Eros recites the same story to our father, telling him about the alleged Starborns with their strange magic and how Orion and Juniper were kidnapped right before his eyes.

Our father's expression remains emotionless but knowing him, he is anything but calm right now.

"And then I used magic to bring myself here to get help," Eros breathes out in finality.

The room falls so quiet I swear I can hear Eros's rough swallow as our father's penetrating gaze burns through him.

But my mother is the one who breaks the silence. "We were told guards were killed out in the woods by Starborns. I was wondering why they were out there in the first place," she ponders aloud, holding her side with a wince. "They must've seen the three of you wander into the woods."

Eros drops his head, frowning. "They're dead because of me." -------

My mother smiles halfheartedly. "No, my Eros. You were trying to protect your family—" Her offer of reassurance is interrupted by a coughing fit, making my heart leap. ---------

She manages to collect herself, quieting the cough, but her dark blue eyes are watered from her sickness, an ocean pummeled by a thunderstorm—and we all tense with anticipation, ready to fight the tides.

"Forgive yourself," she pleads, blinking up at Eros.

His fists tighten but he says nothing. Instead, he decides to stare down at his shoes as if they are the most fascinating thing in the room.

"No one leaves this castle. I'm going to find who did this," Dad growls tersely. His eyes glint with vengeance. "And when I do... Well, their deaths will be magnificent."

With that, he turns on his heel, making haste. Atlas and I glance at each other, but I can't gauge his reaction.

"Alberich, wait!" Mom pleads. He hardly spares her a glance before vanising into thin air, leaving behind a dark puff of dust. —-----------

I rush over to my mom when she starts to choke on her own air. She is struggling to breathe, and she can't seem to manage a cough. Her black veins are cold to the touch when I kneel to hold her hands. "Mom?" I whisper.

When she looks up at me, her indigo eyes have turned black. I drop her hands quickly, taking a step back. What is happening to our mother? Eros is at her side now, digging some kind of herb from his pockets and stuffing it into her hand. Atlas remains on the other side of the room, frozen. Being preoccupied with war plans and whatnot, he hasn't seen Mom like this either. Eros visits her more than anyone. Our younger brother knows more about her condition than either of us and knows just how to help. Shame burns in my chest. I've wasted so much time.

She ingests the mysterious herbs, and her eyes return to their usual color. Her cheeks are rosy again but there is a black liquid dripping from her nose. Is that blood? I place a nervous hand on Eros's shoulder to get his attention. "What's going on?" I ask quietly. Our mother cuts in before he can reply.

"Don't worry, Calypso. I'm alright," she wheezes as she wipes her nose with Eros's handkerchief. "Hexes can be quite scary but I promise it's not as bad as it looks."

"Let's just get you to your room, Mom," Eros urges, reaching out to help her stand. His pleading gaze meets mine. "Callie, help me."

"I've got it," Atlas insists in a hoarse voice, finally crossing over to us. He curls an arm around her back and another under her knees and lifts her with ease. She winces but she doesn't cry out. She's trying to be strong for all of us. "You two just get to bed," Atlas demands.

"No, I'm coming with you!" Eros shouts defiantly. He immediately takes off to catch up with them, leaving me alone in the soft light of the ballroom. I want to chase after them, but I'm glued in place.

The uncut cake and goodies look far less vibrant than before. With a wave of my hand, I undo the charm on the floating cups. Before they can smash into the ground, I steady them in the air with a firm hand. The familiar icy sensation of my magic creeps to my fingertips as I lower the cocktail glasses to the floor with a soft clink. I lower my hand and the warmth returns to my fingers. The silence that fills the room grows too loud for my liking. But my thoughts are far more deafening.

As long as my brother and sister are missing, the Moon Gathering is impossible. But I feel no comfort in that thought. Our deaths are unavoidable. All Orion has done is prolong the inevitable. If we're all expected to kill each other, I at least wanted to know that we saved our mother in the process. But now, she will likely die with us. And the worst part is that I will have to watch, knowing that she could've been spared.

I coerce myself into sauntering out of the room. The castle that was so lively just hours ago has grown lonely and eerie. The statues that plagued my nightmares in my youth are watching me. As beautiful as it is, the castle has always felt cold and confining. I want to go to my grandparents' old cottage. My safe space. The cottage home that is full of love and warmth.

