Romance Novels

Her mother looked tired all the time. And sick

Aurora wanted to make her better. She tried with light spells and hugs, but neither worked.

“Momma, what can I do to make you better?” Aurora asked.

Luna held her close and cried.

The director mopped his brow. “She’s getting so powerful.”

Aurora’s mother glanced at her then nodded. “How much longer can we protect her?”

“I don’t know.”

Aurora hugged her mother. They didn’t need to protect her. She could keep the shadows at bay.

She tried to show them with another beautiful light spell.

Aurora watched all her mother’s performances.

She didn’t understand much, but they made the audiences happy. And that made Aurora happy.

She offered her sun necklace another light spell.

The shadows nipping the edges of the stage retreated, and Aurora smiled.

Luna returned to the theater, and she brought Aurora with her.

Her roles changed.

She could still draw pain, longing and sorrow from her audiences.

Now, she could also draw wonder, euphoria, love.

And bone-deep terror that they would lose it all.

 

The nightmare came again. The butterfly on Aurora’s shoulder morphed into a shadow demon that devoured her.

Luna stifled her scream and raced to her daughter’s room.

Aurora still slept peacefully.

Luna lay down beside her.

Time was running out.

“You must return,” the theater director begged.

Luna twirled the parasol she carried as Aurora toddled through the garden. A bright blue butterfly landed on the child’s shoulder.

Aurora giggled.

Luna didn’t want to return. She wanted to bask in the sun’s light.