The devil's little bride

The Girl Ma

d Selene fr

s, bound in thorn-twined rope, bled from her struggl

had finally

athe now that the Devil's

ting at her bare feet. "You bewitched t

r voice cracked against the wind

ed her with

er mouth. Meta

the crowd. But no one looked at her, either. Gri

her healing hands, her kind words, the way she sang t

sm

love rotte

out. "You speak to shadows. You draw symbols

bleed," s

hrough blood and

air was white and braided like rope, and her

ed," the woman said sof

stomach t

her knees. She'd bled when she cut her palm trying to peel a

if her blood wasn't red enoug

ier than admitting

he Moon Rite,"

at, Selene was n

s a sa

-

r skin with salt

her head until she sta

ugh to be transparent, the fabric clingin

k anyone in the eyes. Not

rds had be

vil could reac

thread through Selene's hair. "If he sees your soul bef

ea

ed to laugh

othing clea

-

that didn't belong to their lands. No one knew where it came from. It had always

e moon rose. Not

hing

our teeth ache and yo

ch knot cinched tighter than the last, not for

he Devil c

d come. He

e each b

f Hell away from their homes

xchange for

the moment

her like glass. The wind stop

ld turned i

-

walk from

t rise f

-where he hadn't be

hair was black as oil, brushing his jaw. His skin was moon-pale, but not cold

-Gods, h

were

t red. Just dar

oment befo

e between light

dn't

t tou

Long. Unblinking.

d seen he

d lost he

e was supposed to be afraid

he di

tared

. Her voice was raw, but steady.

slowly. Til

enough to whip her hair around her face. Th

recog

l steppe

d-but he only

of his fingers, t

. disa

ess. The marks on her skin were already f

said, her voice shaking n

he didn

ght shatter-and brushed a single

m.

nt

ul. Not m

arably..

ng, broken. Like a man seeing a grav

the first ti

nd fire. Worn and deep

d to be chosen," he s

ared. "Yo

Something shifted in his

he said. "B

e cliff

o did