The True Luna They Tried To Kill

ith's

nding nicely. There were hundreds of candles in the ceremonial hall and all the servants around me were like th

e white ribbon in her arms, "Vaelith, hurry u

d, tucking a petal b

dle of snipped stems and stealthed my way to the cor

I saw a young lord readjust his cloak clasp, a lady laugh too loud at what her companion sai

g a glance to who he was talking to. He didn't have to.

own and he

treamers on the marble, followed by the High Seer, his silver eyes already half-gone in some vision that he alone could see. Then came the oldest

ll was

s," Elder Tomasin said, his voice resonating easi

own before him and as he spoke the old words over their heads. I saw a young warrior beaming at his

oment everyone

Kaedric

es fixed on nothing as if they were at ease with the weight of all gazes in the room. I only had a few encounters with him, alw

s hands, as if to start

s lifted, his brow furrowed

ong. His lips moved in some private calculation, he studied the moon through the great glass dome

ed to spread

e done," some

Luna," another voice asked, "

antly went silent. "He looked to Kaedric. Alpha, give

nched and he nodd

out of his chest, as smoke in the wind. All the noble ladies in the hall straightened up,

did

on around the walls. Outside the healers were standing around the altar. It was a slow, de

towards my corner until it w

"What-", but i

beating in me, a warmness I had never felt

" someon

ng of this?!" a no

down and saw four guards standing around me, and there were elders standing up from their s

id, my voice shaking. "I don

ed, "Take her to the

emony-" some

til the reason for what

round scattering all over the marble as we marched me out of the hall. I saw Kaedric's face, but

-

tone and shadow; and I stood in the midst of it, an

emanded: "Exp

't know what happened, I was just setting up

ked, "Have you practiced magic? Fo

ell you, I swear it on

e Alpha been alone together? "Met in sec

said, my voice rising, " I did not as

ce again, we will not accuse anyone until we have the truth." Kaedric s

d me for a long silence, his hands dangl

ssence of the Alpha is in

er erupte

an elder. "A sacred essenc

edented in histo

ng," a third said, glaring at m

ar!" At this point, I was a

me silent. "There is a way to be sure. But the readings are

ait till the sun sets

"She will be locked up until then. She

ghts were on that but I was

them talking to each other from time to time, but not so loud that I could hear what they were saying. I sat on the edge of the nar

, there was no one who would speak for me if they wish

e that I was being summoned again, my legs had beco

ng stretched across the stone floor. There was a woman that I didn't recognize standing in the middle

Tomasin said. "She will pro

." She went to the elders. "In the days leading up to a mating ceremony, the stars can fog, a horoscope can briefly match the wrong person. This girl's stars coincided with the A

, but it didn

sin said "

nd weirdly, like something being pulled out under my skin, as the witch raised her hands toward

Duskmere, which I hadn't even noticed st

sigh of relief and som

ed. "Alpha Kaedric and Seraphine Duskmere's u

on that it was not my fault, no apology, no nothing. I kept my head down and walk

rly m

moved directly in my direction, and I backe

oulder into mine a

no one in the room could hear her, ga

is not