Luna opened the door.

  They exchanged looks.

  Lukai observed her for a moment. She had indeed matured. He had seen her three or four times in the past two years. He then did notice she had changed, but now he could see she had changed impressively. She was less scared.

  In fact, she didn’t look scared at all now.

  No energy emanated from her, but he knew it was not the truth.

  What had happened that she had changed?

  “General Lukai, what brings you here?” Luna’s voice was calm.

  What she said felt very official.

  “Luna, welcome,” he said.

  He felt forced to use her official name also, not the names from their old times.

  “I would like to talk. Where can we talk undisturbed?” he asked.

  “The lake. There nobody can hear, if even there is somebody trying to overhear,” Luna said.

  Quite a comment, Lukai noted in his mind.

  They walked slowly to the lake.

  He suddenly recalled this old situation. She clearly did also, as she commented on it.

  “… Thanks to you, General, years ago, I solved the problem I always had with my mom’s gift. It is embedded; you know this, of course. I again wanted to thank you for it. It was a good lesson. Thank you, General.”

  Lukai was not sure; was she mocking him? She still didn’t use his name; she acted officially. He glanced at her but said nothing.

  They arrived, sat on a bench, and looked silently at the lake.

  “General? To not lengthen it, I know why you are here. I also think it will be better if I tell you; this way, chances are that you believe it.”

  He felt intrigued and slightly worried. Worried?

  “General Lukai, I am dual.” Luna stated.

  … What a surprise.

  Lukai could instantly understand so much more about things from the past.

  Why her mother had died—now easy to guess. Why Nikola Alena, her father, had to hide who the mother was—also clear.

  Luna had energy, two of them, for sure. She had to hide it; it was certain. Even from her grandmother, as Tara didn’t know.

  Lukai had a sudden thought: she was scared in the past not without a reason.

  Then, it explained why she didn’t want to have children as well. It was the reason she rejected his proposal… and then, that she didn’t trust him before to tell him about it.

  “Why now?” Lukai thought but didn’t say anything.

  They exchanged looks. It was her to start talking again.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “I am telling you because I am not scared. I was scared for years, but I am less now. Not that I am not; I am, but less. Much less. Sorry, I didn’t tell you then,” Luna said.

  Lukai had another thought. She knew him well enough to know that he would need to digest what she said before commenting on it.

  They sat in silence for a moment.

  “General Lukai?” she asked.

  “Lukai,” he said, insisted.

  “Lukai?”

  When she used his name, it felt good; he noticed his reaction.

  “Yes, Luna?”

  “It is what it is. Now, I think, let’s go and drink tea. As I assume you have questions, including the ones about our… recent encounter?”

  “Let’s.”

  He agreed. He was still processing the information.

  Lukai was not disturbed by her revelations. It was all clearer. Simply, he felt sorry she didn’t trust him enough before. He was also aware that, the same as she didn’t trust him, he didn’t trust her. He didn’t tell her everything about himself. She wasn’t aware who he was.

  Could it change now?

  Si from Shadows was tied to her by the alliance contract. He recently asked Lukai to finally decide. Si was aware of their past and was open enough to give Lukai time to think.

  They left the lake and went back home.

  Luna directed her steps to the kitchen; Lukai followed.

  She was filling a small teapot with water to prepare the tea. He could smell her hair. He was near; she was warm. He touched her hair. She turned to him, and they looked at each other. He leaned closer and kissed her softly.

  “Lukai, no,” she said; her voice was calm.

  He somehow didn’t listen and leaned closer to her again. A second later, she kicked him between the legs. It didn’t hurt him, but he backed off, surprised.

  Luna didn’t give him time to do anything; she grabbed the teapot in her hand and threw water at him.

  The water splashed—Lukai sobered.

  First seconds, she was just looking at him. Then she spoke, with hints of anger in her voice. To see Luna angry…

  “Let me tell you. You left me; you didn’t reply to anything I sent. You cannot come back like this and do what you want. You need to ask me if I want it too. And I do not want it now. I told you, no.”

  “Could you…?” he asked and stopped, as he was not sure what to say. ‘Like me again?’ He never explained his past actions. Should he—now? Two years was a long time; why hadn’t he done it before?

  “I admire your goals, Lukai. I gave it not one thought after you… I thought about it.”

  Luna calmed down.

  “I regret it,” he said; he decided to say it.

  “Now?” she asked.

  “Yes.” Lukai confirmed. It was the truth.

  “… And then?” Luna asked further, watching him.

  “Then I thought it was right what I did,” Lukai said. The truth, again.

  “Eh.” She nodded, as if it was precisely what she had expected.

  She didn’t seem angry. She was calm, already calm.

  Lukai was very impressed.

  “Why didn’t you reply to anything I sent?” Luna asked.

  “I wasn’t sure what to say. After some time, I thought it was late to comment.”

  “Sometimes to say nothing is to say everything,” she said slowly, visibly thinking not only about their situation.

  “What is possible?” Lukai suddenly asked, surprising himself as well.

  “Everything, Lukai!” Luna laughed.

  “With you and me?” he asked.

  “You cannot be serious. No. It is in the past. Now I am a part of politics. I am not complaining about it. It works for me, Lukai. Being dual, married to Shadow, it solves stuff. Postponed? All right. If canceled, also good; I could leave then.”

  “Leave?”

  “Yes, leave this place, Unio. I am not scared to do it,” she said, smiling.

  “Would you consider going to the OFF?” he asked, curious.

  If the engagement was canceled, if Lukai asked Si to cancel it, was there any possibility? She wasn’t aware he could help with this, to push this alliance contract in some direction.

  “To camps, to work? I could. I work there from time to time, you know?”

  “With me,” Lukai said, not to leave her any options to avoid answering.

  “Again, you. No. Lukai, it is in the past. I am telling you,” she said and paused.

  What she said next was quite unexpected.

  “To tell the truth, I like someone else. I need to forget it, I think, as it is impossible in my situation. But, either way, no, definitely not with you. You deserve someone who will like you. I do not think it is appropriate for me to engage with you again when I have feelings for someone else. You shouldn’t be used by me to forget about someone else,” Luna said; it was very honest.

  Lukai was disappointed. Not by her. By what happened. He also felt a need to ask more.

  “Does it mean you forgot me already?”

  “Lukai. How could I forget you? It is in the past, that’s for sure. But I will remember. You, Lukai, were my first lover. My first love and my first heartbreak. How could I forget? But it is in the past; let it go.”

  “Lu?”

  “Kai?” She smiled again.

  “Apologies; sincerely, I apologize,” he said. He meant it.

  She relaxed.

  “Accepted. Now, let’s figure out what’s next. Tell me who was with you and what you both plan to do with the information I gave you.”

  Straight to the point. The new Luna was impressive.

  Lukai felt very disappointed, but only with himself.