Hi there guys; welcome to Part III of the Nightfall Trilogy. If you haven't read Ascending Darkness & Moving Shadows, I highly recommend doing so. Without those, you'll be lost.

I own nothing except OCs, the original plot and poems.

Further Details:

T for violence, swearing and somewhat adult situations - nothing explicit.

Genre: Romance / Angst / Mystery/ Supernatural / Drama / Humour

Weeping Moonlight continues where Moving Shadows left off. This story moves on to the dark legacy Rafael has left behind, namely his daughter Irina and his (newly introduced) son, Leonardo. In the last chapter of Moving Shadows you saw the silent declaration of war between both sides and the realisation that Ema is smack bang in the middle of it: for reasons unknown, Irina has it out for Ema and she has made it clear she's going to kill her if it's the last thing she does. Weeping Moonlight is the conclusion to the Nightfall trilogy and as thus, we'll get the answers to all the mysteries that have developed over the past two stories.

If you've made it this far, thank you. Please stay with me. I promise I will try to live up to the story I've build.

Finally, my profile has a link to my Nightfall (Facebook) fanpage. Give it a look.

As always, reviews are appreciated. Please take a moment out of your (I'm sure) very busy day to leave me your thoughts. They are motivation and inspiration.

I would also like to add that, in this chapter, I have deviated from my usual design of writing my own poetry. I have used the lyrics from a song called Iron by Woodkid. This song is the reason chapter 1 existed even before I had updated chapter 40. Take a listen. It fits the mood.

And now... we start.

Dark Rapture

.'.

From the dawn of time to the end of days

I will have to run, away

I want to feel the pain and the bitter taste

Of the blood on my lips, again

'.'

"Rewind it."

He complies wordlessly.

"Stop."

The screen halts mid-movement. A room full of familiar faces fill the frame and he smiles at the look of confusion and anger registered there as an amused voice drifts out through the speakers.

"Something about you has caught my daughter's attention, Ema, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that that isn't a good thing."

"I'm quaking in my shoes."

He smiles. "Fiery little thing isn't she?"

"Yes, Leo," is the soft answer. "We established that already."

"Rafael, that's—"

"Enough? You should know by now, Kade. It's never enough. She will never have enough."

"Your daughter sounds like a first-class whore, Rainsford."

"Three guesses on which Gavinner dies first," Leo laughs.

Her expression doesn't shift. "Adagio won't die."

His eyebrow quirks and a smirk curls his lips. "I had no idea you were sweet on the nation's heartthrobs."

She turns to look at him, her eyes piercing into him. "Death isn't always the worst punishment, Leo."

"I'm breathless to hear your plan."

She turns back to the screen, her silver eyes unblinking. "A plan is for complicated tasks," she says. "A task with multiple variables."

Leo says nothing, turning back to watch the video. He already knows what she has planned. They sit in silence, the conversation from the video the only sound.

"Don't invite the devil," Rafael's whisper is cold and meaningful. "Especially not when the devil comes with an army."

"Dad sure knows how to deliver a message," he says, his voice tinged with an appreciative smile.

"Speaking of messages," she responds emotionlessly. "I trust you delivered the disc."

"Don't worry, Irina," he reassures her. "Cavatin is probably watching it right now."

"Good."

"Why give it to him now?"

"You're going to watch all the people you love die before she comes for you. Deston, Lana, Klavier… You'll bury them all before the end."

He observes Irina silently watch the screen and then her magnificent head moves ever so slightly.

"Dad's never been able to grasp one thing," she explains.

"And what's that, little sister?"

"That they're driven to protecting the women they love."

He begins to understand. "And when they fail?"

Another silence falls around them and the conversation from the video takes hold.

"Raina has no place in this conversation."

"Does she have a place in your heart?"

"Nothing you say about Raina will get to me, Rainsford. I've moved on."

"You wouldn't if you'd heard her screams. She screamed and screamed until she lost her voice and when she couldn't scream anymore, she cried."

Leo and Irina watch Deston's face contort. They watch the glass shatter, watch as the screen jerks violently when the young man attacks their father.

"When they fail," she says softly, watching the screen mesmerised, "they do stupid things."

"He has the video," Leo reaffirms, nodding in satisfaction.

"He can watch Raina die," Irina says. "The same way we have to watch this."

"I love the way your mind works," Leo says.

"Me too."

"So why did you keep it so long?" he repeats.

"There was no use giving it to him then. He was almost broken." She shifts and when she speaks next, there's a smile in her voice. "Men like him don't let these things pass. I had a feeling he would become a nuisance. So I kept it safe."

"Not worried he's going to come after you?"

"He's already coming for me."

"When he sees that video, you know he's going to want to kill you himself."

She laughs. "I'm counting on it."

Leo pauses as another thought crosses his mind. "You enjoyed killing little Miss Raina Aeron, didn't you?"

