The raven at my window, the abandoned cabin in the forest of Shanoah covered in overgrown vines. . . A lump forms in my throat. It wasn’t merely a dream. It was a glimpse into the day we would eventually meet.
Kismet gestures to her forehead in a tapping motion. “May I?” she asks. I dip my head, letting her fingers gently press into my temples. She hums lowly, massaging me.
“What lies inside the maiden’s cottage—her heart—will help him and all the others find solace. OnlyLuni’amanthwill heal the wounds of Bleeding Sun.”
My heart snags on its next beat.Moonflower?
“H-How do you know that? My Noctosanoc name?”
Kismet studies the canvas of my hands again, pondering. She closes her eyes, and I can sense a vision forming in her mind. When she speaks again, the world goes still.
“You, my dear,area moonflower. All your life, your petals have been shut tight, pleading for you to obey the sun like the rest of the garden. But you know that you are different, that yourdreams can only be fulfilled by a special light. You are bound to the moon and her creatures. Evening glory. A shimmering pearl in the blackest of seas. You will only bloom under the moonlight and when you finally do, the whole world will stop to admire your beauty, to be enchanted by the rarest, sweetest fragrance of night.”
I close my eyes and picture my mother and grandmother standing over me, beaming with their arms around each other, raven hair adorned with white feather headdresses.
I know it isn’t possible but, in this moment, I feel them. Right in this very room.
“A mother’s love is a mighty thing,Luni’amanth. It is powerful enough to raise mountains. To transcend time. She knows the path you walk is not an easy one. Her spirit will always be your compass, as my own ancestors are mine. Trust in this, child.”
A tear slides down my cheek. As the chief releases my hand, Axe, Tesni, and Solmuk approach the bench.
“Now I understand,” Kismet continues. “You have brought to me both joyful news and an omen.”
Tesni is the first to speak. “By now, the vekkanom have detected why Vessa is important to us. If Axe is to claim the Sponsa Noctis as his mate, the Blood Master will see it as an act of war.”
“I will go to my death before I let any vampires step foot on Tilaak lands,” Axe declares. “You have my word.”
Kismet rests a hand on his shoulder. “I know this, Aleksandr. We are grateful for everything Bleeding Sun has done to rid the lifeless from our shores.”
My heart goes heavy at Axe’s willingness. He tells the chief that from now on, a small patrol of lycans will be stationed near the beach. Solmuk accepts, declaring that the clan will begin organizing precautionary measures as soon as we leave.
“Please,” I breathe. “There must be something I can do to help. You are innocent in this mess.”
Angling herself towards Tesni, Kismet straightens her spine. The women exchange a knowing look, faces grim.
“Wolves and ravens need each other to survive. While her prowess does not yet match your own, she is clever and strong-willed. Teach Vessa how to embody the raven, so that you might forge a new weapon against those who wish to entrap her.”
The leader of the Tilaak fully addresses Axe’s Sentinel then. “Though you may be the last of your kin, I know that you keep their spirit alive by showing the people of Bleeding Sun how to battle in the ways of the Norgsik. It matters not if she is Annituk. Her heart is determined like yours, Captain. Honor your ancestors with this task.”
Tesni bows her head.
Kismet’s eyes go impossibly dark as she lifts her chin. “When the white raven emerges from the shadows, then you shall have your vengeance.”
So many symbols. So much death and bloodshed before my time.
Solmuk regards me with narrow eyes and whispers, “Luni kreta.”
Axe puts his hand on my shoulder. “Forget all these titles, Vessa. You’re free to be whoever you want. If you’re ready to take a stand against the Blood Master and his demons, then we will gladly stand beside you and help you step into your power.”
I flinch. “What power?”
“Silver.” Solmuk gestures to my bracelets. Tesni meets his eyes, catching on to his idea.
Tesni steps forward, gripping the hunting knife at her belt. “Humans aren’t weakened by silver. Vampires, on the other hand . . . they’ll never see you—or smell you—coming.”
Axe winks, closing his hand around mine. “We’ll make a sniper out of you, just you wait.”
For so long, I have been complacent. No more running from the past. No more cowering from the future. I refuse to continue passing through life like an empty shell caught in the ocean’s tide. I may be cursed, but I am still the conqueror of my life. If the gods refuse to intervene, then I will fight with everything I have to defy the inevitable. I will crawl out of the trenches, and I will take back my fate with silver and blood.
