Varian sat on his bed, scowling. Hector had seemed really freaked out about the black rocks just past the border, but as soon as he mentioned them to Quirin Varian had been sent to his room so the 'grown-ups' could talk.
He hated this. He wasn't a little kid anymore. If the black rocks were a problem, and clearly they were, then he could help figure it out. Despite what his dad seemed to think, Varian was good at finding solutions to problems. He wasn't the best at carrying them out, but he still had good ideas. If they worked together as a family, they could probably get somewhere. But he couldn't help if he was left in the dark.
And their family couldn't work together if they were always fighting.
He couldn't hear shouting, but he knew what was happening. His dad was probably yelling at Hector, like he so frequently did. They would argue. Hector would storm out and be gone for a few days. Varian wouldn't be told about the secret that his family was fighting about. They'd all just go one with their lives as though nothing had happened.
As Varian waited he wrote what little he knew about the black rocks. Hector and Quirin were familiar with them. They were like big versions of the pebbles found around Old Corona, except Varian's family had been unconcerned about those, and they were anxious about these. The big black rocks reminded him of Adira's sword, and Varian wondered if they were made from the same material. If so, did that mean that the black rocks were unbreakable the way that Adira said her sword was?
Hector made it sound like these rocks just popped out of the ground. Varian didn't know if he believed him, but a clue was a clue. He took note of it, and tried to think of if there was anything else.
As Varian thought he heard the front door slam. He carelessly dropped his notebook and hurried to the window. He expected to see Hector storm off, but what Varian saw instead was his dad heading out. Where was he going?
Varian went downstairs to see Hector scowling at the kitchen table, a fury in his eyes. Varian approached cautiously. "Are you okay?"
"Other than the fact that your dad thinks I'm a liar who will just make stuff up to get my way, I'm peachy." Hector growled. Varian flinched.
"Dad said that?" Varian asked.
"In not so many words." Hector sighed. "He went to verify that the black rocks were actually there, because apparently my word isn't good enough for him."
Varian sat down. He felt sympathy. He knew how it felt for his dad to not believe him when Varian didn't think he'd ever given him any reason to not just trust him. "Why would you lie about that?"
Hector scoffed. "That's what I said." He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling. The anger in his eyes had dimmed just a bit, and Varian could see the cold pain hiding behind it. He hated seeing this look from Hector. He would rather his uncle shout and swear, kicking up a storm with every step he went. His anger was far better than this numb depression.
"Quirin just sees the worst in me." Hector said. "To him, I'm just some Moon obsessed freak that he has the bad luck of having as a brother."
Varian's stomach churned at these words. He didn't know if Hector was actually saying what Quirin thought of him, or if it was what he thought about himself. They were both horrible, and Varian didn't know how to make it better. Aunt Adira was usually pretty good at getting through to Hector, but she had been gone these past several days, disappearing with barely a word. She might have mentioned something about the Capital, or the sun, or something like that, but the point was that she wasn't here.
Varian didn't really know what to do, and he didn't like feeling so useless. He sat down next to Hector, leaning against him. Hector took a deep breath and put his arm around him, holding Varian close.
"I'm sorry you feel like my dad doesn't care about you." Varian's voice cracked. He hated being so emotional.
"I'm sorry you feel the same way." Hector said. He knew about Varian's doubts about his dad. It hurt to hear them, and it made Varian feel worse, because was this how he'd made Hector feel when he was trying to support him? Even when Varian was trying to provide comfort he still just made things worse.
Hector took a deep breath and sat up. "Alright. You have questions about the black rocks. Hit me with them."
Varian blinked. "Really?"
"We're past the point of you not knowing." Hector said. "It's getting dangerous. I know that Quirin wants to protect you, but I don't think he's right this time, and I have to put my foot down."
Varian bit his lip. He felt conflicted. On the one hand, he would finally get some answers. On the other hand, his dad would be furious, and this time it might just destroy his uncle.
"What about my dad?" Varian asked. "I don't want you to get in trouble. I really don't." His quest for answers wasn't worth this.
Hector leaned towards him. "Look, all the stuff that your dad doesn't want me to talk to you about, it all basically comes back to the same one thing. If I don't tell you that one thing, he'll be disappointed and frustrated, but he'll understand."
Varian didn't know, but he did want answers, and Hector sounded so sure. "Okay. Where did the black rocks come from?"
And that began the series of questions and answers. Apparently they came from the Dark Kingdom, which Varian could have guessed. They were, in fact, unbreakable, just like Adira's sword. Hector said that they cropped up everywhere, but especially when the Moon was upset, but he wouldn't say what he meant by that.
"What are the black rocks doing here?" Varian asked. They were supposed to be native to the Dark Kingdom, where the Moon's power was strongest. Why would they be in the kingdom of the sun?
"That's something else I can't tell you." Hector said. "Not without your dad's permission." Varian's face fell, though he really didn't mean for it to. Hector grimaced apologetically. "I'm sorry, kid."
"It's not your fault." Varian said. It was his dad's fault, and possibly Adira's if he understood things right. They were the ones lying to him. Hector was just too scared of losing them to fight back. He was doing more for Varian now than maybe he should.
