with a smile and a respectful nod. “Forgive me, Master.”

        He turned back to his Knight, a charming smile painted his expression. “Luna, we’ve known each other for a long time. It’s silly to continue this Master-Servant business. Call me by my name,” he reasoned.

        “If that is what my Master wishes,” Luna said as she descended the staircase with a graceful step and bowed to her Master. “Cole.”

        Cole smiled. “Thank you, Luna. Did the duel end in our favor?”

        Luna reached into her pocket and pulled out the small data drive, her prize from the hard-fought duel, and handed it to Cole. “This has the information Morgan Clouse and Claymore promised. Now we have the evidence linking Damon Lexus to the murder of the Lou Tian family and their Knight. This will bring us much closer to stopping this insanity.”

        Cole examined the device momentarily before his eyes turned back to Luna, charming and wanting at the same time. “That’s good news. You have been a great ally to me, and I am grateful.”

        Luna kept her gaze to the floor to avoid Cole’s intense stare. “I was merely fulfilling your will to the best of my abilities. That is my duty as your Knight,” Luna asserted.

        Cole placed his gentle hands on Luna’s shoulders. Her stern demeanor softened as she looked up at Cole’s pleasant smile. Her cheeks flushed when her eyes met his. “You have never been just a weapon to me.” His hands began to travel down her arms. “I mean it when I say you are my best ally. Together we can do anything.”

        “Cole,” she whispered, but her voice cut off and her arm gave a sharp jerk. Cole removed his hands and saw the crimson blood smeared over his fingers.

        Cole carefully moved aside the fabric of Luna’s sleeve and examined the bloody gash on her arm. His face hardened with worry. “You’re hurt,” he fretted.

        Luna glanced at the wound with indifferent eyes, as if she had forgotten about it. “It’s nothing, a mere flesh wound. I am fortunate it is only that,” she assured Cole, but her words failed to erase the anxiety in his eyes. “You shouldn’t fret over me. I am a Knight. We are at home in battle and wounds like this are a regular occurrence. I will take care of it at my first opportunity,” she promised.

        “Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back,” Cole instructed before venturing out into the house and retrieving a well-stocked first-aid kit.

        “What are you doing?” Luna asked.

        Cole opened the case and sorted through the contents to find the supplies he needed for dressing a wound. “I may not be able to do much but I am capable of dressing a cut. It should hold up until you can get it properly looked after.” Cole led Luna to take a seat on a plush sofa. “Could you take off your jacket, please?” he asked.

        “Cole, I’m fine. You don’t need to do this,” Luna protested, moving to step away from the seat.

        Cole grasped her hand before she could go far. Luna turned sharply to Cole to pull her hand back but froze in place when she saw the look of helplessness and frustration behind his eyes. “Please, let me do . . . something for you,” he pleaded.

        Luna found she was unable to stand against his request and accepted his aid with a soft smile. She took her seat once more and removed her jacket, revealing the gash on her arm surrounded by dried blood. Devoting his attention to the task at hand, Cole carefully cleaned the wound and began to dress it in starch white bandages with the little skill he had.

        “I hope you didn’t beat down Morgan’s Knight too badly. He may be uncooperative now, but maybe this defeat will bring him to his senses on the issue at hand. He would be a good ally, wouldn’t you agree?” Cole asked, turning the atmosphere between them back to business.

        “Indeed, Claymore gave a good fight. He has an interesting ability that he has perfected. He and I would make a formidable duo.”

        “I’m glad you think that way. Sooner or later, Morgan will realize that he cannot fight this war alone. You’ll see,” Cole preached confidently and finished wrapping the bandage around her arm. “How’s that?” Luna didn’t answer. Her eyes grew distant and Cole could see the worry behind them. “Luna?”  

        Luna’s expression hardened. “Later may be too late.”

        Cole had known Luna long enough to see through her outward stoicism to the base of her thoughts. He saw the worry behind her stern eyes and knew she was planning for the worst. Cole slipped his gentle hand in hers and locked eyes with his Knight, shattering her proper demeanor.

