LPH

APTER

Invitati

d never beli

not control. It was what people blamed when their plans fell apart, when someone t

xplanations she

ge letter lying beneath

mblem depicting a crescent moon surrounded by seven sharp points.

se L

hool records. Not Miss Luna, the way her tea

Rose

sent it knew her bette

in her hands. There was no return address, no stamp, and no i

was locked, the windows were shut, and their little

livered a letter d

fro

her someone is being dramatic, or I ne

oke th

a single sh

ose L

Gathering at the Sanguinara Estate, to be

sence is

ough to remember them. Some truths were buried

o return what

e al

ers of the

ead it

third

eveloped several questions, none of which

Keepers of th

he Sanguin

erious people she had never heard of believe t

er over, searching

th

lutel

onto her desk a

mately twel

icked it up, and exa

oon looked str

it stirred a feeling she could not explain. It was like hearing a song

settled behi

and the sensat

ook he

ired. Tha

e placed the letter inside the drawer of her

might need evidence if someone tri

tell herse

aid that the letter had been looki

*

e discovered that secrets

was actin

s before Rose had finished one sentence. That morning, she sat across from her daughter with a cup of untouc

iced imm

um

too quickly. "

you o

cour

g the same cup of te

spoon in her hand a

onvincing laugh. "I suppose

studi

mething

N

er came

d back in

intere

s tightened ar

at

y, you're acting like you've seen a ghost. So either the universe has

, her mother

she s

is the

tomach t

mentioned th

single

e rose fro

know there

n on her face frightened Rose more tha

not con

recog

it?" her mot

tared

at is go

or one brief moment, she looked as t

she tur

ay away from

art began

hy

derstand what those p

t pe

losed h

anguin

hung betw

mbered th

guinara

ng crept dow

know

er did n

um

me you

ion gave way

a conversation, look terrified, and expect me

, ple

atters. So why are you suddenly asking me to trust you whe

es filled

ilence

st years of Rose's childhood, Elena had always

this made Rose

protect you," El

m wh

ed toward

cross the garden, illuminating the o

at should have

other question, someone

sharp

t complet

d toward t

expecting

mother w

ck came

lena grabbed

anything about your dreams. Do not show them anything that b

pped ab

tared

ings? What does fate hav

cking s

me through

We know yo

e's wrist as if sh

a name Rose had n

nde

*

and an expression that suggested he had n

dark hair was brushed away from his forehead, and a silve

o young to b

lena opened the door,

r Sang

d his head

. Lu

ifted past

ound

the air seemed to disa

expressio

But something in his eyes sharpened, and the h

not

ng at her as though she were someo

you?" she

not answer

he looked

eived th

ived no

wax seal visible through the open dr

less smile tou

ne has been

ved betw

o right to

k why a name recorded in the sacred regist

ention sna

recorded

oked at h

seemed to ma

ring of the great werewolf families, and this year, the Sanguinara dynasty will

tared

aughed onc

t say werewo

es

l were

rally what th

ed at he

um

e was worse th

ed back t

your family has some sacred register, and that I'm s

you," he replied. "I ca

jacket and withdrew a

n emblem had been sta

sted at the estate on the

ded her arms. "Your l

rote it has a poor und

elf, Rose al

mo

my response. I

died her f

ore difficult

at a t

is a w

ope on the small ta

steppe

that your name be entered into no public record beyond your birth certificate. And ask her

ace had g

floor shift be

t fa

ression beca

r fa

ned to

ai

doorway, but he had al

oward a black car park

g it, he looke

his eyes seemed

nside the vehicle, an

e doorway long a

urned around, her

ered. "What have

nk onto

u to have a

chest t

t ever p

her loo

I wanted you to have the

*

searched her grandmot

edarwood, and forgotten memories. Old photographs sat in cardboard boxes, and folded blankets

ything bearing the c

ooden box beneath a sta

ver p

e had a tiny circle engraved at its center. Delicate markings ran along its curve

bundle of letters tied t

ter was addre

was address

embled as sh

arest

has weakened, and the world has begun to

nary. You may have been raised to believe

belief for as l

your blood remembers w

red, someone will c

st person who claims

never let the Sanguinar

opped r

ma

at her hands,

th

e turned the

was a final sentence, wr

as never destroye

words until

unar

en about a Lunar line. Elena h

as though Rose had inherited a se

ed for th

sed around the silver, war

ed and dr

en floor with a so

nt, nothin

room gr

ipped throug

m the h

outside t

here insid

la

umbled

s engraved markings glowing fain

e's left wrist, a pale c

at it in

y world she had known all her life, a

n ancient stone chamber as the s

rested on a pede

ained unchanged f

il

ed beneath the name of the h

ARA - DESTINED M

ared at t

ture he had been trained to accept had

he whi

elderly guardia

gister has spo

s jaw t

ister is

never be

t's time someon

ian lifte

enge a bond writt

oward him, his

tch

d respond, a second line beg

not silver

as b

emerged had not appeared in

LUNAR HEIR HA

r doors sl

andle w

at had remained locked since the fall of the