Luna noticed the figure standing in her doorway just as she slipped on her silver heels. The heels matched the gown, which was covered in sparkling diamonds from the swooping neckline to the sweeping skirt. There wasn't an inch of fabric attached to the jewels. The diamonds were so microscopic they gave off the impression that her dress was stitched together by a thin shimmering webbing. Though bare jewels against the skin was not the most comfortable feeling nor did the dress allow her to move much, Luna felt like a true princess. A princess was the perfect way to describe her, thought Luna. Though they were rather nice to look at, princesses tended to be limited in power. Not like queens, thought Luna, as she saw her mother waiting for her in the doorway. It was the queen who controlled everything, including the princess herself.

"Did something happen?" Luna tried to keep her voice flat. She offered her mother a sparing glance before plopping herself on her quilted black ottoman in front of her vanity. She tried to keep her eyes trained solely on herself as she poked and prodded at her pores. Through the reflection of the mirror, she could see her mother advancing behind her.

"Nothing has to happen for me to be here, Luna. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday." Celeste ditched her typical pantsuit uniform for a conservative plum dress but she kept her signature black pumps. Her hair was stilled pulled back in a tight bun, much like Luna's.

It was agonizing for the two to stand so close and yet feel so far apart. For so long they only had the company of each other to make up for the fragmented mess of their family. Though almost all of the Goodwins were under the same roof again, Luna didn't actually think of them as a family. Aunt Nyx and her Grandmother were strangers to her. Twyla, was something else altogether. She didn't like her sister but there was a part of her who felt dependent on her. She was Luna's only way to navigate through the magical world.

"It's almost six in the evening. You had plenty of time to wish me a happy birthday earlier."

Celeste sighed. She could hear past Luna's haughty tone and detect the tinge of sadness that she fought to hide. My poor baby girl, she thought.

"I don't need your pity," Luna clutched the side of her vanity table as a stinging pain appeared in her temples. "Just tell me what you want."

"I wanted to give you this, as an early present." It was then, did Luna notice the small black box in her mother's hands.

Turning around to her mother, Luna forced her face to remain stoic- despite the fact that a burning sense of curiosity was spreading throughout body. She was never one for surprises, at a young age she would go to the store with her mother to buy her own presents and the tradition carried on through the years. The little black box, however, did not look familiar from their earlier shopping trips.

Taking a peek at her mother's mind, she tried to get a glimpse at what lied underneath the lid but her mother was careful to conceal her thoughts. The air stilled for a moment as Celeste, very carefully, removed the lid, revealing a sapphire crescent moon hanging from a silver chain. Luna's breath was caught in her chest, the necklace was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she had ever seen. And though the box was unfamiliar to her, the necklace struck something deep within Luna. She could have sworn she had never seen it before and yet there was an odd familiarity that clung to the pulsing gem.

"It's yours," Celeste picked up the necklace and held it out for Luna to take it. "It's an heirloom of sorts, it's been in the family for a hundred years."

"Why does it do that?" Luna pointed at the pulsing glow of light within the gem.

"There's an old magic that has been trapped inside of the gem for years."

Luna stood up abruptly, knocking the ottoman to the floor. "Keep it then, I don't want it."

"It's not mine to keep, Luna. It's yours. I was hoping you would wear it, it just might keep you safe."

Safe. Luna doubted more magic would keep her safe. It was magic, after all, that put her danger. A simpler way to keep her safe would be to tell her every single piece of information that Celeste insisted on harboring away. She was eighteen today, a woman, an adult and yet her mother continued to treat her like a child. Luna didn't realize that her mother had been micromanaging every detail life, not until yesterday. As a child she admired her mother and tried to mold herself into a mirror image of Celeste Goodwin. Her mother aided her in her quest to master the false pretense of perfection. She claimed it was always good to try to better oneself. Luna realized now that she was bettering herself but deluding herself and she had her mother to thank for that influence.

"You know," Luna released a bitter laugh, "A week ago, you would have given me pepper spray to protect myself leering boys. Now you're giving me a magical amulet to protect me from some dark force. Is this to be our new normal?"

"None of this is normal. I don't want you to forget that or who you are. But this necessary at the moment."

But who was Luna Goodwin? That was the real question. For sure, Luna didn't know. And though her mother claimed to have all the answers, she seemed content with keeping Luna the way she was before. There was a bitter-sweet mournful feeling that arose within Luna earlier that day while she was getting ready. She was staring at her reflection, seeing the soft angles of her face, pouty pink lips and wide, innocent sapphire eyes- none of that changed and yet she felt different. As if, the girl in front of her was no longer varsity tennis captain, student government president and reigning homecoming queen. It was like there was someone else who coexisted within her mind, simmering under the surface just waiting to come out. And she had, and the titles Luna once prided herself in seemed dull and artificial.

"Who am I really mom? I'm obviously not like you, I don't belong to the 'mortal world' but that's all I've ever known. So what do I do now? Pretend like everything is fine and just wait around like bait on a hook?"

