I hear Tristian's voice in my head."We are doomed," he keeps repeating, looking at the slight girl who tried to banish us witholaughh, what humans call lavender.
"Jasmine," I say, her name sounding foreign on our lips.It comes from a place deeper than our larynx; we seem to speak it from within our veins.We have never encountered a name like hers before.
"Twenty-three red moons ago, an elder of Kraukug received a vision of impending doom," I begin.
"I'm sure it was devastating and all, and I'm sorry, but—" she interrupts.
"The race of Kraukug was to be wiped clean in the coming time," I continue as if she hadn't spoken."For twenty-three red moons, the elder tried to stop the carnage, and when he realized he would fail to prevent it, he prepared for its inevitability instead.
"He manufactured a plan and a spell, then stepped through the portal from Kraukug to Erthry.He visited a sick bay, where bred females had birthed their fresh offspring.
"He looked through many seedlings until he came across you, Jasmine of Erthry.You were the one.He placed his hand on your chest, and from his palm, through your garb, the ring appeared.
"Umm, no.That sounds really cool, but no.I was born with it.It's very common to be born with a birthmark," she says, as if convincing herself of her own words.
"It is a ring of your heartfire.The elder cast a spell on us to rouse us from our incubation one full red luna later.
"Before the white moon in our skies closes, before our midnight, we had to find you and take you to Kraukug as our mate, or your heartfire will make a full circle."
"Okay, genius, how did you find me?How did you know I would be here?"
"We followed your scent."
She laughs, the sound tickling the underside of my skin and momentarily throwing me off balance.I notice the same reaction in Tristian and Marquis.
"Right, of course you did.So what's going to happen to me when that stupid thing on my chest reaches full circle?Am I going to go up in flames, or just sizzle to death like a sausage in a medium-hot pan, huh?Is that what's going to happen?"
"Well, you know what?This is all so insane.You don't exist—well, in books you do, but not in real life.You three are certifiable, and if you think I'm going to stand here—"
"Enough," Tristian bellows."We did not choose you.We would rather breed a female of our kind, someone whose body is suited to receive us as we are.Not you, a mere human girl.
"But we had no say in the matter.Now you will come with us, right now, without a further sound from your mouth."
He stalks toward her, intending to throw her over his shoulder and carry her out.We are running out of time.A shadow already creeps over the tip of the white moon.
"Okay, okay," she says, holding up her hands."Just so you know, this is not a picnic for me either.Can I change my clothes at least, please?I won't be a minute."
It's the least we can grant her.I hope she has more proper attire than the slips of fabric she is currently wearing.
"Okay," she says again, backing out of the room.
Then we hear another door open, and from the pane of glass where we stand, we see her running through the night in the same attire as before.
Tristian growls expletives in our native language.A smile cracks the corners of my mouth, and Marquis takes it upon himself to catch the little human.
