BOUNDED BY THE MOON

Blak

ing motel hallways. Even that one time a guy trie

t and a woman stepping out of shado

a differe

in, voice velvet-smooth a

, hand at his side like he was

aid quietly.

frozen.

. "How sweet. The mutt's

ven blink. "You

miled. "I'm

ours t

ot yours

change th

tly beside us. "Thi

"But territory line

owed faintly. The others behind her weren't m

e you?"

e. Pitch black. No white

alled

d to mean som

other k

d in my chest.

. Bleeding and despe

"Arden, don't

d. "She wanted to bind your blood. But s

t belie

eel it. The fire under your s

n't a

"But power like yours doesn't stay hidden forever

not y

e's. That's why y

rd. "You came to take her. You

an't s

his hand. "Do

he was amused. "I'm

" I said, nodding at the

s just a

prefer

t red line of smoke curled from he

under my

in my chest. A vi

oice sharper. "Tell me

I feel

crib

ling under my skin. Li

curse. "They're b

artial shift," Kieran

be ready if you codd

about everyone stops talking aroun

ela said. "Everyone

er. "What if

ade he

control what's insi

ou're scar

glow int

nful way. It was heat and cold a

th came

reached

ouch me,

to pull

I don't

will cons

ertips were glowing. Soft silver l

k for this,"

yours," Vi

s. "Then come

symbols around me s

e moved

ward just as the groun

arding shield, his

, her own power crackl

touch the earth

, struggling ag

into the rootline. It's ol

hat sou

behi

bring popcorn

aised bo

ugh the clearing, sendin

e and didn't

wore. "S

, I go,

sn't a

n't c

look. I gave

tood bes

mused. "Brave l

ver light bui

was low. "Can y

n't k

ease it into the ground. D

ough I had no ide

ised one

r power t

elt like wildfire. Hers felt like ice

against me,

shed

in my han

s smile

. Fast. A blur of

d figure with enough fo

ers clo

dn't

ard and thrust

from my palms and sl

rough the clearin

a scr

d figures

ed back at

d. "Okay.

oke a summon

now what t

kicked a witch's

ned. "

smile di

sted. Her black e

ret this,"

said. "But

aring t

ished in a puff

hers f

that, it

to my knee

to me in seconds

n't k

ld your

a hole in t

lant new

rubbing his head. "Did

lew,"

Trees

to my feet. "Yo

diff

me. "You're

want th

o want it. You g

re

e. That spell m

come back. And they won

still think we're safe

ace strong enough

hard. "The

d for th

the edge of the path,

en dropped f

e didn'

b

from t

abric hung f

ched

topped m

in. "That's

he fabric

black

inted in bloo

where sh