Chapter Twenty – Shadows of War

The howl had not faded from Black Hollow’s bones. Even days after, its echo still rattled through streets and back alleys, as though the sound had sunk into the timbers of houses and the marrow of its people.

By night, lanterns burned late. By day, whispers carried further than smoke from the chimneys.

And Evelyn was always at the center of them.

She felt it in the way shutters cracked open just wide enough for eyes to watch her pass. She heard it in the way voices hushed when her boots struck the cobblestones. A market stallkeeper’s hand had trembled when passing her change, though she tried to hide it behind a forced smile. Children, once bold enough to greet strangers, were pulled back by their mothers, their gazes wide with questions Evelyn couldn’t answer.

The mark on her arm seemed to pulse harder with every look. She could feel it burning beneath her sleeve, as though it too sensed their suspicion.

“Blood-marked,” one woman whispered when Evelyn passed.

“Cursed,” another mutter