I know that I should look after my mom with Eros and Atlas, but I just can't. The image of black blood trickling from her nose as she struggles to continue breathing has already burned itself into my memory. And with Juniper and Orion missing, I don't think I could stomach another round of her suffering. Perhaps the two youngest are suffering now as well. My eyes burn with tears, but I don't let them fall. I force myself to take a deep breath. And another. And another. And another...

Sunlight pours in from the window of my room, and I feel anything but rested when I wake up. I feel so small in the spacious area. Small and cold. I throw the blankets off of me anyway, letting the temperature bite at my feet.

I glance around my room as I stretch my arms above my head. I almost smile when my eyes land on a familiar book jutting out of my bookshelf. It's not a children's book, but I always begged my mother to read it to Atlas and me when we were kids. Atlas hated it because the book gave him nightmares, but I loved the thing. Still do.

One of my siblings, likely Juniper, must've been in here because the entire bookshelf is disorganized. My spirits drop again. Juniper... I hope she's okay. I hope Dad is on his way home right now with her and Orion.

After I tidy up the shelf, I shuffle to the bathroom to run a very, very hot bath. The goosebumps on my arms diminish delightfully as I submerge myself in the soapy water. The bath feels amazing but guilt still aches in my stomach. I never went to check on my mother last night. She must think I'm an awful daughter. As difficult as it is to see her suffer, I know that I will have to make an effort to spend time with her today. She will be dying soon and if I procrastinate any longer, I won't have the choice to visit her anymore.

After the warmth soothes my cold joints and I am clean, I brush my hair quickly and get dressed. My mother's blue eyes stare back at me in the mirror. For a moment, I imagine them melting into black pools of blood. My body shudders and I look away quickly.

After many long hallways and several flights of stairs, I knock softly at my mother's door. No response. I crack the door open, peeking in to see her curled up on her side. She is fast asleep, but her expression tells me she is either having a nightmare or is still in pain in her dreams. Her breakfast tray on the nightstand is untouched. It's surely cold by now. I close the door quietly behind me as I enter her frigid room. The cold air probably feels nice on her fevered skin.

Taking a seat at her bedside, I watch her silently, not wanting to disturb her slumber. Her chest rises and falls with each breath, but her airways sound garbled if you listen closely. The black veins protruding from her skin haunt me still. I wonder if her eyes will turn the same jet-black color when she wakes. I grimace at the vivid images attacking my brain. It will never be easy to look at her. She was once so flawless. Her stunning smile always warmed my heart, and she had the most contagious laugh. Perfect olive skin with healthy veins. Dark brown curls that have always framed her heart-shaped face in such a flattering way. But now her locks are tangled beyond repair, and her body is frail and lifeless.

My fists clench against my knees. My mother never speaks much about her hex. All any of us know is that she was hexed before any of us were born. Her and her sister's battle is known as the first Moon Gathering. My mom won the ceremony and consumed her sister's magic for their bloodline, but not before my aunt managed to curse her. The hex swallowed her slowly over the years. At first, she said she would feel weak for a day or two and then she would heal. But every time the hex flared up, her sickness would come back worse each time. And now, the hex will never leave her again at all. She knew her fate, but she made sure we would all be safe. She gave birth to all of us without any threat of the hex affecting us. The curse is hers and hers alone to bear.

The bedroom door creaks open behind me, dragging me out of my dark thoughts. Eros strides through the door with a vase of white flowers. Lunaria- the stunning flower that we all associate with our beloved mother. He gives me a sheepish look when he notices me. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt. I didn't get to bring these here yesterday."

"Is she doing any better?" I whisper hopelessly.

He frowns at me, setting the vase down on her nightstand. "She passed out soon after Atlas carried her up here. She hasn't woken up since. I even tried shaking her awake to see how she is doing, but she won't wake up," he mumbles glumly, picking at a freckle on his hand.

My heart rate picks up. I should have come to visit her days ago when I had the chance. My throat constricts as I struggle to remember how to breathe. "You don't think she's about to—"

"I don't know," he interjects swiftly. "I don't..." He shuts his eyes tightly for a moment. A tear escapes down his cheek as I feel my own eyes stinging with regret.

It feels as if the air is thinning with each passing second in this room. The castle walls may very well close in on me at any moment. The pounding of my heart in my ears gives me the push I need to rise from the chair I'm rooted in, eager to escape. "You can visit with Mom. I want to step out for some air for a minute."

"Hey, wait," Eros starts, tugging on my arm as I stride past him. "Have you seen Atlas? After he carried Mom up here, he took off after Dad. He took guards with him, but none of them have returned, and I'm starting to worry."

