It made my skin crawl to see how alive the forest was outside the estate. There was the slightest whisper of movement through the underbrush, and shadows moved along the trunks, curling like smoke in the last of the light. Tired from Thorn's training, I had been tense all day, but I couldn't get rid of the feeling that someone or something was observing.
Silently, Thorn walked next to me, his presence a steady, unwavering anchor. His eyes narrowed slightly and flicked occasionally toward the tree line. He pressed his lips into an unreadable thin line. I had started to see that his quiet times frequently preceded chaos.
Finally, in a low voice, he said, "We move." "Activity is occurring close to the northern border. Not outlaws. I looked at him, heart skipping. "Not rogues?"
"No," he answered. Something else. Something that is aware of your existence."
My chest constricted at the words. I instantly sensed the pull, the same impossibly strong tug in my chest that had appeared when the rogue had leaped at me. Over the moss-covered ground, the forest's shadows appeared to grow thicker and accumulate like smoke. My hands itched from energy I couldn't yet control, and my pulse leaped.
He commanded, "Stay behind me," but there was no room for debate in his tone. "Don't do anything until I tell you to."
Silent and vigilant, we made our way through the brush. The amber-eyed, muscular Draven wolves stood on either side of us. They were so different from humans that I couldn't help but notice how alive, dangerous, and worldly they were. However, my own awareness hummed beneath my skin, threatened to outpace even theirs.
Like a stage, the northern clearing spread out in front of us. And there they were, shadows nearly too perfect to be true, figures moving with fluid precision. From the darkened edge of the trees, I caught the dim glint of silver eyes. They blinked once, slowly, purposefully, and disappeared once more.
I clutched my training tunic's strap as I gasped. "They're back, Thorn."
He took a while to reply. Rather, he crouched down and scanned the clearing with the accuracy of a predator. "Not them," he whispered. "We are being lured by something."
My stomach turned over. The warning sounded heavier than words because of something in his voice. A chill crept into my bones, colder than the evening air. My chest began to roar as the whispering tug intensified, and I automatically lifted my hand, feeling the shadows coil along my fingertips.
Thorn's voice cut through the mist and he said, "Ravenna." "Don't."
I nearly shook as I froze. My pulse caused the shadows to tremble, curling like tendrils across the wet floor. The air itself appeared prepared to bend at my command with just one step and one thought. This was the most powerful feeling I had ever experienced. I never thought the force within me could react so quickly, so violently, and without using words.
Be I muttered, more to myself than to him, "They're testing me."
"Testing," Thorn said again, squinting. "No. They are hunting. They're hunting you, too."
Like ice water, the realization struck me. My heart hammered my ribs. "Me? Why me?"
He said softly, "Because you are the Moonborn," as though uttering the name out loud gave it significance. "And the moonborn can not hide."
I balled my fingers into fists. "I'm not even entirely sure what that means."
Thorn remained silent. Rather, he took a step forward, his movements as smooth and precise as a wolf in human shape. He never took his eyes off mine. "Then learn. Right now."
The first shadow shifted. Silently and deliberately, a ripple of darkness slithered across the clearing. As I watched, I sensed it reacting to me, and I unconsciously allowed my power to flare.
Time slowed. A tiny bit, but enough to cause the shadow to falter in the middle of a step. My hand reached out, and the darkness surrounding my fingers sprang forward, encircling an invisible foe like smoke. The silver eyes widened in alarm after blinking once and twice.
With a snarl of approval, Thorn said, "Good." "Restrain it. Bend it."
I continued to push, allowing the shadows to coil and stretch as they wound around the figures in the clearing like tendrils as they twisted along the ground. Their faces briefly flashed with fear, but it vanished in a moment.
A tall, slender, and incredibly swift figure broke away from the line. Eyes like molten gold, amber hair, and a smirk that chilled my blood. "Moonborn," he uttered in a smooth, derisive tone. "I have been anticipating your arrival."
I went cold. A hit of recognition. The pendant, the scarf, the meticulous mud markings. Everything clicked. Selene.
Thorn grounded me with a firm hand on my shoulder. With steely eyes, he admonished, "Do not engage unless I command it."
However, she was already approaching me, elegant, deadly, and anticipating every move I would make. My chest constricted. Inside of me, fear, anger, and the pull of my power clashed. As if I could conjure them into shields or weapons with a single thought, I could feel the shadows responding to me, curling more quickly, and approaching.
Selene's mouth twisted. She whispered, "You've changed." "I was wondering if you would." "Why are you doing this?" I insisted. "Why betray him, betray the pack?"
With a sound akin to ice cracking, she laughed. "Little sister, you're naive. Do you believe you understand control, fate, and power? You're just starting to notice. And I am its master."
Something instinctive within me was sparked by her words. In response, the darkness grew thicker and curled into spikes, tendrils, and claws that extended in her direction. The air seemed to shimmer in defiance as she casually flicked her hand.
Thorn positioned himself between us, moving before I could respond. "Ravenna," he yelled. "Focus! Control!"
With my heart pounding, I inhaled deeply. The darkness throbbed with my apprehension, rage, and resolve. Then I became aware of something horrifying. Everything around me, including Selene, would be destroyed if I lost control or if the force inside of me spiraled.
The clearing felt suspended in time, the air taut, vibrating with the promise of violence. And I knew one thing with absolute clarity: I would not falter. Not tonight.
Because this was my fight.
And I was the Moonborn.