The Blood Moon reached its peak.

The forest was drowned in red light, turning the camp into a place that didn’t feel real anymore. The air was thick, so heavy it clung to Cora’s skin like heat after a storm. The fire at the center of the camp burned higher than before, flames licking the night sky, feeding on their hunger.

She was lying on the stone platform, her wrists draped over its rough edges, her hair tangled, her skin slick with sweat and something darker. Her body still pulsed ...