Despite the uneasiness I get from the tall trees surrounding us, I feel more at ease when Juniper and I are out of the clearing. Because of the canopy of trees and vines shading us from above, it will be easier to stay hidden. But walking on my injured ankle is tougher than I expected. Even with the spear supporting most of my weight, each step is more painful than the next. I consider stopping for a break after ten minutes of wandering around, but the sky above us continues to rumble in warning, motivating me to keep pushing myself.

When I glance over at my sister, she is rubbing her wrist absentmindedly. The distinct cracking sound that occurred when I pulled her by the arm during our escape replays in my mind. The loud thud I heard when Ares cut her down from the tree also revisits my memory, inspiring culpability. "Are you doing okay? How's your wrist?" I ask guiltily. 

She looks up at me with a weary grin. "I'm okay. Just really tired and sore."

"If you're hurt then you have to tell me Juniper. I have to know so that I can help you."

She twirls her wrist around in several exaggerated circles. "See? I'm okay, I promise," she trills, giving me a bored look. "You're the one limping," she adds, shooting me a sly grin.

I give her a flat look and she suppresses a laugh. "We'll worry about me after we find Orion," I say dismissively. I hope that our brother is okay, wherever he is, but a darker part of me thinks that it would be easier if he died out here. Easier to lose him here than to watch Atlas and the others kill him at the Moon Gathering. I grimace at my negativity and steer myself back into focusing on keeping us all safe. The Moon Gathering is a concern for later. "How hurt is he anyway?" I ask warily.

Her face falls almost immediately, increasing my anxiety. "He said that he was taking us somewhere safe. Said he'd come back for you and the others after he knew I'd be okay. Eros tried to stop us, but it was too late," she murmurs, frowning at the memory. "People in the woods took me and then they took Orion, but they hurt him bad, Callie. He bandaged the deepest cut but it wasn't getting better."

"How was he before you wandered off?"

"He was sleeping, but I think it's because he got too hot. I tried to go find water for him. But... Cyrus?"

I nod. "Yes, his name is Cyrus."

"Cyrus saw me by the blue tree when I stopped to rest. I was looking through Orion's book for help. I thought there might be a spell or something to take us home," she explains, an anxious look appearing on her face as she recalls the encounter. "I was scared. I didn't know what I did to upset him."

"You didn't do anything," I mutter bitterly. Cyrus better hope I don't see him again. If I wasn't with Juniper at the time, I would've done everything in my power to put him in his place. "He's just hateful. Don't let him trick you into thinking you did anything wrong."

She frowns. "But... did Dad do something wrong? That's why Cyrus is angry, right?" she asks, peering up at me in concern. 

I purse my lips, biting my tongue. I know that our father can be merciless when he needs to be, but there's no way everything Cyrus was spouting off is true. Juniper may not know it yet, but our father has killed many people. He is the reason Sunborns no longer exist, but he wiped them out to protect all of us and his people. Harsh, but necessary. Dad always said 'Sunborns are like rabid dogs— they should be put down before they bite. And they will bite.' Arguably, Sunborns were the most powerful beings in our world and now Starborns have risen to take their place. 

Until just a few days ago, I thought Starborns were almost nonexistent. The ones that did manage to escape my father's wrath were believed to be hiding far, far away from Lunaria. But that was a lie. Atlas knew they returned to our country to fight back and so did my father, but the rest of us had no idea. Our father must've decided that there was no need to tell his family or his citizens about the Starborns, because he likely believed he had it under control. Wherever my father is now, I'm sure he isn't taking their vengeance lightly anymore. Not when his very own children have now become prisoners of war.

Juniper tugs at the sleeve of my shirt when my silence goes on too long. I look down at her, offering a tight smile. Lying to her isn't an option in my eyes. She deserves to know what's going on. "Look, a lot of what Cyrus said isn't true, but some of it was. Everything Dad has done was to keep us safe, but that doesn't mean much to the people who suffered for our safety."

"Suffered?" she whispers incredulously, making my heart sink.

Don't hide the truth from her like they did to you.

"Yes, Juniper. Dad has done bad things. While it protected Lunaria, some of his actions have upset a lot of people outside of our country. He has hurt people... like Cyrus."