        “Don’t be like that, Luna. Things are working out for us, at least for now. Try and enjoy it. And don’t worry. If Morgan doesn’t see reason, others will. Damon Lexus is using her resources to integrate other Knights into her command and killing whoever resists.” Cole’s calm demeanor tensed as the anger inside radiated from him. “We can’t allow her to continue what she’s doing, nor should anyone else. The path she is treading puts everyone, Master and Knight alike, in danger.” Cole bit back his frustration and regained his composure, forming his kind smile once again.

        His words failed to produce the desired effect. Luna looked back at him with a sweet smile, but he knew her calm assuredness was only skin-deep. She would never let him see a more vulnerable side of her. She always felt she needed to be the pillar of strength. She worried that Cole might lose faith in her even though he’d had made it clear that would be impossible. He only wished he knew whether her forced mask of strength was because of a stubborn sense of duty or a lack of trust.

        “You have no need to worry, Master. I will not fail you, no matter what.” Luna pulled her hand back and built up a wall of formality with a slight bow.

        Cole nodded. “Of course.”

        “Cole, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this woman you’ve been seeing,” Luna said to change the subject.

        Cole raised an eyebrow, confused by Luna’s choice in topic. “You mean Aurora? What about her?” His stare of bafflement suddenly switched to a sly grin. “Is it that you object to me seeing her? You’re not jealous, are you?”

        Luna crossed her arms and let out an irritated sigh. “Of course not; quit being childish. I need to know what you’ve told her about us.”

        Cole’s grin turned all the more mischievous, and he stepped closer to Luna. “What about us?”

        Luna’s face hardened at Cole’s off-collar behavior. “About the Knights and the war we are in.”

        Cole turned away from Luna, avoiding eye contact and sauntered slowly to the fireplace. He didn’t want to face Luna with the answers she asked for. He felt her eyes fixed on him unwavering in her demands. “Yes, I’ve told her about you, the order of Knight’s, the war, everything,” he confessed, bracing for Luna’s judgment of his actions.

        “You told her everything? Why? Are you in love with this woman?” Luna inquired.

        “It’s not what you think, Luna. I didn’t tell her the truth because I was feeling guilty for lying to her. I told her about the war because she is from a very powerful family. The Fallons are one of the most influential people in the country, and Aurora is the daughter of the head of the family. I knew she had feelings for me, so I had to act. Now she is more than willing to aid us in our struggle,” Cole explained.

        Luna shot him a sharp scowl, radiating her disapproval. “So you intend to use her, is that it?” she snapped.

        Cole flinched in surprise at Luna’s harsh words and darted to her side to attempt to explain. “Luna, don’t think harshly of this action. This is an uphill battle no matter which way we look at it; you know that more than anyone. We need all the help we can get, and Aurora has a lot at her disposal that we can use.”

        Cole could see Luna harden to his charms. “Do you love her?”

        Cole gawked at Luna, utterly baffled by her behavior. Luna had usually kept her composure very professional. He always was the one to try and loosen things between them; she had never been this forward with him. “What’s gotten into you? We may never get another chance like this, Luna!” he insisted, his calm and collected disposition withdrew into nervous stammering as he struggled to avoid the question.

        “You’re stalling, Master,” she barked.

        Cole paced to the fireplace with exasperated breaths before turning back to Luna, his expression twisted in conflict. “This is silly. It doesn’t matter, so why are you being like this?” he shouted.

        “Why can’t you just answer me? You say we’re more than just Master and Knight, but you refuse to answer my question,” Luna berated him.

        “I don’t know,” he finally admitted. The words spilled out like water from a cracked glass. He turned away from Luna and stared deeply into the crackling flames in the fireplace. “I really don’t know how I feel about her. She’s smart, funny, and beautiful, but I just don’t know yet.”

        Cole felt her gentle hand on his shoulder. “The heart is a fragile thing, Master. It’s not something that should be carelessly played with. Take your time to figure out how you feel. If her feelings for you are strong, she’ll wait for you.”

        The soft touch of Luna’s hand pulled away from Cole. He turned toward her but it was too late. He faced an empty room with the curtain fluttering in the breeze.