The Blue Moon by Madeline Gottlieb (top ten books to read txt) 📕

at her for a moment more, he raised my eyebrows. “I’m Zach, just someone passing through, you?”

The sparkle in her eyes seemed to flicker and die as she looked at him. Within seconds, it seemed that her blonde hair got paler and her eyes got more blue than silver. “My name is Teriha Vacon. So why have I never seen you before?”

Zach scratched his head. “Well, like I said, just passing through.”

Teriha glared at him with her silver eyes. “I’m not an idiot, you know.” She said, shaking her head as she began to walk away from him.

“No, no, that’s not what I was saying.” Zach grabbed her arm gently and pulled her back. Her eyes shone in the moonlight and her hair was almost white.

Jerking her arm from his grasp, she glared at him. “Well, then, what were you saying?”

Groaning, Zach slid against the wall and pulled his knees to him, feeling weak all the sudden. Instantly dizzy, he doubled over, ending up on his hands and knees. Teriha was by his side in an instant, pulling him up into a sitting position. “What is wrong?” Zach could hear her clearly, but he was unable to answer, a loud buzzing noise ringing in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and held back a scream. Within seconds, his eyes rolled back and he passed out.

Scared, Teriha looked around the alley way, not knowing what to do. Her eyes glanced at the boy, and she realized he looked hauntingly familiar. She grabbed the boy's arm and managed to get him to his feet and moved him out of the blood he'd coughed up. Making sure no one was watching, she closed her eyes and she whispered, "Haotri et feirs." When she opened her eyes, she was standing in front of the door to her home.

--

“No, he seems to be okay now.” Teriha’s voice was quiet as she spoke and Zach could feel the confusion in the house.

“What happened to him?” Another voice asked. It was a man’s, much older than Teriha. Teriha cleared her throat.

“I… I’m not sure, Charles. We were talking and all the sudden he was on his knees on the ground and groaning. When he began to cough up blood, he just passed out, and I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought him here.”

There was a cough and Charles spoke again. “You did well, Teriha.”

The dizzy feeling has finally ebbed away and Zach was able to open his eyes and blink, trying to get used to the light in the room. He sat up and groaned, everyone’s attention drawn to him now. Charles’ came over to him and placed a hand on his forehead, and tsked. “You have a fever, boy. I’m not sure what’s causing it, but it was much worse a few hours ago.”

Zach ignored the old man and glanced at Teriha, who seemed to be holding her breathe. “I was coughing up blood?”

Teriha nodded and came to the bed and sat down on the side of it. “It was scary, Zach. I was afraid you would die.”

He let out a small laugh. “No need to worry, Teriha. I’ll live to see this war end.”

Charles’ raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat. “Teriha, I need to speak with the boy alone. Go start some soup and tea for the fever.” Charles’ watched her with small green eyes until she walked out and shut the door behind her, and then he turned his sharp gaze back to Zach. “Who are you really, boy? Zach is no name from this realm.”

He instantly knew he’d been found out. The whole time Zach didn’t want to deal with anyone going on about ‘Oh, Darek has returned’, especially when he was alone. Not wanting to lie to the old man, Zach looked at him. “Zach is my name, but in this realm I’m known as Darek.”

As soon as ‘Darek’ was out of his mouth, the old man’s eyes widened and he bowed, placing a fist over his heart. After many times of Zach telling him to stop, he stood up again. “Warrior, why are you here in the lower town?”

Zach couldn’t help but groan. “I wanted to see how things were in this realm. Everything is so beautiful and I didn’t want to deal with my destiny just now.” He muttered, a bit annoyed at the fact that the mighty Darek shouldn’t be walking around. “That’s when I met Teriha, and ended up here, I guess.”

“Teriha doesn’t know that you’re a Warrior, does she?” Charles asked, eyeing Zach suspiciously. He could tell instantly that Teriha was his daughter, or at least something close to it. Shaking his head, the guarded look in the old man’s eyes seemed to get stronger. “Why would you not tell anyone who you really are?”

“I just don’t want to be known as ‘the one’ or ‘Darek, the last Warrior’ anytime I’m seen.” Zach answered, rubbing his eyes. “Are you going to tell Teriha?”

The old man stared at him with his old eyes. For a moment, Zach could see regret and pain in his eyes, but it was soon replaced with coldness and hatred. “It is not my place to tell her. But I do not understand why you would if you are soon to marry Princess Eiko.”

“What?” Zach coughed and he could feel my cheeks flaming. “I never agreed to that.”