It almost breaks me when I let myself think about the pain our father has caused the outside world. A little girl learning that her kind and loving father is a monster in the eyes of everyone else hurts. It makes you ask questions that you don't want the answers to. As a child, I didn't hear as many details of our father's cruelty as I did today, but I've still heard a handful of stories while eavesdropping. Like the time I overheard Atlas's hushed objections outside of the command center when our father gave the order to invade a village full of Starborns. I didn't realize why Atlas was so upset until years later when I pestered the truth out of him. Our father had ordered our army not just to conquer their land, but to kill every Starborn and mortal in sight. While Atlas didn't agree with it at the time, he later explained to me that if Dad hadn't made that call, the Starborns would have been the ones killing us. He said that Dad told him 'The biggest mistake a leader can make is allowing someone to become a threat.' Harsh, but necessary, is what I tell myself when it comes to my father's actions.

"So, we're bad people?" she asks slowly, her eyebrows knitting together in frustration. She looks torn between anger, tears, and confusion.

I sigh, shaking my head. "No, we're bad people through the eyes of anyone who isn't a Moonborn, but that doesn't mean it's true. It's about the perspective." 

"The per— what?"

"It depends on who's telling the story. But that doesn't matter when it comes to you, June. You could never be a bad person." And I don't just tell her that because she's a child. Regardless of her age, she has always been the most innocent and kindest of us all. Even I didn't have as warm of a heart as her as a child. Van Blake's aren't known for having much compassion, but Juniper is the exception. Benevolence is the core of who she is. "You're as pure as they come," I finish, reaching over to ruffle her tangled locks.

"So, we make our own stories?" she asks, sounding hopeful again.

I ponder her words for a moment, then shrug. "I suppose so. At the end of the day, we all have our own paths, and we get to decide who we want to be."

Juniper is silent again for several minutes as she considers my response. Just when I think she has decided to drop the subject, she asks me an even heavier question. "What do you think Dad decided?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

The nature of her question and the throbbing in my ankle finally brings me to a halt. I lean into my uninjured foot, sticking the spear into the ground for support. With the weight taken off of my left ankle, I feel a small surge of relief. Juniper stops too, looking up at me expectantly. Her undying curiosity is adding to my exhaustion. 

I resist the urge to sigh. I don't even think our father worries about the concept of 'good' or 'bad' when it comes to his family and his people. Our father's morals are a completely separate can of worms that I don't have the energy to open right now. "I don't—"

"I was gone for less than an hour, you know?" a peculiar accent says from behind us, startling my sister and I.

I whirl around, instinctively stepping in front of Juniper. I stand tall when my eyes meet Maddox's brown, smoldering ones. I ignore the ache of protest that shoots through my ankle. I can't let him know that he has the advantage over us. Despite the pain, I support my weight on both of my feet. I point the spear at him in warning, gritting my teeth as I try not to think about the twinging in my leg.

The familiar blonde who has shown me more kindness than anyone else on this island isn't carrying his usual lax expression. He's angry today and it's unsettling. "I was gone for less than an hour, and you turned half of my people against you and then stole from me."

"But I—"

"You've been so bloody cagey this entire time. I should've known you were no more than a lowly thief," he mutters spitefully.

"I was just trying to save my sister," I hiss, scowling at him. "Your people were trying to kill us. And I took supplies from your camp because I had no choice."

"I would have helped you," Maddox snaps. He motions to the sword hanging from the side of his backpack attached to me. "And you took more than just supplies. Was it really necessary to take more than a spear and some food?"

Unable to withstand the pressure on my ankle any longer, I stick the spear back into the ground. I don't completely lean into it, but having something rooting me to the ground and holding me upright is already easing the pang in my ankle. I pull the sword from the backpack and prepare to toss it to him, but once it's in my hand, I can't bring myself to part with it. "So, what now? Why did you follow us?" I demand.

He frowns at me, taking a step forward. "I just came for the sword. You can keep everything else, and I won't tell anyone that I saw you," he declares bitterly.

I lean into the spear in one of my hands and raise the sword with the other. "No, I'm keeping the sword too. Leave," I command authoritatively. Part of me is screaming at myself to just give up the sword, but for some reason, I just won't. I can't. I think I'd rather cut off my own arm and give it to him before handing over the weapon. But why do I feel so strongly about a sword that isn't even mine?

