The spare room was exactly as promised: small, clean, containing nothing, a narrow bed, a single window that looked out over the dark forest.

I dropped my bag in the corner. sat on the bed, which creaked under my weight.

Exhaustion should have claimed me immediately.

I'd been awake for nearly twenty-four hours.

The emotional and physical toll of the day should have left me unconscious the moment I lay down.

Instead, I stared at the ceiling, my mind churning.

Moon Blessed. Night Cursed. Sealed bloodlines. Ancient power.

It sounded like a fairy tale. Like the stories parents told children to make them behave.

"Eat your vegetables, or the Night...