The False Luna Has My Wolf
He straightened his robes, his face a mask of practiced authority.
“That is not testimony,” he declared, his voice sharp enough to cut through the lingering resonance. “It is ritual echo.”
He gestured toward the trembling door.
“Old Moon Rite chambers reflect memory, fear, and desire. Cassia is unstable. Mira’s curse-mark is active. Marek triggered old contamination by speaking forbidden phrases.”
The explanation was desperate, but several elders nodded eagerly. Accepting the alternative meant accepting that Cassia’s wolf had just contradicted the High Priestess.