Twice Marked, Twice Chosen

A's

co

a

g my throat like acid. My chest rise

al

s, the moonlight blurr

ody shakes, bones rattling under drenched clot

hair, broad shoulders, unrea

know thi

en remembe

inds a stick. I lift it with trembling f

My voice cracks,

t answer

me. Calm. Contro

t knocks the air from my lungs

to say thank you. I

ve

ing I remember was water.

he pul

n't he

just like that..turning his back lik

sks, "Can you find

ough I don't h

rejec

banis

et me

falls fr

es someth

hatred I was hold

onfused, drenche

ed in silence, he looked

red with the thud of hooves

I wrapped my arms around myself, tr

id I even slip

all sides. The trees whispered secrets to

t happened clung to my ski

dre

blood moon, the shadows. The wind howle

My legs wobbled as I began to move, each step sinking slight

yr

t dropped to my

Where a

ness like a silver blade. I kn

! I'm

toward the sound, branches scraping my arms, until I saw her. Hazel

t me like I

running and pulling me into her arms

y grounding me. "I... I fell. The river. I was..."

r home. Said you ran away from the ceremony. Everyone panicked. Father.

ce was weak. "I didn't mean to..

d. "We should ge

The wind still whispered, but now it carried co

something's

think something's different. Bu

My heart thum

.. he pulled me out of

s raised. "S

But he had this... prese

I wasn't ready to explain how I felt draw

ns of people stood with lanterns in front of our house. My

and shouted, "I fo

hoed. Relief washed over s

a's

d walking awa

causing

, of all

ursed, I

ngue, shive

course, c

crowd like she was born to stan

ded to show up

voice was venom

arned, standing protec

laughed at my misfortunes since

shift again? Ran off like a coward and left your family to worry

I wasn't going to cry

alone," Haz

shoved Hazel. "You always defe

hit the ground wi

hing s

e f

to my knee

at the back of her he

My fingers tremble

inside m

and powerful, scr

e you?"

g around us. My voice echo

regret

I heard something else insid

but I stepped forward. My ey

skull as if lightning

olent. Trees bent.

scre

nt ago, turned stark white,

d her by

ed to run toward me..but

mson. My heartbeat

es bulged.

nst

it

couldn

side. Something

flew across the land and crash

I'd felt tore through my mind

es gav

wind

darken

sed besi

swept t

s a w

ked one of

n't belon

s flic

s were

up with turne

houted, "

eside me. "No!

one l

ndered t

. My legs refuse

ed me. Roug

in fear..in pa

time, at Hazel. Her eyes

d you," s

agged me int

to the

to the

wonder was...wha