The Moon's Chosen

The Other Chosen

The Moon Temple wasn’t what I expected.

I thought it would be old. Broken.

Instead it was clean. White stone. Silver banners.

And torches that burned with blue flame.

"Who lives here?" I asked.

"We do," Mara said. She tossed me a piece of bread. "Me, Nova, and Old Kade."

"Old Kade?"

"The caretaker. He’s ninety and grumpy and makes the best stew. You’ll meet him."

Nova was still reading. She didn’t look up.

"So you’re really her," she said. "The prophecy one."

"I don’t know about prophecy," I said. "I just don’t want people to die."

"Same," Mara grinned. "That’s why I stab things."

Kael set our bags down. "We have maybe 48 hours before the King’s men get to Ashvale."

"Then we don’t have time to waste," Nova said, finally closing her book. "Training. Now."

---

THE TRAINING YARD

It was a circle of stone behind the temple.

The moon was already up even though it was afternoon.

Weird.

"Show me your mark," Nova said.

I held out my wrist. The silver crescent glowed.

Mara and Nova did the same.

Three marks. Three crescents.

"Okay so here’s the deal," Mara said. "We all got picked. Different years. Different places. But the mark called us here."

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"six

months," Mara said. "Nova’s been here a year."

"And you can do... what exactly?"

Mara snapped her fingers. A dagger of light appeared in her hand.

"Offense. I’m good at hitting things."

Nova raised her hand. A shield of silver appeared.

"Defense. I’m good at keeping things from hitting us."

They both looked at me.

"And you?"

I took a breath. Remembered the fight with the King.

I raised my hands.

Light shot out. Not just a shield or a dagger.

It was both. And healing. And fire.

Mara whistled. "Okay. Show-off."

Nova actually smiled. "You’re the balance. That’s why the prophecy picked you."

Kael crossed his arms. "Can you teach her to control it? Without almost killing herself?"

"That’s the plan, grumpy," Mara said. "Now watch."

---

For 6 hours they drilled me.

"Don’t throw all your light at once!" Nova yelled as I nearly passed out.

"Use your breathing," Mara said. "In. Out. Like you’re blowing out candles."

By sunset I could make a shield that didn’t flicker.

I could make a blade that didn’t cut my own hand.

And I could heal a cut on Mara’s arm without crying.

"You’re good," Nova said. She sounded surprised. "Really good."

"You just don’t want me to die," I said.

"That too," Mara laughed. "But also you’re good."

We collapsed on the ground. Staring at the sky.

The moon was full.

"So," I said. "Why are you here? Really?"

Mara was quiet for once.

"My village burned. Same as yours. Shadow Beasts."

"My parents sold me," Nova said simply. "Said the mark was bad luck. Kade found me on the road."

My chest hurt.

"I’m sorry."

"Don’t be," Mara said. "We found each other. That’s what matters."

---

That night we ate stew.

Old Kade was exactly like Mara described. 90, grumpy, and the best cook alive.

"So the King is dead?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kael said. "But his men aren’t."

"Then they’ll come for the temple next," Kade said. "This place has wards. But wards don’t stop stupid."

After dinner, Nova pulled me aside.

"I need to show you something."

She led me to the library.

Walls of books. Scrolls. Maps.

She pulled out a big book. The cover had a moon on it.

"The Book of Chosen," she said. "Every girl with the mark. For 1000 years."

She flipped pages.

Hundreds of names.

Selene Ashford.

Mara Vey.

Nova Reed.

Luna Ashford.

Next to my mom’s name was a note: `Sealed her brother. Died.`

Next to mine: `Active. Prophecy.`

"There’s a page missing," Nova said. She pointed.

Ripped out.

"Who did that?"

"I don’t know. But I think it was about the King’s son."

"His son?"

"The King had a kid. A boy. He disappeared when Malric was sealed."

My blood went cold.

"He’s coming," Nova said. "For revenge."

---

Later, I couldn’t sleep.

I went to the roof.

Kael was already there.

"Couldn’t sleep either?"

"Too much in my head."

He sat next to me.

"You did good today."

"Thanks to you and them."

"They’re good girls. You’re lucky."

"I know."

We sat in silence.

The moon above us. Three marks glowing below.

"Kael?"

"Yeah?"

"What if I’m not enough? What if his son is stronger than the King?"

"Then we fight anyway."

"And if we lose?"

"We won’t." He took my hand. "Because this time you’re not alone."

Below us, Mara was practicing knife throws.

Nova was reading by lantern light.

And for the first time, the Moon Temple felt like home.

---

At dawn, the warning bell rang.

Kade was at the gate, pale.

"Scouts," he said. "Black armor. The King’s mark."

"How many?" Kael asked.

"Thirty. Maybe more. Half a day away."

Mara grabbed her knives. "Good. I was getting bored."

Nova picked up her shield. "We hold the gate. That’s the plan."

I looked at my mark. It was glowing.

Not from fear.

From anger.

They killed my mom.

They burned Ashvale.

They want me.

"Let them come," I said. "We’re ready."

The three of us stood at the temple gates.

Silver marks glowing.

Moon above.

The shadow army was coming.

And this time, they’d meet the Moon Chosen.

All three of us.