Late at night, with the moon hung high above the treetops, a hush had fallen across the Crescent Moon territory. But in the meeting hall nestled deep within the woods, a tension pulsed like a heartbeat in the walls. The flickering fire in the hearth threw dancing shadows across the stone floor as Thorn stood at the center, his voice low and grave.
He wasn’t alone.
The seven Great Elders stood in a crescent formation behind him, their expressions ranging from wary to deeply troubled. Saraphina, Elowen, and Mireya of the Starseed Coven stood off to the side, their cloaks dusted with ash from the spell they had just performed. The symbol burned outside Nova’s door had drawn them all here, pulled them from their beds, and now refused to let the night return to silence.
“I’ve never seen anyt