"Oh, yes, I'll just go now that you've said that," he says mockingly, continuing to close in on Juniper and I. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as he gets closer. "Don't make me take it from you, Callie," he warns, taking another hesitant step forward.

Give him the sword.

I don't listen to myself. Instead, my grip on the sword tightens as I anticipate him attempting to take it from me. Thunder shakes the forest floor and rain begins to sprinkle against my skin. "I mean it, Maddox. Believe it or not, I don't want to hurt you," I say, giving him a pleading look. "I'm sorry about everything, I really am. But... I-I have to keep the sword."

"I don't want to hurt you either, Love," he replies resolutely. 

Give him the sword!

My body continues to betray my urgent thoughts. Juniper tugs at the back of my leg with an incoherent whimper. "Go. Run, hide!" I respond, but I don't tear my eyes away from Maddox or the sword.

I feel her hand leave the back of my leg as soon as Maddox starts to reach for the sword. Her tiny footsteps patter away from us and before I can stop myself, I swipe at Maddox with the sword. He dodges the weapon with ease and glares at me in disbelief. My eyes widen at my actions. If Maddox doesn't back off, I might actually kill him for this mysterious weapon. I wasn't too far off when I thought the sword looked somewhat magical. It must be some kind of cursed object because something unnatural is happening to me. 

Maddox's usual warmth has been replaced by a much darker look. Before I can blink, he is directly in front of me, twisting my wrist and forcing me to release the sword. When I start to raise the spear in my other hand, he kicks it out from under me. I lose my grip on the spear and roll my ankle once more on my way to the ground. Despite my determination to hide my injury, I unwillingly betray myself when I cry out in pain. 

The light rainfall has become a heavy downpour now, causing my tangled hair to stick to my neck and face. The dark clouds above us rumble angrily as I struggle to sit up. I slip my arms out of the backpack connected to me just as I notice Maddox picking up the sword. An intense, territorial instinct makes me seethe at the sight. Adrenaline surges through me, bringing me to my feet in an instant. I clamber after the sword, throwing my entire body at Maddox to tackle him to the ground. Given that I'm much smaller in comparison to his robust and taller build, catching him off guard is what ultimately brings him down with me. I barely notice the pain in my ankle now. All I care about is that sword. My sword.

The cursed weapon lands above his head with a thud. I push away from him to get it, but he grabs my uninjured leg to bring me back down. I awkwardly land on top of him, but my face meets grass. He takes advantage of my landing, grabbing the sides of my arms and flipping me onto my back. I spit out the wet grass that collected in my mouth onto his face, eliciting an agitated groan from him.

He uses one hand to keep me down, and the other to wipe the muck from his face. When my nails try to go for his eyes, he uses both hands to force me back down ."Bloody hell! You can have the damn sword!" he finally shouts.

My ears don't register his words right away, so I continue to claw at him fruitlessly. When I do finally comprehend that he has conceded, I soon realize that he's not fighting me at all. He's merely pinning me in place, glowering at me impatiently as I thrash around like a child. I immediately force myself to relax as embarrassment floods through me. My knowledge in self-defense must have gone out the window with my common sense. If I was thinking clearly, I never would have fought so carelessly. But I also wouldn't have risked my life in the first place for a weapon that isn't even mine. And now Juniper could be in danger again! What has this sword done to me?

The sharp ache returns to my ankle and I wince. Maddox's expression softens and he releases me. He moves to my side, looking down at my ankle, but no longer touching me. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I noticed you were favoring your leg and I tried not to—"

"It's okay. I started it," I breathe out, staring up at the dark clouds in exhaustion. The rain isn't much cooler than the muggy temperature around us, but the droplets that land against my cheeks still feel soothing somehow. "You can have the sword. I honestly don't know what came over me. That wasn't even me, I just... I don't know."

His eyebrows knit together in confusion. "What do you mean it wasn't you?"

I pry my gaze away from the clouds, and my empty eyes meet Maddox's comforting, brown ones. For a moment, I'm taken aback when I notice the amber flecks in his eyes. They remind me of the safety and warmth I've always felt within my grandparents' old cottage. I think of last year's winter, when Orion and I sat near the fireplace in the cottage, drinking warm chocolate as the snowflakes clung to the outside glass of the windows. The only thing I ever enjoyed about winter was the thick blankets and toasty fireplaces. It was a peaceful night full of laughter between the two of us. I'd give anything to go back home to the simpler things.