"What?" I exclaim. "Why didn't you come get me, Eros?"

His face falls and I think I see him grimace. "He made me promise not to. Said he'd be back by morning if he couldn't find anyone. But now it's well past noon, and they're all still out playing hide and seek while we're stuck here! What do we do, Callie?" he implores.

I almost gasp when the idea pops into my brain at his words. When Atlas and I were younger, I found a way to cheat when we would play hide and seek. Atlas is further in distance than ever but it might still work. "Look out for Mom. I think I know how to find out where they are."

He blocks my path. "No, I'm not letting you leave too! Our whole family is missing and our mother is dying." he nearly shouts, tears running down his face. I glance over at our mom, but she doesn't stir. She really is trapped in her sleep. "I don't want to lose anyone else!" Eros proclaims irritably.

Eros has always been the most loving out of all of us. But that also makes him the most sensitive. I offer him a reassuring look. "I'm not going anywhere, Eros. I'm going to try and track them from here with magic. I'm just going to the cottage. I promise."

He wipes his tears as his expression transforms into one of confusion. "It's daytime, Callie. We can't do magic like that this early."

That's right. He doesn't know that I am an exception. I shouldn't tell him my secret, but this is an emergency. I can't afford to be selfish when it comes to our family. Waiting for nightfall could cost lives. And only the Moon knows what may have already happened to our siblings by now. "I'm not chained to the Moon like the rest of you. I'm powerful enough to do magic day and night," I explain quickly. "I can find them and we can send guards out to help." I leave out the details regarding the consequences of practicing daytime magic. I could lose my powers forever, but it is worth the risk in my eyes.

"How..." He stares at me in bewilderment for a good minute before finally asking, "Can I help? I don't want to just sit around and do nothing."

I shake my head at him. "You're not doing nothing. You're taking care of Mom and that's the most important thing any of us could be doing right now," I explain gently, squeezing his shoulder. "I'll be right back"

"Okay," he grumbles dubiously.

As I open the door to leave, I nearly walk right into Nova. Her hazel eyes light up when she sees me. She is the cheeriest person I've ever met. She's almost always smiling when I see her. I've grown to appreciate this about her because it brings comfort to Eros. My brother has been consumed with his emotions and anxiety all of his life. Apart from our father, I think our mother's demise haunts him more than any of us. But Nova ignites a spark in him. She brightens his soft heart. I've known this girl almost all of my life. In a lot of ways, she is just as important to me as the rest of my family. Perhaps she'll be able to comfort Eros in ways that I cannot when our mom's suffering finally ends.

"Hey, Cal!" she chirps happily. "I was just looking for Eros."

I step aside and as I do, my brother steps forward to embrace her tightly. "I'm sorry I didn't get to come by last night to see you. My mom, she..."

"You have no reason to be sorry. I understand," she breathes quietly, returning his hug. "I'm just worried about you."

"I missed you," he murmurs wistfully.

I take that as my cue to leave. Nova always knows what to say when solace is needed. And if today is the last day that our mother draws breath, Eros is going to need it. For now, I have to focus on figuring out where Atlas is. After that, I can send out knights to save him. I can only hope he is with Juniper and Orion. I'm not worried about my father all that much. He is the one that everyone else is afraid of. I'm sure after leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake, he will find his way home soon enough.

Since I'll be using magic in just a few minutes anyway, there is no point in walking to the cottage. When I reach the stairwell, I glance around quickly to make sure I'm not being watched. When I'm certain that I'm alone, I close my eyes to focus. As always, I can feel my Moon magic gathering at my fingertips. "Atmós," I whisper to myself.

The icy sensation travels up my arms and down my spine as I evaporate into nothingness. My entire body is submersed in the chill of the magic. When I open my eyes, I am in the cottage kitchen. My bones ache from the piercing magic but I can feel my body calming down from the spell. A strong breeze gusts through the open window, reminding me of the conversation with my father yesterday. Our mother is dying and the inevitable Moon Gathering is her only hope. Orion must have eavesdropped near the window. Or was he listening elsewhere?

I shake my head. This isn't the time to dwell on theories or worries. I have to stay focused. I make a beeline for the room I consider to be my actual room. The room is small and cluttered, while my castle room is large and immaculate. But this room and this cottage have always felt like my true home. As lovely as the castle can be, it will always feel like a bitter cage to me.

