Page 48 of The Moonborn's Curse

It was something worse.

Just a quiet resignation.

And for some reason, that made his chest ache more than his father's fury.

Draken broke the uneasy silence "The oracle wants to meet you, Seren. And you, Hagan."

Chapter 23

The farther they walked, the quieter the village became. The voices of the pack faded into nothing but the whispering wind and the rhythmic crunch of their footsteps against the worn dirt path.

The forest loomed ahead, its towering redwood trees stretching toward the sky, their branches swaying as if whispering secrets to one another. The scent of moss, damp earth, and something ancient curled around her senses, making her skin prickle.

And then, she saw it.

The Oracle's cottage.

Unlike the harsh, skeletal hut of the Crone from her old village, this home looked alive.

Nestled at the very border of the forest, the small, rustic cottage was weathered but strong, its wooden walls partially overgrown with ivy and moss. The stone chimney was speckled with lichen, the slanted roof covered in a thin layer of damp leaves and creeping vines.

A winding stone path led up to the door, flanked by clusters of wild lavender, overgrown ferns, and small pots of herbs. It was wild yet deliberate, untamed yet welcoming.

But Seren's stomach twisted at the sight hanging near the door.

Rabbit carcasses.

Their bodies were limp, strung up by their hind legs, their fur matted with dried blood, hanging from the rafters.

Seren swallowed hard, her throat tightening.

She had been a vegetarian for as long as she could remember, and the sight made something deep inside her revolt. Eating an animal that could speak to her was like eating a friend.

She could already feel them.

The animals in the bordering forest, the unseen eyes watching her from the trees. The rustling of unseen creatures was more than just wind, their presence brushing against her senses like ghostly fingertips.

The animals were whispering.

Not in many words, but in a way she could understand.

She was about to step forward when—

A shadow moved.

Seren's gaze snapped up just in time to see a barn owl perched on the edge of the roof, its large, round eyes glinting in the dimming light.

Then—it swooped down.

Silent as death, it snatched up one of the hanging carcasses in its talons and vanished into the sky, wings cutting through the air like a blade.

Seren exhaled shakily.

Before she could move, the door creaked open.

The Oracle

The woman standing in the doorway was nothing like the Crone she had known.

---