Where The Moonlight Finds Us

The moon was unusually bright that night. Elena Vale noticed it the moment she stepped outside her grandmother's cottage. Silver light spilled across the village rooftops, turning the narrow streets into ribbons of pale blue. Beyond the last row of cottages, the forest stood like a dark wall beneath the stars. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and checked the small basket of herbs in her hands. Her grandmother would be furious if she discovered Elena was leaving the house this late. But the medicine could not wait until morning. The fever had already lasted two days, and the old woman who lived near the northern edge of the village needed the herbs before the night became colder. Elena sighed and started toward the forest. She had walked these paths since childhood. She knew which roots to avoid, which branches hung low, and which stones became slippery after sunset. Still, tonight felt different. The forest was too quiet. Usually, insects hummed between the trees. Tonight there was almost nothing. Elena slowed. A cold breeze moved through the branches. Then she heard it. A groan. She stopped. Her heart began beating faster. Another sound followed—a faint movement among the leaves. Someone was there. Elena should have gone back. Instead, she tightened her grip on the basket and followed the sound. She pushed through a wall of bushes and froze. A young man lay beneath an enormous oak tree. He was dressed in dark clothing that looked expensive even beneath the dirt and blood covering it. His shirt was torn near his shoulder, and a deep wound stained the fabric crimson. A silver sword lay several feet away. Elena stared at him. She had never seen anyone like him. Even injured and covered in mud, there was something strangely commanding about him. He looked like someone who belonged in a palace rather than beneath a tree in a village forest. The stranger moved. His eyes opened. They were blue. Not ordinary blue. They were the color of a winter sky just before dawn. “You shouldn't be here,” he whispered. Elena swallowed. “Neither should you.” For a moment, neither of them moved. Then the stranger tried to stand. He made it halfway before his knees gave way. Elena rushed forward and caught him. “You're hurt.” “I noticed.” His voice was weak, but there was amusement in it. Elena frowned. “Then stop trying to stand.” “You're giving me orders?” “Yes.” The stranger looked at her as though she had just said something fascinating. “Interesting.” “What?” “You don't look like someone who gives orders.” “And you don't look like someone who listens.” A faint smile appeared on his lips. “You're right.” Elena helped him sit against the tree. She carefully examined the wound. It was worse than she had thought. “This needs to be treated.” “I'll survive.” “You're bleeding through your shirt.” “I've survived worse.” Elena looked at him. “Are you always this annoying?” He gave a quiet laugh. “Usually.” Despite herself, Elena smiled. She opened her basket and removed several herbs. “Hold this against the wound.” The stranger accepted them. Their fingers touched. A strange warmth traveled through Elena's hand. She immediately pulled away. Neither of them spoke. She tried to ignore the feeling. “What's your name?” she asked. The stranger hesitated. “Adrian.” Something about the way he said it made Elena suspicious. “Just Adrian?” “For tonight.” She raised an eyebrow. “That's not how names work.” “It is for me.” “You're strange.” “So I've been told.” Elena began preparing the herbs. Then she noticed something beneath the torn fabric around his wound. A symbol. It was faint, almost invisible, but it seemed to glow beneath his skin. “What is that?” Adrian's expression changed immediately. “Don't touch it.” “Why?” “Because whatever happens, don't touch—” Elena touched the symbol. Light exploded between them. She gasped. For one impossible second, the forest vanished. Thousands of stars surrounded her. She felt weightless, as though she were falling through an endless sky. She saw strange towers floating among clouds, rivers of silver light, and a distant woman standing beneath a black moon. Then everything disappeared. Elena stumbled backward. The forest returned. She stared at Adrian. He was staring at her. His expression was no longer amused. He looked terrified. “You have magic.” Elena shook her head. “No.” “You do.” “That's impossible.” Everyone knew magic belonged to the ancient bloodlines. The royal families possessed it. Certain noble families possessed it. But ordinary villagers did not. At least, that was what Elena had always been told. Adrian slowly stood. “How old are you?” “Eighteen.” “Where were you born?” “Here.” “Who are your parents?” Elena's expression hardened. “Why are you asking?” Adrian looked away. “Because I need to know.” Before Elena could answer, a distant horn echoed through the forest. Adrian's face changed. “They found me.” “Who?” “People you don't want to meet.” He reached for his sword. Elena stepped in front of him. “You can't leave. You're injured.” “I have to.” “You'll die.” He looked at her. For a moment, his expression softened. “Maybe.” “That isn't funny.” “I wasn't joking.” Elena felt a strange ache in her chest. She barely knew him. Yet the thought of watching him disappear into the forest suddenly frightened her. “Then let me help you.” Adrian shook his head. “You already have.” The horns sounded again, closer this time. He reached into his coat and removed a small silver pendant. He placed it in Elena's palm. The metal was warm. A royal crest was engraved across its surface. Elena's eyes widened. “You're—” “Please.” His voice became softer. “Don't say it.” Their eyes met. Elena forgot about the forest. Forgot about the soldiers. Forgot about the strange magic beneath her skin. All she could see were his eyes. Adrian stepped closer. “You shouldn't trust me,” he whispered. “Then why did you give me this?” “Because I trust you.” The words caught her completely off guard. “You don't even know me.” “I know enough.” He slowly closed her fingers around the pendant. His hand remained over hers for a second longer than necessary. Neither of them moved. Then he stepped away. “I'll come back.” Elena looked at him. “You don't even know where I live.” A smile touched his lips. “I'll find you.” Then he disappeared into the darkness. Elena stood beneath the oak tree, staring after him. She should have thrown the pendant into the river. She should have forgotten him. Instead, she pressed the pendant against her chest. Her heart was beating far too quickly. She didn't know his real name. She didn't know why he had appeared in the forest. She didn't know why touching him had awakened something inside her. But she knew one thing. She wanted to see him again. And somewhere beyond the trees, Prince Adrian Vale looked back toward the moonlit forest. For the first time in years, he was afraid. Not of the soldiers hunting him. Not of the curse that had followed his family for generations. He was afraid of what would happen if he fell in love with Elena Vale. Because the moment her magic had touched his, he had felt it. The curse had awakened. And it had whispered her name.