"You worship the Moon, right?" Varian asked. "What's your god like?" He wanted to cheer his uncle up, and maybe get some more answers along with it. If Hector was answering questions that weren't immediate answers to the lie, then why not take advantage of it?
And if Varian remembered what questions weren't answered, he could maybe pin down what the lie was about.
Hector gave him a small smile that, while weak, looked genuine. "She's powerful. A goddess of vengeance and strength. A lot of people see her as nothing more than a deity of death, but she's so much more than that. She brings balance. Without darkness and cold, there's no relief from the burning of the sun. Her plagues kill, but those who survive learn and grow even stronger through the trials we endure."
Varian didn't entirely understand, but when he looked down at the fur of his boots he remembered the lesson he had been taught years ago. Life was precious because it had an end. Like the seasons. Varian imagined if summer lasted forever, he wouldn't really like it as much. Knowing that it only lasted for a few months before the chill of winter came was what made summer precious. And the knowledge that the cold winter would eventually end was often what got their people through the desolating months.
Constant change. Balance in all things, good and bad. That sounded pretty nice to Varian.
They talked for a few more hours. Varian learned about the people of the Dark Kingdom. His people. Hector told him about their traditions and festivals, and Varian was surprised and excited to learn that some of the traditions his family had had come directly from the ways of the Dark Kingdom. Varian had a connection to his people, even if he hadn't known it until now.
Hector told him stories about the stars, and how they connected to the Moon. Varian had read different stories about the constellations, and it was interesting to hear how the stories he knew were different and similar to the ones that Hector spoke about.
It was nice, and for the first time in a long time Varian wasn't thinking about what was being hidden from him. He was learning too much to worry about that. His enjoyment quickly went away when Quirin came home in the middle of the night, looking exhausted. Varian and Hector were still talking by the light of some of his alchemy experiments. They both stopped immediately when they saw Quirin.
Varian thought that they both expected him to be mad. Quirin's eyes went to Hector, and there was nothing but relief, fear, and guilt in his gaze. Quirin went up to Hector and embraced him tightly. Hector was stiff and confused at first before he leaned into the touch.
"You were right." Quirin said. "About the black rocks."
"I don't know why you doubted me." Hector said. Quirin sighed.
"It's complicated, but it's not because of you." Quirin said. "I know it doesn't make sense. I wish I could tell you everything, but it's not my place."
Something started to nudge Varian at the back of his mind. This felt familiar, and important, but he couldn't figure out why. He was too busy trying to figure out why his dad was telling Uncle Hector the same kind of empty reassurances that he always gave to Varian when he tried to get answers about the lies he was told. Hector was in on the secret. Why was Quirin talking to him like he wasn't?
Quirin pulled away from Hector. "The black rocks are a problem that need to be addressed. Where's Adira."
"Haven't seen her." Hector said.
"She's been gone for a few days." Varian said. Quirin let out a slow breath that made it clear how frustrated he was.
"She probably saw the black rocks days ago, and is trying to get to the bottom of it." Quirin said. "Without speaking to us first." It sure sounded like Aunt Adira to Varian, but Hector just looked confused.
"Get to the bottom of what? Hector asked. "We know what the black rocks are doing here." Quirin gave him a warning look. Varian stepped in before accusations started to get thrown around again.
"Dad, I already know about the black rocks. Hector told me." Varian said. He didn't want his dad to get mad at Hector for something he didn't do. "He didn't tell me about the moonstone." Both Quirin and Hector looked at him with shock.
"How do you know about that?" Quirin asked quietly. Hector was still just stunned. Varian shifted slightly. He didn't want to admit he'd been eavesdropping, but it was better than his dad and Hector fighting again."
"I heard you mention it a few weeks ago." Varian muttered. "You guys were fighting, and you mentioned something called the moonstone. You said you didn't want me to know about it. And Hector hasn't told me. He told me about the Moon, and the black rocks, and our people, but not about the moonstone. Please don't be mad at him."
Quirin looked pained. "Brother, can you give me a few minutes with my son?"
Hector looked between the two of them before shrugging. "Sure." He went outside, and Varian was left alone with his dad. Quirin sat down, holding his hands out. Varian took them.
"You know you shouldn't listen in on private conversations." Quirin began. "But we can talk about that later. Right now I need you to tell me something very important. After Hector left that night, I talked to Adira. Did you hear that conversation?"
Quirin sounded sad and serious, and for a second Varian was tempted to lie. To say he'd gone to bed. Let his dad know how it felt to be lied to. But all these secrets were tearing their family apart. Varian didn't want to contribute to that. He nodded.
"What did you hear?" Quirin asked.
"That Aunt Adira's making you lie." Varian said quietly. "But I don't know about what."
"Did you tell Hector what you heard?' Quirin asked. Varian shook his head. Quirin breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. That's good."
"Dad, what's going on?" Varian asked. "What secret are you hiding from me?"
Quirin sighed, looking like he had aged about ten years in the past two minutes. "It's complicated, and you'll probably be angry when you hear it, and you'll have every right to be. You never should have been dragged into this, and I never should have let things get this far."
All of this preamble was making Varian more and more nervous. "Dad?"
Quirin gave his hands a reassuring squeeze. "I think it's time I tell you about the moonstone, and a family that will do whatever they think is necessary to keep each other safe."