Marked By Moonlight

lent witness, hanging heavy and bright over Ebonri

buzzing just beneath my skin. It wasn't exactly fear, mor

, then silence. Even the night

der the moonlight. For just a second, I thought I saw something move among the trees, something tall

e drums

ep, and

bones. The Call. We all knew about it, though no one ever talked about

lenched in

nock on

but. They scanned my face with an intensity that made my throat go dry.

he villagers stood back, murmuring, their stares feeling like a physical weight. The elders, faces completely blank, formed a circle around t

d. They were sent away, their relief practically radiating off them n

. I glanced back at my mother, her lips a thin, white line, her

ike wildfire. The stone flared, blindingly bright, and the drums cut off mid-beat, plungin

torches, the sharp breaths of the crowd, the rustle of leaves

sensation spreading under my skin. Elder Corv

ark," he announced

prayed for would

ck and dawning recognition. My stomach churned. Even though I did

my mind, not a so

u

pale. At the edge of the forest, amber eyes gleamed between the trees,

g, my hands shaking. But beneath the fear, something ancient, som

r whispered, her voice trembling jus

rated through the night air. A tall shadow flickered past a nea

't come t

d come