LOGINShare
Chapter 5: Under the King's Eye
publish date:
2026-11-03 09:07:22
Latest chapter
The Hollow Moon Chapter 7: The Wolf at the Window
The first thing Aster heard was a child crying.It came from somewhere beneath the fortress.Not through the walls. Not through the corridors. The sound seemed to rise through the stone itself, thin and frightened, carrying a grief so old that it had lost the shape of words.Aster stood barefoot in a field of black grass beneath a colorless sky.The ground stretched toward a city she knew she had never seen, though the sight of it struck something painfully familiar inside her. Tall towers rose beyond a river of silver water. Their windows burned with a pale blue light, and strange banners hung from their roofs, marked with the broken circle.People hurried through the streets.Some wore dark robes. Others carried weapons. A woman held a basket against her hip while arguing with a man beside a fountain. Two children chased one another beneath an archway, laughing.It was an ordinary day.That was what frightened Aster most.She knew what came next.The first tower shuddered.A crack o
The Hollow Moon Chapter 6: The Book That Bled
Aster did not sleep.She lay beneath the heavy blankets, watching the fire shrink to glowing embers while the six words repeated themselves in her mind.The king is not the one watching.She had burned the note, but destroying the paper had done nothing to quiet the unease it had left behind.Someone had entered her room.Someone had touched the pendant.Someone knew enough about the king's intentions to warn her against trusting him.Or perhaps they wanted her to believe that.Aster rolled onto her side and looked toward the door.The guards had changed shifts twice. She knew because she had heard their boots in the corridor, followed by the low murmur of unfamiliar voices. Each time, she had considered opening the door and demanding to know who had been allowed inside.Each time, she had stopped herself. If someone could enter without the guards noticing, questioning them would accomplish very little. She reached beneath her nightdress and found the pendant. It was still there. Cold
The Hollow Moon Chapter 5: Under the King's Eye
Aster woke to the sound of someone opening her door. She came upright so quickly that the blanket tangled around her waist.A young woman stood just inside the room, holding a tray. She wore a gray servant's dress and had her dark hair pinned tightly against her head. Her eyes widened when Aster reached for the small knife beneath her pillow."Oh!" The servant nearly dropped the tray. "I'm sorry, my lady. I didn't mean to frighten you."Aster lowered the knife."Then you might consider knocking.""I did.""Not loudly enough."The servant set the tray on the table. "Breakfast, my lady."Aster looked toward the window. Pale morning light slipped between the curtains, illuminating the unfamiliar chamber. For one disorienting moment, she forgot where she was.Then she remembered the black wolf.The courtyard.The howling.And Kaelith Draven standing beneath her window.She looked at the servant."What time is it?""Just after sunrise.""How long have you been here?"The girl frowned. "In
The Hollow Moon Chapter 4: Veyrhold
The mountains appeared shortly before sunset.At first, Aster mistook them for clouds gathering along the horizon. Dark shapes rose beyond the forest, their peaks lost beneath a low ceiling of gray. But as the road climbed and the trees thinned, the shapes became enormous walls of stone, jagged and black against the fading light.Veyrhold.Aster had imagined the northern fortress many times during the journey. She had pictured towering walls, iron gates, and snow-covered battlements. She had expected something imposing.She had not expected it to look as though the mountain itself had grown teeth.The road wound through a narrow valley, following a river that rushed over dark rocks. Small watchtowers stood at intervals along the slopes. Each bore the same banner: a silver wolf beneath a crown, its head turned toward a pale moon.Soldiers watched from the walls.Aster felt their attention as the escort approached. Some were mounted, others stood with spears resting against their should
The Hollow Moon Chapter 3: The Name Renfall
The sound of Ronan Ashvale's horse faded slowly into the eastern road.Aster stood in the doorway long after the captain had disappeared beyond the bend, watching the empty stretch of muddy track as though she expected him to turn back. The morning was pale and cold. Rainwater dripped from the eaves, gathering in the ruts left by passing carts. Somewhere behind the neighboring cottages, a rooster announced the day with the confidence of a creature who had never once been asked to keep a secret.She envied him.At least the rooster knew what he was."Aster."Mara's voice came from behind her.Aster did not turn. "I'm waiting for him to come back with an explanation.""Then you may be waiting a long while.""That seems to be the general approach to explanations around here."She heard Mara sigh. The sound was familiar, usually accompanied by a hand pressed to her forehead or a muttered observation about Aster's inability to leave well enough alone. This time, there was no irritation in
The Hollow Moon Chapter 2: The King's Questions
By morning, the rain had stopped. It had left Briar Glen looking washed and exhausted. Water dripped from the thatched roofs, collected in muddy hollows along the narrow road, and clung to the branches of the surrounding forest. A thin mist drifted between the trees, turning the familiar woodland into something distant and watchful.Aster had not slept.She sat at the kitchen table with both hands wrapped around a cup of tea that had long since gone cold. Across from her, Mara moved quietly around the room, wiping down surfaces that were already clean and rearranging jars that did not need rearranging.Neither of them had spoken much since the stranger's death.The body had been taken away shortly before dawn by two men from the village, who had promised to keep it in the old storage room until the authorities could be notified. Mara had insisted they cover the stranger's face before moving him. Aster had helped, though she could still remember the unnatural chill of his skin beneath
You May Also Like
Triplet Alphas Gifted Luna
Samantha Doyle1.9M viewsTaking Alpha's Twins Away After Divorce
AlisTae889.4K viewsDangerous Desires
Karima Sa'ad Usman597.7K viewsAlpha Brock
C.J. Primer579.0K viewsCAGED BY THE ENEMY ALPHA
B.H.WRITES325 viewsMy Dragon, My Mate: Love across realms
Nova53 viewsThe Bride with Two Wolves
Blanca23 viewsThe Alpha’s Secret Luna
Ebe Above All Story36 views
