When Fate Rewrote The Moon

a's

silent long a

witnessed at the banquet. The note, the handwriting, and the way Caius had con

have?" I

uptly, my he

in this bed and wait for answers to c

hreads that were slowl

gainst the cold stone floor. The corridors were empty at this hour. The guards

passage, every hidden door, and every shadow that

h the darkness

The moon hung low in the sky, casting silver light across the co

er

s near the eastern gate. Tall, sl

a" I w

reamed at me to attack, to confront her, and to drive my blad

t until I unders

ements careful and deliberate. She moved with purpose, never hesi

were dark. Only the occasional drunk stumbled home from a pub, too lost in h

oward Shadow

died near the palace gardens, but the forest had always been a place of fear, w

ntered witho

ght filtered through the canopy, creating patterns of silver and shad

I saw the

the clearing was bathed in soft silver light.

d figures emerged

thered around Nysera in a loose circle, their faces h

iting, as if they had done

first to brea

ed. The Alpha King has arrived, the engag

he hooded figures asked,

new that smile, I had seen it before. The same cruel cu

her to be. Trusting, obedient, and

my dagger so hard my

evious life. Trusting Caius, obedient to my father, and completely un

e said. "The Alpha King is more cautious than

m, and confident. "He will agree eventually be

he hooded figures asked. "He w

and too bound by duty. He'll do what need

What was she

er into the shadows,

w and urgent, and I caught only fragments about resourc

rough-voiced male repea

lied. "Everything

e boil

ade, the burning agony spreading through my body, the sound o

k her while she was distracted,

agger and took

I mu

my heart hammeri

died because you acted without understanding, you cannot

and forced myself t

"I needed evidence, not

mbol I could see marked onto the clothing of one of the hooded

I had seen on

od ran

e no sound on the forest floor. The hooded figures still talk

stepped on

through the fores

fr

?" one of the hood

there," the ho

ounding so loudly I was certain they could hear it, f

when a hand clamp

y dagger raised,

taring into Caius'

triking, his face unreadable in the moonlight

doing out he

t I had just witnessed a conspiracy that had led to my death in another life, that I had foll

p tightened slig

ce steadier than I felt. "I went for a wal

the middle of the night, in a dangerous forest,

red," I said.

for what?"

answer

ing my face, but whatever he was looking for he did

ut. "The threat is n

ression grim, nodding once at Caius bef

he forest," I said care

"That's why I'm here because my

see them?

the time I reached the

anted to scream, I had been so close, so close to discovering the

his gray eyes narrowin

e sound hollow and sharp.

his eyes flickering with something I couldn't name. "You tell me be

meet his eyes. "I'm

nch every time I com

flinch,

oice was quiet,

ery time I speak to you, and every time my hand

fore I could stop myself. "

ent ver

supposed to me

back. "Forget I said anything. It's l

" he said

up my hand. "Ple

if he followed, not wanting to see his face, the confusion, the sus

o step besi

k, It's not safe to

ng alone my enti

s flat. "You almost stumbled into a group o

be the first

l his eyes on me, studying me, trying

ed in the tre

the shadows was Nysera, standing perfectly still with her crimson dress blendin

saw Nysera's face, her expression

anned," she murmured, the words car

d into the darkness, disappearing as

pounded i

g no idea that the woman who had tried to destroy him in my previous life had just been standing in the shadow

, his voice pulling me back to t

terly. "I don't think

, his expression unread

k my head. "Forge

rest of the

silent, and Caius stopped at the gate

a," h

to face h

was quiet. "I don't know why you look at me l

storm-gray eyes

you think I've done, whatever you believe

him for a

he said. I had trusted his words, his promises

the confusion and hurt in his e

or had he been us

nymore," I said finally. "But

that?" H

understand, and if we don't figure out what it is...

h the gate with

sleep t

g I had witnessed in the forest, the hooded figures, their p

sera's

she held all the pieces of the puzzle and was s

cy go, and why had Caius's letter carried the sam

s only one piece of

re out the rest, I w

win Nysera, I will find the truth, I will expose everyone invol

s and forced my

begin my investig

I will fin

eling the conspiracy that had

ime, I wil