"Callie?" Maddox urges softly.

I blink at him, the surreal feeling fading away as I'm pulled back to reality. "Where did you get that sword?" I ask, sitting up so that we're almost at eye level.

He shrugs. "I found it here in the Autolycus Cage, and I kept it because I think it might be the key to getting everyone out of here. But if you really want the sword, you can keep it... but I do ask that you at least allow me to continue to study it."

"Why do you think it's the key to escaping?" I ask dubiously. Before he can answer me, a branch snaps nearby, gaining my attention. I relax immediately when I notice that it's my sister. She's peering around a tree, watching Maddox with uncertainty. I wave her over to us with a reassuring nod. "It's okay, Juniper."

Hesitantly, she shuffles over to us, but she keeps her distance. Maddox offers her a half smile before turning back to me. "Did you notice the sword wielded by the Starborn who brought you here?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me expectantly.

I hesitate for a moment, but the amber flecks in his eyes inspire honesty. Maddox has had every opportunity to backstab me, but he hasn't done it yet. After all that he's done for me, the least I could do is try to be less 'cagey'. I brush the wet hair out of my face and shrug. "I wasn't taken by Starborns. I used that compass to try and find my brother and then I was here."

Surprise and confusion flicker through him as he processes my words. But before he can formulate a response, Juniper cuts into the conversation. "I saw the swords when Orion and I were taken. The Star people used them to cut into the air. And the handles had red and black crystals too."

I look between the two of them in bewilderment. "Wait, what? Are you saying that that is a Starborn weapon?" I ask Maddox, motioning to the blade resting just a few feet away from us. That would make sense. Starborns must have hexed it like they likely did to my compass, and that's why the sword made me act out of character.

He nods, giving me a curious look. "You said you didn't know what came over you just now. You were fighting for the sword, but you didn't even know why, did you?" he presses. I shake my head in response, and his eyebrows raise in realization. He looks between Juniper and I while asking his next question. "Did one of you truly use magic during the day?"

Juniper starts to speak, but then stops, glancing at me nervously. No sense in lying now. I can see it on Maddox's face that he knows more than he's letting on. Besides, I want to know what he's thinking. "I did. I knew I couldn't outrun Cyrus, and I couldn't stay and fight. I had to use it to get us out of there," I explain matter-of-factly.

A short laugh escapes him. "I didn't believe Cyrus when he said that one of you used Moon magic in the sunlight for a spell like that. The only Moonborn capable of practicing such powerful Moon magic during the day is Alberich Van Blake. I thought a Starborn must have used magic to help you two, or something, but I knew that didn't make sense either. I can't believe I didn't put it together sooner," he rambles frantically, rising to his feet again.

"What are you talking about, Maddox?" I ask, carefully pushing myself up from the ground. "Put what together?"

His eager eyes meet mine and he smiles. "Only Sunborns and Starborns can do magic during the day, Callie."

"Says who? Powerful Moonborns can manage more potent spells in the daylight," I argue.

He chuckles doubtfully. "Like I said, Van Blake is the only Moonborn that could pull that off. And he wasn't born with those capabilities. He became that powerful after many years of practice and sacrifice. Unless you're some all-powerful, ancient Moonborn that has fought more battles than you can count, you can't have achieved that with Moon magic."

Unless you're Alberich Van Blake's daughter, I think dryly.

"But she's—" I slap a hand over Juniper's mouth before she can breathe another word. She mumbles into my hand for a moment, then stops. I don't feel comfortable disclosing our identities to Maddox just yet. He may be a Moonborn, but not all Moons agree with my father's methods. And the fact that he chooses to hang around the anti-Moonborns on the island says a lot. I remove my hand from Juniper's face and Maddox suppresses a smile.

"I think I would know if I wasn't a Moonborn."

"Would you?" he asks smugly.

I narrow my eyes at him. "What is your point?"