I locate the old compass Atlas gave me when I was twelve. Buried in my nightstand, it is still the perfect silver trinket it was back then. Being the protective brother that he is, he charmed the compass to always point to his location. When he presented the gift to me, he said that he wanted me to always be able to find him if I ever needed him. To his dismay, I ended up using it against him in our childhood when we would play games like hide and seek. But now, the compass that was spelled to ensure my safety, might just be the thing that saves him. I wrap the chain around my hand and look down at the open knickknack resting on my palm. Exploiting the compass's use in my childhood etched the familiar incantation into my brain.

"Vóreios." The cold Moon magic gathers at my palm. "Anatolí. Nótos." The compass glows white at my words. I can feel the magic pulsating between my hand and the trinket. I will the magic in my palm to seep into the compass. "Dytiká," I say with finality. The glow around the trinket diminishes and the dial spins rapidly.

The compass points south. The dial jitters unnaturally, urging me to go in its suggested direction. Once I give the compass to our guards, they'll be able to rescue my siblings and bring them home quickly. As I whirl around to leave my room, the compass glows again. But this time, the glow is red, and the magic is hot. Too hot. I wince in pain as the bauble drops from my hand. I hear it clunk against the wooden floor. I stoop down to try and pick it up, but when I do, I am absorbed in the red glow. It pulls me into an abyss that I don't know how to describe. Red, orange, and yellow flickers. Darkness followed by bright, blinding light. I can't tell if I'm falling or flying. It feels as if my anatomy is being manipulated against my will as I'm hurled through an endless loop of pain. It feels like every nerve in my body is on fire. A scream tears through my throat, but I don't hear it. I don't even know if I'm actually screaming. It feels like I'm burning and drowning at the same time. Is it water or fire causing my lungs to ignite?

I realize it must be water. My flailing limbs suddenly meet the resistance of waves. I open my eyes, but I'm too far down in the depths to see through the murky waters. I kick my legs, trying to propel myself upwards. I'm not much of a swimmer, but surely I can at least make my way to the surface. My arms and legs are begging me to stop, but I force myself to keep going. The water burning inside of me threatens to make me lose consciousness. My swimming becomes frantic as I try to rush to the surface before I pass out. Is this even real? How far down am I?

My body has to survive whatever this is. I have to tell the guards how to save Atlas. I have to tell my mother that I love her. And I have to know that Juniper and Orion are going to be okay. Despite my ambition, my body ultimately gives up. And when it does, I feel myself floating. I think the afternoon air nips at my face after a few minutes, but harsh waves strike me back down into the smothering depths. I continue to struggle meekly against the tides as my world fades to black.

"I think she's waking up." The voice above me is unfamiliar. He has an accent that differs from what I'm used to. A distant voice shouts something incoherent in response. I start to open my eyes, but the brightness of the sun encourages me to close them. "You are waking up now, aren't you, Darling?"

A cough is my only response. Salt water burns my nose and throat as I choke it back up and down my chin. Gentle hands turn me onto my side so that the water can fully escape my body. My lungs sting but I can breathe again. I force my eyes open, inhaling deeply. An unexpected cough racks my body again. My fingers dig into the sand beneath me as I struggle to right myself. The man with the strange accent attempts to help me, but I push away from him. I don't know where I am or who he is. For all I know, this stranger could have been the one who hexed the compass to drag me here.

"Don't touch me," I demand hoarsely.

When I finally manage to sit up, I look around quickly to take in my surroundings. Past the shore I'm recovering on is a vast amount of trees. Behind me is an endless ocean. The air is humid, and the temperature is more smothering than I'm used to. Is this an island? Wherever the compass has taken me, it definitely isn't anywhere close to home.

"Apologies," the stranger says cautiously. "I didn't mean to frighten you." I turn to him, narrowing my eyes. Curious, brown ones meet my glare. "Are you alright?" he presses.

"I'm fine," I say brusquely. "Who are you?"

"You're not very warm, are you?" he muses.

Water droplets hang from his tousled blonde hair. He is somewhat swarthy but not in the same way as me. Genetics gifted me my olive-brown skin. His appearance suggests that he is lighter, yet sun-kissed. He must live here in this unbearable heat.

"Who are you?" I repeat impatiently.

Another accented voice interrupts us. "We're the ones who saved you. So you could start with a thank you and tell us who you are," he snaps. This stranger is pale but has a dark stare. When I don't respond, he takes a menacing step forward, pushing a sharp spear beneath my chin. The blade nicks my flesh as he uses the spear to tilt my face up to his. My scowl is met with his smirk. "Or we could always toss you back into Mother Nature's grasp. Your choice, really."