MOONBOUND: THE HUMAN HEART

ining arena wa

f an ancient colosseum. The floor was packed dirt, stained dark in places I didn't want to think about. Weapons hung

center of it all w

t, her face a roadmap of old scars. When she smiled, it lo

ing through the arena without a micr

lusters on the arena floor. Most of them were already in athletic gear-tight leggings, tank

coddle. We do not wait. We throw you into the

of the pit, her boots le

ne. No weapons. No shifting. Just you

mach d

on

r knuckles, exchanging confident smirks. A girl with a shaved head and arm

est I'd come to violence was when I'd pushed a boy in fifth gra

Dem

ce cut throu

he was staring

re fi

dents climbed

pped around myself, my heart pounding

e side of the arena. A door op

to a high ponytail. Almond-shaped eyes the color of honey. A body that

mine in the dining hall. The one who'd laughed w

rn. Third-generation Silvermoon leg

he smile of someone wh

"Human. No combat experienc

rs erupted

my fa

" Morwe

didn't

the time in the world. Her eyes swept over me-my soft stomac

she said. "I'll

"I don't want

ot how th

lu

with my ribs, and the air exploded out of my lungs. I

Freya

me my jaw. My head snappe

wo

stomach. I doubl

hr

as looking at her face. Up close, her eyes weren

whispered. "And

have st

something small and stub

I chok

smile

icked me. Hard. Right in the rib

hers were

d, trying to protect myself. But Freya ke

up, h

even defe

the

urred together. Everything went hazy, l

th

ing sh

ted in

ough my ribs, down my arms, up my throat. It burned, but it didn't hu

es op

ver me, her fist rai

n't afrai

s an

at exp

flew b

uck. Her body crashed into the wall of the arena twenty

le

complete

still hurt. My jaw still throbbed. But my ey

chers whispered, "H

lection in a puddle of

were

were bur

e hell w

cross the room wit

can't

not h

aves. I staggered to my feet, my le

or the first time, she didn't look con

ly. "Report to the headmas

I did

ow

n't a

e. My boots left prints in the dirt-the same dirt stained with my blood

the door, I

was being helped to her feet by two other stud

r o

of the bleachers, separate fr

n't sh

sn't

ice-blue eyes, his jaw tight,

azes met, hi

any people were talking, t

uld read

not h

utside the ar

down to the floor, my head betwee

d just

ground. The next, I was throwing a girl

s are g

ked at my reflection in

brown again.

I'd seen. What

hing powerful. Something that

everyone

fice was at the top

a jolt of pain through my ribs. I was pretty su

same wolf-and-moon motif as everyt

nt

sk, his gold-flecked eyes fixed on me. He didn'

oked

down,

sa

what happened in t

ne way to

you experienced today is called a manifestation. It happ

d the words like they were in

ere human." He pau

shaking again.

d a drawer in his desk and pulled out a photograph. Old. Y

ked i

. Beautiful. Dark hair, dark eyes,

mot

her. This woman was wearing

ying," I

ward. "Your mother was a student here, thirty years

At the uniform she'd never mentioned, the school

ever t

n't. She was tryin

m wh

Vane's ey

the descendant of an ancient line of shifters thought to be extinct. And tha

room

the edges

ft this place because she fell in love with someone she shouldn

fat

e picture didn't exist anywhere in our apartment.

said. It wasn

es

e who sent th

Vane didn

didn't

eady

mber leaving

er stairs, or walking across the court

ng on my bed, the photograph of

ying to pr

hat? F

my door m

aw

r opene

eyes were softer than before. Not warm-neve

t happened

tions. You

de. Closed the

was low. Careful. "What you did today-throwing Fr

kno

kind of power... it's not just rare. It's

m. "Are you scare

w tigh

quietly. "And s

o the door. Paused wit

who heard." He looked back at me over his shoulder. "They're not goi

at do y

ent for a

door and walked out

ft, I saw someth

t looked almo

ear o

for