The Queen Beneath Five Moons - The Awakening

The first thing Elara Vale noticed was that the moon was red. The second was that there were five of them. She stood barefoot on the roof of the old apothecary, a basket of dried herbs hanging forgotten from one hand, and stared at the sky. Five moons. Five enormous silver-white discs normally hung above the Kingdom of Asteria, each one appearing at a different phase. Children learned their names before they learned their letters. The Pale Moon. The Hunter’s Moon. The Weaver. The Crown. And the smallest, faintest moon, called the Lost Moon. But tonight, every single one of them had turned crimson. Not pink. Not orange. Red. The colour of blood. A bell began ringing somewhere in the city. Then another. Then another. Within moments, the entire capital of Lyrien was awake. “Elara!” She nearly dropped the herbs. “Elara, get inside!” Master Corvin’s voice came from the street below. She looked down. The old apothecary stood in the doorway, his grey hair uncovered despite the freezing night. His face frightened her more than the moons did. “Master?” “Now!” Elara climbed down the ladder. “What is happening?” “Don’t ask questions.” “You’re the one who always tells me that questions are important.” “Not tonight.” He grabbed her wrist. The moment his fingers touched her skin, he froze. Elara frowned. “What?” His eyes had fallen to her left hand. There, beneath her sleeve, something was glowing. A faint golden light pulsed beneath her skin. Once. Twice. Three times. Master Corvin went pale. “No.” “What?” He released her as though she’d burned him. “Show me your chest.” Elara stared at him. “My—what?” “The mark.” “I don’t have a mark.” “You do now.” Her heart began pounding. She pulled aside the collar of her nightdress. At first, there was nothing. Then the skin above her heart shimmered. A golden symbol slowly appeared. Five interlocking circles surrounded by a crown. Master Corvin stumbled backward. “The prophecy.” Elara’s mouth went dry. “What prophecy?” Before he could answer, something exploded outside. The windows rattled. People screamed. Corvin immediately shoved Elara behind him. Through the front window, she saw flames rising three streets away. Black-clad soldiers were pouring into the city. But they weren’t wearing the crest of Asteria. Their armour was silver. Their masks were white. And every one of them carried a sword made of black glass. “Who are they?” Corvin whispered one word. “Ravens.” The name meant nothing to Elara. Yet the terror in his voice told her it should. Another explosion shook the building. This time, the front door shattered. Three masked soldiers entered. Corvin raised one hand. Green light burst from his palm. The first soldier flew backward. The second swung his black sword. Corvin barely dodged. “Run!” Elara didn’t move. “Master—” “RUN!” Something inside her finally obeyed. She turned and sprinted toward the back door. She had taken three steps when the ceiling exploded. Wood and stone rained down. Elara screamed and fell. A figure dropped through the hole. He landed between her and the soldiers. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed entirely in black. A sword rested casually against his shoulder. His dark hair was tied loosely at the nape of his neck. And his eyes— Gold. Not amber. Not brown. Gold. They looked directly at Elara. For a moment, the chaos disappeared. His expression changed. Shock. Then disbelief. Then something much more dangerous. Recognition. “…You.” Elara swallowed. “Do I know you?” He stared at the glowing mark on her chest. “No.” His sword slid from his shoulder. “But I know what you are.” One of the masked soldiers attacked. The stranger moved. Elara barely saw him. Steel flashed. The soldier’s sword shattered. The stranger caught him by the throat and threw him through the wall. Another came from behind. He turned. One clean strike. Silence. The final soldier fled. The stranger didn’t pursue him. Instead, he walked toward Elara. Every instinct told her to run. She tried. Her legs refused to cooperate. He stopped a few feet away. “What’s your name?” “Elara.” His jaw tightened. “Elara what?” “Vale.” He closed his eyes. For the first time, he looked afraid. “That’s impossible.” “People keep saying that tonight.” A voice came from behind him. “Because it is.” The stranger immediately turned. A man stood in the doorway. He wore a white military coat embroidered with the golden crest of the royal family. A crown prince’s crest. His silver hair fell over one eye. His expression was calm. Almost unnaturally calm. Two royal guards stood behind him. The prince looked at Elara. Then at the stranger. Then back at Elara. His eyes widened slightly. “The Soulbearer.” Elara felt the golden mark burn. She gasped. The entire room filled with light. The five red moons outside suddenly became brighter. And somewhere far beyond the city walls— something enormous roared. The prince’s face changed. “He’s awake.” “Who?” Elara whispered. Neither man answered. The windows exploded inward. A shadow passed over the city. Everyone looked upward. Elara followed their gaze. Something was flying above Lyrien. It was too large to be a bird. Too graceful to be a monster. Two enormous wings stretched across the crimson sky. Scales glimmered like molten silver. A dragon. It circled once. Then descended. The city erupted in screams. The prince drew his sword. The stranger stepped in front of Elara. And Master Corvin whispered: “The five kings are coming.” Elara stared at him. “Five?” Corvin looked at the five blood-red moons. His voice trembled. “They’ve been waiting three hundred years.” A deafening roar shook the heavens. Then the dragon landed outside the city. And a man climbed down from its back. He wore black armour. A long scar crossed one side of his face. His crimson eyes found Elara through the ruined walls. Unlike the others, he didn’t look surprised. He smiled. Slowly. Like a predator who had finally found what he had been hunting. “At last.” The golden mark above Elara’s heart flared. And somewhere inside her, something ancient opened its eyes.