The Low Born Luna

Mia is six years old. A little bit of light came into the room through the door that was not closed all the way. Papa always kept the door locked at night. It never opened once the sun went down. This was especially true after people started telling stories about wolves with metal teeth and crowns made from bones. I mean, who would want to go when it is dark and there are scary stories like that?The door swung open and cold air came in. Then Mia smelled something. It smelled like wood that was burning hair that was wet and metal that had been left outside in the rain. The cold air was quiet. It felt sharp like it was cutting her."Mia " Papa's voice sounded strange and wrong when he said her name. "Hide under the bed. Now." Mia did not move. She saw that Papa's fingers were shaking and this was something she had never seen before. Her father was always strong and safe. He never got scared or nervous, not when he was chopping wood or holding her when she was scared."Do not try to run, little one, " Papa said. "If we try to run we will both die." Papa's hands were shaking when he wiped blood from his shirt. Mia felt a burning sensation on her hand. "Papa..." she whispered. "Get under the bed, " he said again. Mia felt her way in the dark moved forward. The air smelled like dust, a bit like lavender. It reminded her of her mother, when life was easy and happy.Suddenly Mia heard footsteps on the floor. There were people outside. Each step made the floor creak. "You are a person, " a smooth voice said. "You have been hiding a secret... Do you know what will happen to you?" Papa did not say anything. Mia saw that he was trying to look strong like a warrior. But he was not a warrior, he was a carpenter who made furniture and sometimes burned his toast."The penalty is death, " the smooth voice said. "You will die, the child will. Anyone who knows about her will die." "I did not know, " Papa said. His voice was steady now. It was scary. "I did not know until tonight, when the moon came out." Mia thought that Papa was lying. He had always known.Mia felt a burning heat in her hand like a fire starting. She bit her lip so she would not cry out. She looked under the bed and saw four pairs of boots. The buckles were shaped like wolf faces, the symbol of the king's guards. "You think the king will let a regular wolf carry the queen?" one guard asked. "Your family will end tonight. You will all die quietly.” There are always people who survive, " Papa said. He ran at the guards with his axe. They were too strong. One guard grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up with a glove. Papa's feet were in the air. "You are stupid " the guard said. "You should have given her to us. You could have lived." Papa looked at Mia and smiled sadly. Then the guard put a knife in Papa's chest. Mia screamed. Orion was in a hurry. He had to run. Then he realized something, the upper-class district was not far a short walk. Orion was making a potion in his cabin when he felt a pull in his chest. It was like a hand squeezing his bones. He knew what it meant: Mia's wolf connection had started. He ran outside and prayed he was not too late. The midwife's cries were long; he had missed his chance to help Mia. He still had time to help her now. Orion ran through the trees, his bag hitting his hip and his sword hidden under his cloak. People called him "Healing Hands". He was not a fighter. His fingernails were still dirty from digging graves. The old cabin was shining with a light. The mark on Mia's skin was awake. There were bodies everywhere: one by the well one at the gate. A man was crawling on the ground, his hands bloody from his cut throat. A guard was standing in the doorway holding Mia's hair. Mia was small and skinny. She was shining with magic. The guard was holding her tight. "You are a lowborn, " the guard said. "You will die with the rest of the trash." Orion acted calm. "I am here for the bodies, " he said. "The Alpha's orders. I need to make sure the rebels do not find any evidence." The guard was not sure. Orion's name meant something. He was like a doctor, someone who did not take sides. "This girl is the evidence, " the guard said. "She is burning with the cabin." "She is a child, " Orion said. "She is a threat, " the guard said. Then Mia moved. She spun around and hit the guard with her glowing hand. The guard let go of her. Mia ran to the cabin not to escape, but to find her father. Orion ran after her. She was very fast and it was scary. Something inside her was driving her forward. Mia found her father. He was already dead. Her fingers touched his, they were cold. Then a bright light filled the cabin. It was blinding. The ground started to shake. Orion threw himself over Mia. The cabin exploded. When the dust settled there was nothing left but a hole of ash. Mia was holding her fathers body and her eyes were empty and sad. "He said they would come, " she whispered. "He said they would kill him. He told me to hide." Orion felt a pang in his heart. He remembered Mia's mother, who had died the way. "I am sorry, " Orion said. "Mia, I am sorry." Mia did not say anything. She just looked at her father at the mark on her hand. "When I am big " she said quietly "I will kill them all." Orion should have told her that healing is better than revenge. He did not. Instead he put his hand on the mark on her skin. It was an agreement. "You will need to survive, " he said. "You will need to learn. I will teach you." "Who are you?" Mia asked. He felt like a ghost standing there, someone she should not trust at all. He was the man who had not reached her mother in time; his help had vanished like smoke in the air. He was the guy who had shown up out of breath and with eyes when her father needed him the most. "I am Orion, " he said. "I am the pack healer. From tonight on I am going to make sure you live enough to keep that promise you made." He pulled her into his arms. She felt as light as the air around her yet as heavy as the weight of the world on her shoulders. Inside the tree line a dark shape was standing there. Golden eyes caught the light for a split second taking in the scene that was happening. A moment later it vanished into the brush leaving no trace behind it. Orion did not see it all but Mia saw it with her own eyes. She did not say anything about it. She just stored that memory away alongside the smell of her fathers blood, the burn of her mark and Orion's calm voice that was promising to help her end things. The heavy silence held everything together. She was six years old at that time. Then she realized that love always leaves you with a space when it is gone. Power is unpredictable, it is like a wildfire that is spreading fast in grass. The people who are sitting on thrones do not care if they burn children to get what they want for themselves. She never forgot that thing that happened. Raven, Age Fourteen Standing up on the ridge Raven watched the fire that was sweeping through the district. It was glowing like metal against the night sky that was above them. "What is that fire?" he asked, his voice cracking with fear. The beta, who was Lio's father, shifted uncomfortably next to him. "It is nothing for the future Alpha to worry about my lord. It is a born rebellion that is happening. The guards are handling the situation." "That light from the fire..." Raven said. "It is witchcraft, " the beta said. "The guards will wipe it out completely." A sudden flicker caught Raven's eye, a light that was shimmering like frost on stone. His breath caught in his throat. He felt an unfamiliar tug right beneath his ribs. A memory flashed in his mind: his brother was curled up near the fire slowly turning the pages of a book. Then her words came to his mind. They were gentle but haunting, whispering that true power is meant to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Another voice cut through the memory, a reminder that emotions only tie you down and that you have to break or get dragged under the water. Turning his back on the district, Raven stepped away from the glow of the fire. "Good, " he said coldly. "Wipe it out completely and do not leave anything behind." That night a dream came to him. He saw fingers that were reaching out and heard a quiet voice that was whispering in the dark: One day I will be tall enough to wipe every last one of them away. Raven woke up with a jerk, his heart pounding wildly. A bitter taste of dread was in his mouth. That was the time he ever spoke about it to anyone..