"No Luna," Celeste cried. She dropped the box and necklace onto Luna's bed. Taking her daughters face between her hands, she looked straight and pleaded, "Please try to understand. I don't know how to handle this all, my mother was right it's beyond me. But I can, at least, give you one more night of peace. I just want you to enjoy the night and be a normal teenage girl."

Luna wrenched her face free from her mother's grip. Her face hardened into a scowl. "I think you said it yourself, mom. None of this is normal, that includes me."

"Luna-"

"No. Just go. I want to be left alone," Luna's voice was hollow as she spoke. She didn't have anymore room in her heart to be angry, she was just disappointed. The day was not going at all like she had hoped.

Tears burned in the back of her eyes as she heard the door close shut behind her mother. Looking up at her sparkling chandelier, she focused on the light and blinked the tears out of her eyes. There had been enough tears wasted in the past week. It was her birthday not her funeral. When the tears finally cleared from her eyes, Luna looked and noticed the necklace that was still sitting on her bed. The was a gentle thrall that came with the pulsing gem. It called to her, not in a way that the shoes in Aldo did, but on a higher, more spiritual level. Her hand reached out to grab it before her mind caught up with her actions. A gasp fell from her lips as an electric jolt rushed through her body just as her fingers grazed over the gem.

The electricity flowed through her veins, mingling with her magic until it reached her mind. The burning sensation cooled into a deliciously warm feeling, it had the same affect on her as did hot cocoa after playing in the snow. A bright white light flashed before Luna's eyes and for a second she had thought she went blind. That was until beautiful images of rolling green fields and endless forestry stretched across her mind. The dress she wore looked nothing more than rag and her feet were bare and covered in mud but there was euphoric feeling in the air. The ground shifted and Luna's dress morphed into a ball gown, one that only the princesses in Disney films would wear. Around her, bodies twisted and flowed with effortless grace as a dramatic symphony echoed through the ballroom. The images continued to change giving her snippets of times and places Luna had only ever known in textbooks. There were moments of terror that seized her heart as lifeless bodies who were oozing blood sat at her feet. But there also moments of sheer bliss where she found herself in the arms of a lover her bore no name or face. So much changed before her eyes, except the amulet and a person who always stand beside her. She did not know who that person was, only that they were essential to the story the necklace was describing.

The images left as soon as they came, and they left Luna in a state of befuddled amazement. She had no clue what she had just seen but she had a strong inkling that whatever hidden memories lied within the necklace belonged to her. A smile slipped onto her face as clasped the necklace around her neck. It felt right, she thought. There was a feeling of completion that wallowed within her, almost like how she felt when she was fully dressed.

Luna looked ready, she might not have felt ready but she did look the part of a birthday princess. There was another person she knew, however, that had not even began to get ready. Luna watched a scene unfolded in her head with her twin standing in front of a suitcase, grumbling about stupid, posh parties. For the sake of her party, Luna grabbed her reject dresses in her hand and fled to her sister's room. Luna didn't waste a minute to think about what she was doing. If she would have thought about it she probably would have chickened out. But she held her chin up high, mustered up her courage on knocked on the door.

The door swung open but no one stood behind it. Twyla was kneeling over her suitcase, digging through her clothes. "What do you want?" She growled. The question was quickly retracted when she looked up and saw the pile of tulle and sequins in Luna's hands.

"Oh no," Twyla held out her hand and backed away.

"It's our birthday. You have to look nice!"

"It might be my birthday but it's your party. And I'm not even technically invited so I don't have to follow any dress code."

Throwing the dresses onto Twyla's unmade bed, Luna said, "Consider this your invitation. Now get dressed, you have one hour before everyone comes."

Luna had every intention of leaving the room after that but her attention was otherwise captivated by a crescent shaped necklace that matched her own, sitting on Twyla's nightstand. "You have one too?"

"What?" Twyla asked. She then noticed the necklace hanging from Luna's neck and her eyes widened.

"Oh, that," was the best response she could think of.

"Did you see the-"

Twyla cut her off with a simple, "Yeah."

Rubbing her temples, Luna squeezed her eyes out and tried to let the tension melt from her body. She would have guests arriving shortly, very normal guests and she didn't need to be freaking out about her and sister's matching glowing, necklaces. "You know what? We're just going to deal with this tomorrow. Tonight is going to be a magic free zone."

Though the words were spoken with sincerity neither girl honestly believed that would happen. There was something out there, lurking in the shadows just waiting for the perfect time to strike. It twisted them up inside, not knowing when. But they would not have to wait for long.

Standing at the edge of their lot, hiding behind a large oak was a shadowy figure. Their body was completely hidden by the darkening night sky and swirling mist that clung to their feet. A hiss of appreciation left their mouth as they stared into the girls room, watching them in close proximity, knowing tonight was the night the games would officially begin.

**So I've been in a funk lately, I know writers get there from time to time. But I'm happy I was able to get this chapter out for you guys. Please tell me what you think, this was the last build up chapter before the big birthday party. We also got a brief at them, and Luna and Twyla's relationship is improving slightly. Thank you again for reading, I hope you're liking the book so far.
Xoxo,
Ro.**