Charles laughed. “Dear boy, it is a tradition that has been passed for thousands of years. It is law, Darek. The strongest Warrior married the firstborn Princess.” Zach shifted uncomfortably as the old man stood up and walked slowly to the window. After he opened it, he turned his dim gaze back to Zach. “Do you love the Princess, Darek?”

He stared at the old man, the same thought running through his mind over and over. At first, when he’d met Eiko, he was sure that he liked her, but maybe it was just an effect of our relationship from those hundreds of years ago. “I… I’m not sure. I don’t think so.”

Nodding, the old man closed his eyes. “Darek, you can change the laws. If you do not love the Princess, then do not marry her. It will only cause you pain and loneliness. Find someone who you love, and who loves you back.”

“For an old man, you’re pretty wise.” Zach joked, a smile on his lips.

Charles nodded and then turned to the door as someone knocked on it. He sighed and muttered a loud ‘Come in’ to the door and then turned his gaze back out the window. Teriha stepped inside the room, gave Zach a quick once over, scrunched her nose, and walked over to the old man to whisper something in his ear. Zach watched from the bed as Charles nodded, Teriha stepping aside so he could leave the room. When the door closed behind him, Teriha sat down and stared out the window, tapping her fingers on the window sill.

“Are you ever going to tell me why I’ve never seen you?” She asked, her silver eyes locked onto the moon.

“Will you tell me why it matters?”

Teriha faced him. “Ah, so answer with a question. Do you not answer truthfully, Zach?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief again, but Zach could see the guarded look in her eyes. “Or are you a thief trying to sway a damsel?”

She grinned as he rolled his eyes. “No, Teriha, I’m no thief. My name in this realm is Darek.” Zach replied quietly, watching the mischief in her eyes fade away quickly, replaced by pain.

Teriha let out a long breath and put her face in her hands, mumbling inaudible words. He carefully got up out of bed and walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, feeling a bit awkward. She looked back up at him, her eyes guarded. “So, Warrior, why are you still here?” She hissed, pushing his hand away.

Standing up, he threw his hands into the air. “Dammit! No one gets it, do they?” Zach groaned. “I don’t want to be a Warrior. I don’t want to fight some war. I want to fall in love with someone and stay with them forever.”

Teriha’s guard seemed to fall some as she looked at him. “Then why are you here playing a role you do not wish to have?” She whispered, her silver eyes showing some emotion.
When Zach glanced back up at her, he shook my head. “I have no idea, Teriha. Maybe I was hoping someone would tell me why.”

She took his hand and walked him out of the room and out the front door, not saying a word. They walked over to a small hill and sat on top of it, facing the small town Teriha lived in. The clouds above them were almost as dark as midnight, but Zach was still able to see the beautiful sunset behind it all. “Zach, I’m not sure if I can do anything to help, but there was a boy who you remind me of, so much, and he was just like you. He played the role of a Warrior as well, but wanted to be nothing more than a brother and father, but his role kept him from that.” She took a deep breath. “Soon, he went mad from it all and killed himself. I promised myself that I wouldn’t end up like my brother; that I would make sure to play the role I wanted to play.” When she glanced at him again, he hadn’t realized how close they were. Her silver eyes gazed into his and then she coughed, turning towards the sky. “What I’m trying to say, Zach, is don’t continue to play a role you hate. Do what you want to do.”

Zach nodded and looked up at the dark clouds and the beautiful lightning as he knew what he had to do now. Runaway from the problems you promised to fix, the voice returned. Will you stand by and watch as these people are slaughtered or will you uphold you promise as the last Warrior and fix all of this?

Zach wanted to uphold the promise, so bad. But he also didn’t want to be stuck with something he didn’t like. He no longer wanted to be a Warrior. He didn’t want to return to his realm. He wanted to stay here, in the lower town, and meet someone, not fight a war.
Forbidden Lovers and Death Penalties

Part of him wanted to return to his realm and see his parents again. Zach's father had disappeared eleven years ago; the same day he'd turned six. He wanted to know where his father had gone to. He wanted to know if he’d been kidnapped or just left willingly without telling anyone.

Teriha had told Zach that he had to return to her house so the old man knew he was okay. After she had told him about her brother, they'd sat in silence until she’d asked about Eiko.

“So, if you no longer want to be a Warrior, what will you tell the princess?” Her silver eyes still had the guard up and Zach didn’t blame her.

Shifting on the ground, he stared up at the sky. “I’m not sure, Teriha. But I know that I need