chest burned and her br
d deeper into the forest, slipping on sli
ere she went. She
ldn't g
diers burst in. N
UN. DO N
trange, silvery mark that was
warmth would ripple through her, hot and bright then a sha
d, pressing a shaky
t flicke
relief washing through
n s
ch cracked
red so loud she thought for
iers already
the dark. Nothing. Only tr
r of tangled branches and soggy earth until finally, a
dd, leaning chimney. A l
ived here the villag
what was happening
, once, then twice, then th
her
ans
more desperate. "Pl
he door cr
silver hair loose down her back, shar
d, voice scratch
ispered. "Somethin
the old woman step
rbs and dried flowers. Dozens of glass bottles lin
nd them and bolted it.
happ
ge thin and far away. "The royal soldiers they found
do you
ds shaking, then pul
a crescent of silver,
white. The cup she was holding slipped f
at the noise.
at the mark. Not confuse
word barely
shaking her head
a pressed, p
met hers. "Where
asn't there before, I swear." Elara'
w l
ht," s
stared a few
almost missed it: "
certain she'd hea
oward the window.
wned. "Wh
r. Not a
?" Elara ste
here," Mira said sudden
ill crawl down
le checked the lock, then hurried back. She grabbe
" she said, he
ly breathe. "You
to leave,"
ha
nig
e to cry rose u
rk again, eyes haunted. "Beca
ded in her chest.
woman he
s someon
ho
lickered across Mira'
he Moon Princess died
eemed to tilt.
"Princess E
nside. Suddenly, a memory flashed in her mind a woman with flowi
dar
ered, grabb
A
gh her skull, v
stant, echoed in her m
and the vis
by the elbow. "W
y get the words o
ression softened now-sa
ou?" the old h
ght
ra's skin. "Eighteen," she repeated
choked out, "What a
ooked her strai
village eighteen years a
t was a drum in
re only
reeling. "Wh
er head. "I
ger flared now, pu
hand. "I'm tryin
m wh
, she reached out, cold fin
with a stead
d..." She squeezed tighter
stopped bre
s eyes fille
red, so soft it bar
re the Moon Princess ne
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