The silver moon's curse

's

in plastic blister packs, you don't expect tea leaves to chang

exactly wha

ent, which somehow made the silence around me louder. My classmates weren't even pretending to be subtle a

I didn't even roll my

eeze carried the scent of something floral and earthy, like blooming lavender soaked in rain. As soon as I o

oots and wiping mud off the hem of m

g from the kitchen. "I'm b

potions. Her kitchen looked like an apothecary from another century. The shelves were lined with dried herbs in glass jars labeled with curling cursive: feverfew, elderflower,

to her elbows, and a copper kettle was hissing over the flame. On the table beside her s

mell?" I asked,

gave me a pointed look. "I heard you tossi

ams. Not the forest. Not the eyes in the

ing my weight. "Just a nightmar

d poured the steeped mixture into two mismatched

just a touch of mandrake," she said

I eyed the mug lik

orry. The dose is small. Nothing t

the

warmth soaked through my fingers. The tea was a murky amber, sw

itter, but not awful. I'd ha

s?" I asked after another sip. "Why no

opened it. Behind the doors was a rack of vials and tiny cork-stoppered bottles

-grandmother taught me. These aren't potio

hat these actually w

, Eva, but every woman in our family has had a gift. I

y eyebrows

over mine. Her skin was warm and dry, the veins visible like old parchment. "Some call it magi

mine. I wanted to loo

aking up in you

t... magic. I just have insomnia and maybe s

, not even surprised. "T

ow how to a

ed to change the subject. "So, you

. Others bring clarity. Some protect. The world has layers, Eva. These he

window slightly cracked like always. The wind whispered through the crack, br

better judgment,

wanted protection. Maybe I jus

ore the world bega

ot and breathless, under a

wollen and red, like an open

t the edge of the

glow. Flowers swayed without wind. Shapes moved between trunks

g words in a language I didn't recognize. Her eyes met mine, and she smiled but it wasn't comf

for

mething ancient shifting in its sleep. A deep, low howl ro

glowing faintly under the moonlight, eyes like gold coins. They sto

to scream but woke

still warm

art pounding, and s

moved in

, I swear som

he mug and

swirled into a distinct shape t

ly dro

an hour later, still in pajamas, cl

tea did some

mly. "Did it h

t showed me thin

from me. "The herbs helped open your sigh

hat symbol..." I pointed at the i

iple Moon. A symbol of the goddess, of change

red a

y's craft for generations. Your mother never took to it. Too sk

I was just tired and stressed and

as shifting. Like an itch beneath my skin. L

t mean?" I a

"you're beginning to

rting. It was cryptic.

d out onto the porch. The morning mist hadn't lifted yet. It clu

saw a shape. T

ght it was Logan. Or th

blinked,

mained, etched in the

tood what Grams meant

, they were be