Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 51: Priorities

"It's been what, two months?" Luna asked, banging her forehead against the dinner table. The cold, wooden surface was surprisingly pleasant, but she couldn't enjoy it. "At the very least more than one! Why isn't he better? Why are we getting nowhere with him!?"

Alexei, knowing Luna was not fond of shoulder pats, gently patted the table instead.

"It's not something you just suddenly decide to quit. Pa says a lot of people coming back from wars turn to opium or similar, and so few of them are able to stop." He paused to chew on his lip as Luna gave him a troubled look, but he was not about to lie either. "... Noah's not trying. No one can help him stop if he doesn't want to."

"Well it's not helping that he keeps running off to that place." Luna sat up straight and rolled her shoulders. "I don't get why Father doesn't strap him to his bed."

"Because... It'd be inhumane?" Alexei arched an eyebrow, and Luna let out a loud, dejected sigh.

"Maybe it's time to cut the empathy and make sure he can't leave. He's fooled us enough by claiming he won't go out. I know Father wants to believe him but he's just tricking himself in order to stay calm. It's just gonna hurt him worse in the end." She slouched against the table again. "I know it seems drastic to lock all the doors and windows and like, have someone guard his room, but how else are we going to do this?"

"I honestly don't know." Alexei frowned in thought while casually melting hardened wax over the candle in front of him. "But something needs to change because the way it's going now, nothing seems to be improving... Not sure shutting him in is the way to go though."

"I just... Don't know what to do." Luna leaned her forehead against her hand. "I thought it'd be over by now, but we're not even close. And I—I don't want him to suffer like this of course but being stuck here is suffocating me."

Alexei accidentally dripped wax onto the wick, causing the candle to go out. He frowned and turned to face Luna instead.

"I get you're missing the underground, but couldn't they come to you instead? Just while this is going on."

"Father would be furious if he found out about..." Luna looked around. "... Well, you know. And just... I'm not sure Shyen should see this side of my family as a sort of first impression. In fact, I don't think either of them should risk getting mixed up in all of this."

"I'm sure your Father would—"

"My father is unbearable as it is with everything that's going on. Honestly, Alexei, you're the only person I want to be around up here right now. I really wish you'd consider coming down to the underground with me."

Alexei smiled through a grimace.

"It's not the environment for me. I'll die if I don't get to be in the forest for a bigger part of the day." Then he frowned while looking around. "Speaking of, what time is it?"

"Sun just went down," Damien said as he entered the parlor, and Luna frowned at his sudden appearance.

"Damien? You're dropping in for a visit now?"

"He's just been pacing about the office for days and it's driving me nuts." Frey appeared behind Damien. "So I figured we'd drop by and maybe he'll get some peace of mind."

Luna tilted her head with a skeptical look. Frey rarely talked to Noah, so was he there solely for Damien's sake or had the gossip side of him taken over at a time like this? She had a hard time imagining it, even for someone like him.

"Father's upstairs with Noah. He brought him home just an hour ago," she said to Damien, who instantly turned on his heels. Frey looked after him with a pitying stare but didn't follow. Instead he sat down and looked between Luna and Alexei, finally settling his gaze on Alexei.