CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
I stand alone in the middle of our village, all the other cabins quiet and dark. My cabin, a lonesome silhouette against the moonlit night, promises no comfort tonight. The dry earth cracks beneath my boots, thirsting for rain just as we are. I take a deep breath, the weight of the pack's survival on my shoulders.
"Come on, Lily," I mutter to myself. "You can do this."
My fingers tremble as they grip the small, sharp blade I stole from the kitchen. Its edge glints in the moonlight, a silver sliver of hope. I've healed others with a touch, mended wounds with a whisper. But the land requires more. A sacrifice.
I roll up my sleeve, revealing pale skin marked by battles past. With resolve, I press the blade into my arm. It stings, a searing kiss, but I push deeper. Blood