Irina's quiet and her brother sees the answer in the smile still on her lips. He follows her gaze back to the screen and his smirk widens at the face that meets his eyes.

"Deston, stop this," Ema's voice is shaking. "This is what he wants."

"Look at his face!" Deston shouts, rounding on Ema while pointing into Rafael's distorted expression. "Does it look like this is what he wants?"

"He's going to become so consumed with finding us," Irina continues, "that he'll make all the right mistakes."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'D WANT! SHE'S DEAD! HE KILLED HER AND HE'S THREATENED TO KILL EMA! ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME THIS IS INJUSTICE?"

"Aren't you worried he'll have another meltdown?" Leo asks, curious. "He'll be useless."

And then, for the first time, Irina's mouth curls in contempt. "It was only a belated response. His love for Raina is as dead as she is. He wants revenge for what was taken from him, not what was lost." Her eyes turn to Leo and there's amusement in her pale eyes. "That's not to say he won't lose anything now."

"How long?"

Irina understands his question. "We'll have her soon," she assures him. "Cavatin's mistake is like a coming storm cloud — when it rains, it's going to pour."

"You're deviating from Dad's plan," Leo points out.

"He'll forgive me," she answers confidently.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"I don't have the time to make sure. I can't wait that long."

"Not unless we revert to Plan B."

"No." Irina leans forward, her hair falling smoothly against one raised arm. "Her connections are too great. We can't afford that sort of attention for this."

Leo considers this and nods, aware of the truth in her words.

"I've been tracking David's movements."

"And?"

"He's good at covering his tracks," Leo says sombrely.

"You don't fool me, brother." Irina smiles at him. "You're just as good at uncovering them."

Leo laughs. "You caught me," he confesses, throwing his hands up.

"What is he up to?"

"He is good at hiding what he's doing," Leo stresses, "but I found out enough to gather he's trying to hide Gale's daughter."

Irina is quiet for a few minutes before she answers. "The child isn't our priority. Let him think he's succeeded. We'll deal with her later."

"Gavin's trying to have Daryan's sentence waivered."

Another smile lifts her luscious lips. "Good."

"I hear he's turning his attention to Simon as well. Gavin wants Simon's help against us, no doubt."

"We have to remedy that, then, don't we?"

"It's arranged. Faron and Liam are going to visit Mr Misham very soon… right before they accidentally re-spark Mr Brushel's interest."

Irina's expression dissolves into pure amusement as she turns to Leo. "I don't expect it's about purchasing a painting."

Leo flashes her a smile. "Not exactly, no."

"What would I do without you, big bro?" Irina laughs. "You always read my mind."

"Can you read mine?"

"Mrs Crescend is recovering…" she answers with a knowing look. "For now."

Leo laughs. "Well done. Although my inner monologue was using her first name."

"Let's give it a few more days on Miss Maralie," Irina says. "Mr Aded might surprise us."

"Oh, Irina!"

Rafael's laughing voice breaks into their conversation and they both turn back to the screen in silence.

"My dear, sweet Irina, I beg you! Don't betray your father."

Leo glances at his sister and smiles at the look of enjoyment on her face. Her body is relaxed.

"I would never betray my father…" She turns to meet Leo's gaze. "Would I, brother?"

He cocks his head to the side and winks at her. They simultaneously turn back to the screen where the events fold out. The speakers boom with Rafael's rage and the frame jerks as his body falls into silence. Their faces remain untouched by sorrow or anger and, after a moment in which they watch the Gavinners pull Deston down from the stage before he shrugs them off and disappears from the room, Leo turns off the TV, plunging them into darkness.

He hears her shift and then the click of her heels can be heard on the wooden floor. The door opens and light spills in around her frame as she turns back to look at her brother. "When do we expect Mr Misham's unintentional suicide?"

"As soon as Faron manipulates enough interest in the good painter."

Irina smiles. "It was so nice of Zak to die when he did, wasn't it?"

"It was the least he could do," Leo sneers. "We gave him the 7 years he wanted. It was time to pay up."

"Mm," she hums. "It's funny isn't it? We went to all the trouble of letting Kristoph know Zak was going to resurface because Dad needed him on the inside to find Uncle David… And it was the other Gavin who located him."

"Yeah. Worked out pretty well though," Leo comments, standing up and walking to Irina. "Gavin has no idea what his brother's done."

"And when they try and tell him the truth—"

"—which they will—" Leo murmurs, leaning into Irina.

"—we'll strike." She smiles and tilts her head to the side the same way he did before. "But let's give them a few more days of peace, shall we?"

Leo arches an eyebrow.

Irina's smile flowers. "It hurts the most when you expect it the least."

His expression clears up and he throws his head back in a laugh. "You're a cold woman, little sis."

Irina flicks her hair and throws him a meaningful look over her shoulder as she turns away.

"That's why Dad chose me."