"Starborns didn't kidnap you like the rest of us. You used a teleportation spell in broad daylight, which is something only Stars and Suns are capable of. And considering that Sunborns are extinct, I doubt that you're one of them. Not to mention you were drawn to a sword that was forged by Starborns. Callie, if I'm right—"

"No, that isn't possible, Maddox. My parents told me I was born as a Moonborn but with more power. That's why I'm able to use my magic with the sun out," I interject, frowning at him disapprovingly. For some reason, his thesis is irritating me. But besides my personal disdain, there's no sense in letting him prattle on about false theories anyway. "And the only reason Starborns didn't bring me here is because my compass beat them to it. And that sword is obviously cursed."

His expression turns solemn. "Callie, even if all of that were true, you and I wouldn't be talking right now if you were a Moonborn."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I ask.

"When Moons use their magic on this island, there are consequences... to elaborate, anyone on the island, when Moon magic is used, has to endure harsh and violent storms, while the Moonborn who conjured the magic is pulled into another dimension. If you were a Moonborn, you would be lost in another layer of this cage right now."

There are layers to this place now? Instead of trying to wrap my head around all of that, I consider the meaning behind him telling me this new information. Maddox believes that I'm not a Moonborn, but he can't be right. My parents would have known that by now if it were true. But could it have somehow gone unnoticed all these years? Did my father mistake my abilities as a reflection of his own? No, that can't be. He's not so arrogant that he'd overlook something like this. But he would have told me if he knew that I wasn't a Moonborn! If not him, at least Mom would, right? Considering that Starborns are seen as evil savages in our country, perhaps they decided not to tell me? I shake my head. There's no way that they both hid something like this from me and everyone else for all these years. 

"That's not..." I trail off, unsure of what I'm trying to say.

Maddox continues when I'm unable to respond. "Starborns come and go as they please around here. And when they use magic on the island to detain new prisoners, they don't suffer any consequences because their kind created this cage."

Juniper looks up at me, grabbing onto my arm to get my attention. "I think he's right, Callie. Orion used his magic when we got here and when he did it, he disappeared really fast. I couldn't find him for hours," my sister says, frowning at the memory. "When we found each other again, he told me that he was pulled into a strange world filled with sand. And he said monsters were trying to hurt him."

Monsters? My heart aches for Orion. It sounds like he's endured more trauma than any of us so far. It was just days ago that he and I were bantering in the cottage kitchen. Now, I'm wondering if he's even still breathing, wherever he is. I swallow the lump forming in my throat, and take a deep breath, steeling myself to push away my morbid thoughts. "How did he get back to the island then?" I ask.

"He said it felt like something was trying to drain his magic the entire time that he was gone. He didn't find his way back to me until he finally gave in to whatever it was. And when I found him, he couldn't do magic anymore. He said it felt like he lost a part of himself."

"I know the feeling," Maddox murmurs dismally.

I rub my temples in an attempt to quell the stress building up inside of me. The side of my face that Cyrus bashed his shoulder into last night stings in protest. "So, I didn't get taken to some hell dimension! That doesn't mean I'm not a Moonborn. Maybe the island works in ways you haven't discovered yet," I object, pursing my lips at Maddox's crestfallen expression.

"Did you lose your magic?" he asks.

My heart pounds in my ears and I frown. I can't prove it yet, but Maddox is wrong. None of this proves anything. "I don't know," I confess quietly.

Maddox sighs. "You would know if you lost your magic, Callie. That means you still have it."

I clench my fists. "That's not— I... I would have known. There's no way."

Deep down, I know that Maddox has to be right. Not all of his explanations can be just coincidences. But if I admit it, then that means my parents lied to me my entire life. It would mean my father killed thousands of Starborns, simply for being Starborns, all while hiding one of his own. Admitting that I'm not a Moonborn would make my parents liars and hypocrites. Every Starborn life my father took would have been for nothing. Harsh, and meaningless. The world would be outraged to know that the man who condemned anyone less than a Moonborn on his land to death, has a Starborn for a daughter. This truth would put me and my family in even more danger than we're already in.

I grew up being told that Starborns were monsters, and knowing what I know now means that my parents knew what I was when they said these things. They lied to me and hid me away from the world as if I was some kind of mistake. Anger boils up inside of me, causing my eyes to burn with unshed tears. I feel Juniper's tiny hand curl around mine and then she hugs me. Maddox's eyes are filled with pity when I reluctantly meet his gaze again. As much as I don't want to accept the truth, I know that I have to. If my parents won't admit it, then I'll do it for them. 

"I'm a Starborn."