The Forsaken Luna: Eva’s Reawakening

CHAPTER 3

Stepping out of my cottage, Silver Hollow's cold breeze welcomed me. The air smelled familiar—pine and earth—but it was contaminated with a sensation of discomfort. Now posing Elena Moon, my trip back to this village had no specific goal. Driven ahead by the truth about my murder, the secrets buried in these forests, and the approaching threat of Marcus and Selena's goals.

Though the market square was alive, whispers trailed me. People felt something peculiar about the unidentified visitor among them. I got flashes of Ryan as I went through the throng; his presence attracted me like a magnet. Our eyes locked momentarily, and I sensed his suffering and bewilderment. I felt my presence was part of his struggle with something.

Ryan seemed to be clearly guilty. He had pulled away from me, publicly embarrassed me, and now he seemed drawn to Elena Moon—the woman who had emerged from the shadow of death. His allegiance to his father's ambitions and his pack ran counter to the emotions he wanted to stifle.

I headed toward the edge of the market, where an abandoned, old home loomed. I could remember this from my early years, a location where secrets were murmured. Inside, under the floorboards, I discovered a secret chamber filled with paperwork and letters. A cold awareness swept over me as I sieved through them. Marcus and Selena were planning to combine their packs, a marriage that would provide them until unheard-of control over Silver Hollow.

I moved my fingertips over the letters, each one exposing more about their story. They had planned my assassination to keep me from revealing a secret that would have destroyed their plans. Marcus personally buried the secret someplace on the Blackwood estate.

A cracking sound cut off my thinking. Turning to see Ryan standing at the doorway, his look mixed disbelief with mistrust. "Elena," he replied, his voice tight. "What are you working on here?

I looked at him, heart thumping. "I could ask you the same question.

Ryan drew near, his gaze narrowing. "I have observed you. There's something about you—something familiar.

I experienced a flash of fear. He was approaching the truth with too great proximity. My voice firm, I said, "I'm here to uncover the truth." "The truth about Marcus and Selena's intentions."

He stammered, his contradictory feelings clear. "Why are you so very concerned?"

I drew in a long breath. "Because what they are doing is immoral. Until someone stops them, they will keep injuring too many people.

Ryan's gaze softened, and for a few seconds the distance separating us seemed to vanish. "I want to help even Elena, I'm not sure who you really are."

I found his voice to be rather sincere. "Why?," ask, I asked, really curious.

"Because I can not shake the feeling that you are connected to all of this in some way I do not understand," he explained. "And since I believe you."

The unexpected arrival of Selena cut off our chat. Her eyes sparkled with wrath as she surveyed the situation. " Ryan, what are you doing here with her?

Ryan straightened and his face hardened. "Elena is looking for the truth regarding Marcus and your schemes. We cannot keep willfully overlooking what is happening.

Selena's lips twisted into a dark smile. Ryan, you are erasing a mistake. She may be dangerous.

Selena raised her hand before I could respond; dark energy shot toward me. Her magic crashed into me, sending me flying into the wall, and I hardly had time to cover myself.

Ryan lunged for Selena, his scream of wrath filling the air, but she was fast, her motions fluent and lethal. Their energies collided in a flash of two clashes. My eyesight blurring, I staggered to my feet, yet within I burned resolve.

I sensed a surge of my own power as I got going. Selene, the Moon Goddess, had given me awakened skills. I concentrated on the vitality I possessed and directed it into a shielding barrier around Ryan and I.

Selena clearly was frustrated as her punches rebounded off the wall. Elena screamed, "You cannot protect him forever."

I looked at her, my voice steady. "I'm not necessary for. I just need to pause you.

I shoved Selena back with a last surge of vitality, sending her crashing to the ground. Ryan and I lost no time. The night air cold against our skin as we turned and escaped the home over the forest.

We stopped only when we came upon a secret clearing; both of us were stunned and . Ryan stared at me, clearly confused yet also in wonder. He questioned, "What are you?"

Ready to expose some of the truth, I inhaled deeply. "I'm someone who's been given another opportunity to right things."

Ryan nodded carefully, absorbing everything I said. "We have to stop Selena and Marcus," he said. "Together"

We planned as the evening became darker. Our friendship strengthened, but so did the risk. Marcus was becoming more paranoid by the day; Selena wouldn't stop until she had eliminated me. We have to move swiftly.

Days stretched into weeks as Ryan and I worked covertly. Our meetings with Marcus and Selena were more frequent, every interaction more perilous than the last. Still, we were unrelenting in learning more about their intentions and assembling supporters of our cause.

The turning point occurred when we found the place Marcus had been guarding—the secret. It was buried far on the Blackwood estate behind strong ward protection and trap guarding. Though it was our only opportunity, we would have to be cautious.

Under cover of darkness, one night we moved. As we slid across the shadows, the estate was eerily quiet; our footsteps were quiet as well. Ryan's knowledge of the grounds came in very handy as he guided us to a secret door.

We negotiated the maze-like passageways, the strain evident between us. Every sound, every slink of light, makes our nerves taut. At last we arrived in a secret chamber with magic heavy in the air.

Inside we discovered an old book full of magic and ceremonies. A spook raced down my spine as I turned the pages. The mysteries there could transform everything.

Ryan stood next to me, looking austere. "We have to turn this against them.

I nodded, it would harden inside me. "Tonight marks the end."

We left the chamber, our will unchangeable. But Marcus and his guards met us as we came out of the estate. The confrontation was unavoidable, and the air hummed with conflict.

Marcus spotted the book in my hands and his eyes went blazing with hate. He snipped, "You dare to steal from me?"

I moved forward with a steady voice. "Your reign of terror ends now, Marcus.

Marcus surged at us with a shout of wrath, his power exploding in a dark energy tsunami. Ryan and I rebelled, our combined force matching his rage. The fight was intense, the sounds of our effort permeating the night air.

Selena materialized among the turmoil, her magic intensifying Marcus's assaults. Though outnumbered, we battled with all we possessed. When I released the entire range of my powers, the energy of the Moon Goddess surged through me and the tide changed.

Our last, desperate push drove us past Marcus and Selena, their dark magic falling apart under our combined might. The villagers came out from the shadows as they lay defeated, their support helping us to win.

Though the threat was past, the scars persisted. Standing together, Ryan and I had a closer relationship than before. Though the road forward would be difficult, we were willing to travel it together.

Though the war for justice and peace was far from over, I knew we had won a battle when the first light of morning shone over Silver Hollow. Ryan at my side helped me to be ready to fight for our town's future regardless of the expenses.