Elias disappeared into the shadows like smoke, leaving Asha alone with her racing heart and burning questions. The truth about her sister being alive felt like fire in her chest. She had to see Lyra again. Had to look into those blue eyes and find some trace of the little girl who used to chase butterflies with her.
Selene, she whispered to the wind. My baby sister is alive.
The next morning came too fast. Asha barely slept, her mind spinning with everything she had learned. Demon blood. Angel blood. Her murdered family. The bonding ritual that would steal her power forever.
But right now, none of that mattered. Only one thing did.
Getting her sister back.
Asha waited until she saw Damon leave the house, heading toward the training grounds with his men. Then she made her move. Her hands shook as she walked up to the front door. This was it. This was her chance to reach Selene before it was too late.
She knocked softly.
The door opened, and there she was. Lyra stood in the doorway wearing a simple yellow dress, her golden hair catching the morning sunlight. She looked so much like their mother it made Asha's throat close up.
"Oh," Lyra said, blinking in surprise. "It's you. What do you want?"
The coldness in her voice cut deep. This wasn't how Selene used to talk to her. Her little sister had always run to her with hugs and giggles.
"I need to talk to you," Asha said carefully. "Can I come in?"
Lyra hesitated, then stepped aside. "I guess. But Damon will be back soon."
They walked into the living room where Asha had first seen them together. The memory made her stomach twist, but she pushed it down. Focus. She had to focus on saving Selene.
"Lyra," she began, studying her sister's face for any sign of recognition. "Do you ever have dreams about your childhood?"
"Sometimes." Lyra sat down on the edge of the couch, her posture stiff. "Why?"
"What do you dream about?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business."
The hostile tone shocked Asha. Her sister had never spoken to her like this before. Ever.
"Do you dream about a girl with dark hair? Someone who used to braid flowers in your hair and tell you bedtime stories?"
Lyra's eyes flickered with something – confusion, maybe fear. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Yes, you do." Asha moved closer, desperate to break through whatever spell was blocking Selene's memories. "You dream about me. About us. Sisters playing in a garden, picking wild strawberries by a stream."
"Stop." Lyra stood up quickly, backing away. "You're being weird. I don't have a sister."
The words hit Asha like a slap. "Yes, you do. You have me."
"You're crazy." But Lyra's voice wavered. Her hands were shaking.
Asha pulled the small silver bracelet from her pocket – the one she had saved from her childhood room. It had tiny wolf charms that jingled softly.
"Do you remember this?" she asked, holding it out. "You made it for me when you were six. You said it would protect me from bad dreams."
Lyra stared at the bracelet, her face going pale. "Where did you get that?"
"You gave it to me. The night before..." Asha's voice broke. "The night before they took you away and made everyone think you were dead."
"I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing, but I want you to leave." Lyra wrapped her arms around herself, but her eyes stayed locked on the bracelet.
"Selene, please. I know you're in there somewhere. I know you remember."
"My name is Lyra!" The words came out as a shout, but tears were starting to form in her eyes. "I don't know anyone named Selene!"
"You ARE Selene." Asha took another step forward. "You're my little sister. You used to be afraid of thunderstorms, so I would sing you the song about the brave little wolf who wasn't scared of anything."
Lyra's breath hitched. "Stop it."
But Asha could see she was breaking through. Something in Lyra's expression was changing, softening.
"How does it go, Selene? The song. You used to ask me to sing it every night."
"I said stop!" Lyra pressed her hands to her head, her face twisting in pain. "My head hurts when you say those things!"
"Because the spell is breaking." Asha reached out to touch her sister's shoulder. "They put magic in your mind to make you forget, but it's not working anymore."
The moment Asha's fingers touched Lyra's skin, everything changed.
Light exploded between them – bright, white, and warm. Lyra gasped, her eyes going wide as memories crashed through her mind like a dam bursting.
Two little girls running through a meadow.
Asha teaching Selene how to braid her hair.
Bedtime stories about princesses and wolves.
The night by the river when everything went wrong.
"Asha?" Lyra whispered, her voice small and broken. "Is it really you?"
"Yes." Tears streamed down Asha's face. "It's me. I've been looking for you for ten years."
Lyra's face crumpled. "I remember now. Oh god, I remember everything." She threw herself into Asha's arms, sobbing. "They took me that night. They pulled me out of the water and told me you were dead. They said you died trying to save me."
Asha held her sister tight, feeling whole for the first time in a decade. "I'm here now. We're together again."
"But Asha," Selene pulled back, her eyes wide with terror. "They're going to kill you. Tonight. The bonding ritual – it's not what Damon told me. I remember now what I heard him tell the others. It's going to drain all your power and stop your heart."
Ice filled Asha's veins. "What?"
"He's been planning this for months. Getting me to trust him, to love him. All so I would help him murder my own sister." Selene's voice broke again. "How could I have been so stupid?"
"It's not your fault. They used magic to control your mind."
"But I chose to believe him. Part of me wanted to believe that you were the enemy because it was easier than remembering the truth about our family."
Before Asha could respond, they heard footsteps on the porch. Heavy boots. Damon was back.
"He can't know I remember," Selene whispered urgently. "If he finds out the spell broke, he'll kill us both right now."
"Then we run. Right now. We get out of here together."
"We can't." Selene gripped Asha's hands. "He has guards everywhere. And besides, if we run, he'll just hunt us down. The only way to stop this is to beat him at his own game."
"How?"
Selene's eyes hardened with determination. "By letting him think the ritual is working. Right until the moment we turn his own power against him."
The front door opened. Damon's voice echoed through the house. "Lyra? I'm home."
Selene quickly wiped her tears and stepped away from Asha. When she turned toward Damon's voice, her face was perfectly blank again.
"I'm in here," she called sweetly. "Just talking to Asha about the wedding preparations."
Damon appeared in the doorway, his dark eyes immediately suspicious. "What's she doing here?"
"She wanted to congratulate me," Lyra said with a fake smile. "Wasn't that nice of her?"
Damon studied both of their faces carefully. Asha forced herself to look hurt and angry, like she had been rejected again.
"Yes," Asha said stiffly. "I just wanted to wish you both happiness. Since you've made it clear I'm not welcome here."
"Good," Damon said coldly. "Then you can leave. Now."
Asha nodded and headed for the door. As she passed Selene, her sister grabbed her wrist for just a second.
"Tonight," Selene whispered, so quietly only Asha could hear. "When the moon reaches its peak. Be ready."
Then she let go, and Asha walked out of the house feeling like her world had shifted again. Her sister was alive. Her sister remembered. And tonight, they were going to destroy the monster who had torn their family apart.
But as she walked away, Asha didn't notice the figure watching from the upstairs window. Someone who had heard every word.
Someone who was already reaching for their phone to warn Damon that his perfect plan was about to fall apart.
The person smiled coldly as they dialed. This was going to be very interesting indeed.
Back in the house, Damon wrapped his arms around Lyra from behind.
"You did well," he murmured against her ear. "She suspects nothing."
Lyra leaned back against him, her heart hammering with fear and rage. "Of course not. I'm a very good actress."
"Yes, you are. My perfect Luna."
If only he knew, Lyra thought, that the greatest performance of her life was just beginning.