Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 45: Miserable morning

Luna returned to the town square with a deep frown. Her breath had become visible in the cold and she wrapped her arms around her body. Seeing how Lucius had also gotten back there empty handed she assumed he'd had no luck in finding her brother either.

"Nothing at the BBT house," she said, rubbing her arms to regain some body heat. "But Damien's going to send out some people to help look.

"He's not at Eliza's either." Lucius looked around, seemingly completely out of breath. How fast had he been running? "I'll go check with Tom and Richard, but... I'm not sure that's where he'd go. He wouldn't choose them over Damien or Eliza.

Luna closed her eyes with a strained sigh.

"There's... Probably one more place he could go."

"Where?"

"The Gashcrows."

Lucius stared.

"He wouldn't."

"I know that he shouldn't, but... I don't know where else he could've gone. Maybe he convinced Finn to let him stay or something."

"You think?"

"Honestly? No." Luna shook her head with a furrowed brow. "But it's all I can think of."

"He can't be there. Not now." Lucius ran his hands through his hair and looked at Luna. "You run over and see if he is, and I'll go to Tom and Richard."

Luna nodded slowly, opening her mouth to ask follow-up questions since there had to be more to Lucius' Gashcrow reluctance than was being said, but he'd already turned on his heels to walk away.

While she had a fairly good idea of where the Gashcrows lived, she slowed down as she reached the street. What was her plan? Was she just going to break down the door and demand her brother back? Who knew what horrors could await her in the Gashcrows residence? The dreadful presence of a fiancé was bad enough.

She chose to throw a rock. Her aim was, for once in her life, surprisingly accurate. She balled her fist in triumph. Finally, for the first time in all her quests something went well. She hid in the bushes as someone opened the window, but to her dismay it wasn't Finn.

A servant looked outside and, fortunately for Luna, didn't see her despite the tracks she'd made in the snow. Instead she quickly shrugged it off as a bird and closed the window again.

"Young Lady Hargreaves."

Luna held back a scream as she noticed Finn next to the bush, looking tired. Whether it was from the time of barely-day or for seeing her hiding in the bushes outside his house she'd never know. She did know why spots in his face were swollen and covered in bruises though. It was mean to smile, but he deserved it.

"Fiancé. I didn't think you'd be out this early." She refused to acknowledge the strange situation.

Finn, however, insisted on it.

"I'm on my way to school, but I saw you hiding in the bushes and throwing rocks at my house so I figured I'd say hello, even though I'd rather not."

"School?" Luna chuckled as if he was dumb, which he was in her eyes. "Now?"

"It is morning," Finn said with a shrug. "But for real, what are you doing here? I don't assume you came to apologize."

"Me!? I'm not the one who—" She interrupted herself. "No. No, I did not. In fact, I came to ask you if Noah was with you.

Finn had the nerve to laugh.

"Why? Why would he be here? And why would I let him?"

"Because we've looked everywhere else, and you're a basic villain so you could probably think of a way to get something out of him."