One-The Highpriestess and the mark

Chapter One—The Highpriestess and the mark

The high-priestess. I hated her.

She appeared out of the temple only once in a lifetime and the moment I saw her carriage being pulled I already knew what I was in for. The red moon was nigh.

The mumbles around the town knew no bounds as everyone knew what was to happen tonight. I trudged along with my basket of herbs, ready to set it on the stand where I sold my goods when I felt something prickly at the nape of my neck. It was my nerves. I’d always dreaded the red moon and everything it stood for.

Every century, a Luna is chosen from the Oasis where I lived, to unite the three bloody packs that had ruled over our territory for years. This all stemmed from ancient treaty they signed eons ago, all approved by the moon goddess herself.

It made no sense, no Luna had succeeded even. The power bestowed upon any lass should be an honor, but for us it was a death sentence.

The three Alphas—no one had ever seen them, but we knew of their existence and their prowess. We paid tribute to them, they fought over ownership of our land from eons to come, passing down the hatred from generation to generation.

I was tired of it and yawned loudly as I placed my herbs over the stand.

“You bitch!!” I heard someone pull me from behind, “My husband still has the fever!!”

I yelped, trying to wrangle free from the grasp of a woman I could barely even recognize.

“Let g—ahh!!!”

She was pulling my hair now. The others watched on but none of them bothered to step in. It was normal, the people of the oasis to ignore me—after all the claimed I was a bad omen, an abomination. I was simply an orphan, one with no dignified bloodline and they took offense to that.

“The herbs you sold didn’t work you quack healer!” She yelled.

My brow arched, finally wrangling free from her grasp. It took a second before I finally recognized her, she approached me a few days ago looking for medicine to cure her husband’s fever. I offered my most expensive broth, she refused, wanting the cheapest of the lot.

“They do work, not as fast as you want. It’s been three days.” I said calmly.

She spat on me, I stepped back but even I wasn’t quick enough to avoid her vapor, “Quack! I’ll have you arrested.”

I rolled my eyes, “Do what you want. I’m not a quack. I told you—

She slapped me then. My cheek ached against the brute force of her slap. There was a town officer, one who watched the whole interaction but turned a blind eye to it. I couldn’t help but frown deeply, caressing my red cheek as I went into my stall after she left.

“I hope the moon goddess chooses you tonight, bitch!!” She cursed before she walked away.

I was just an orphan and they treated me like I was bottom of the barrel scum. A mere healer trying to make a living, my mouth was still sore as I fought back the tears welling up in my eyes.

The prickly sensation behind the nape of my neck returned, this time it stung. I winced loudly, trying to swat away whatever insect was on me. There was nothing which made me frown deeply, probably my nerves again.

Or so I thought.

“Every female should be at the temple at the first sight of the red moon. Failure to appear begets imprisonment!” A town officer yelled at the top of his longs as he walked through the market.

Two women murmured as they walked past me, wondering if someone from a dignified family would be the chosen Luna this year. Then they turned to face me, I couldn’t help but smile awkwardly at them when they increased their pace and walked away briskly.

I let out a sigh and started shading the herbs on my table.

**********

The time passed quickly, almost too quick for my sake. The market had become sparse with everyone leaving to get ready for the red moon. I sighed deeply, still swatting the nape of my neck as that prickly sensation wouldn’t leave me for some reason.

My home was just atop of the hill, a far distance from the rest of the town but close enough to the market for commuting. I dropped the rest of my herbs and spices, counting the spare coins I made from a slow day and took off my clothes to get ready.

Then I saw it; a mark.

A blush red with pink undertones. It felt like a figment of my own imagination at first, the moment i saw it in the mirror. I quickly turned around again touching the back of my neck which stung even more now and I let out another sharp wince.

“What the—

The horns started to roar all over the town. It was time.

I grunted as I slipped into a simple lilac dress, ignoring that painful mark that had appeared out of nowhere. It was a beetle bite for all I knew, and made for the temple which was only a few walks away.

Every female already stood before the moon goddesses temple. The moon had already started to change it’s stripes from a warm blue to a poignant shade of blood, the shift in the air was unmistakable. I hated it.

“Stop there.” One of the temple attendants stopped me before I placed my legs on the concrete ground.

“I—

“That mark.” She murmured.

I touched it. It still stung.

“It’s a beetle bite.” I gulped hard.

She looked at me with eyes full of quizzes, I pressed my lips tightly, unsure as to why I was so nervous. Finally she gave way, I nodded and made my way into the crowd with the other females from the oasis.

The high priestess had just finished her rites when she stepped out with a large bowl in hand. The silence was deafening , one could hear the tail of a snake rattle from miles away. A lump formed in my throat as i glanced around, no one dared look the high priestess in the eye as she stood above us.

I did. I looked her in the eye.

She was looking back at me…right at me.

The lump in my throat grew even larger. She walked down the stairs of the temple, bowl still in hand—she was headed straight towards me.

I took a step back as she came toward, then another, and another. It was only a matter of seconds before I broke into a full run.

Oh dear.