THE WONDED LUNA

Two: T

y when the dungeon doo

didn'

her head throbbed with every heartbeat. But the pain inside her chest... that was worse. It wa

d had sh

ay of food-stale bread and a bowl of watery

starve. Doesn'

the floor with a clan

" she

pau

t up. Her voice was barely

. "She delivered a boy. Hea

e just nodded slowly, he

ing away. The heavy door shut a

or a long time. Then, slo

cell. She wouldn't eat her

uld ge

Luna, not as a weak, broken mate, but as the

night, sh

Her title may have meant little to Kael, but it had let her learn thing

oticed it on her first visit down here, years ago when a rogue had bee

movement. Blood still clung to her thighs, and

d at the stone.

se with a q

d hinge and the remains of old shackles. And

obably from the last s

ne in the hem of h

ned later with anothe

ner, shaking, her

moaned. "Somet

in, his hand already on th

older one muttered.

ning up. L

ning the cell door just e

id s

hand sank deep

gurgled, blood pouring from his

ward, but Astrid was faster. She grab

mbling back as she darted out of the

stone beneath he

far she got before

ance. Warriors were stirr

h hidden halls, past the servant quarters, and out through the

as her es

the open night,

rk and wide. She ran into i

scratched her legs. Her blood ma

e kept

idn't

uldn't

had collapsed near a stream deep in the f

r hear

was

fr

ank from the stream, the co

he hea

gr

Deep.

d slowly-

ur was midnight black, its eyes bright silv

swallow

ave the stre

her end, t

olf didn'

d, it

red and built like a warrior, a long

you?" h

ike gravel-roug

ut her lips trembled too

d forward, his

" His nostrils flare

yes. She turned her

r, brushing a strand

e who d

ked up

she wh

w tightened.

no

darkened, but h

ood and offere

're safe n

second before placing her bl

this road would lead-b

done bei

she wou