Shards of the Moon

la'

ered in twisting plants and lost in time's endless tapestry. When we stepped inside

hrine entryway. I stooped to examine a faded mosaic which showed an irregular cresce

away accumulated dust. My fingers trembled. A quiet

th suspicion and interest. His eyes moved across the broken colonnades as he declared his first assessment of m

ead. "Not in

sti

I'd s

ere was no going backward. The truth fought for my tongue's release after we departed

siting this shrine. I stood in the moonstone dais's center while bleedin

bled stones crunching unde

ce caught. "But I know it

ment before speaking. "The Lunar Shrine was sacred," he said finally

im of the dais. "And y

ewhere in the distanc

arms folded. "You told

... it was. But I think this place ho

softly, too softl

eone else. Someone powerful. Someone the w

th it whispers too faint to decipher. The vines around t

away. But he did

e," I said. "Why the spell you cast a

ply. "You shoul

been too scared to admit it. But thi

sed m

ere-not standing in a

were white and blood-stained. My chest burned. Some

en. I stumbled bac

caug

did yo

"You," I whispered.

ched. "That'

s

broke through his mask

k, letting go. "You

d. "I t

Until he said, "If that's true, Kaela,

aybe. Or maybe we're just two people cur

me, he didn