MOONWATCH

Trystin

"What do you want?" I growl, pushing my hair out of my eyes. The leaves on the lunalisk tree shine sinisterly, and I want to shiver. It's always something with Damien. He cracks his knuckles, admiring the tree with pride. I know that at some point, eons ago, he grew it himself.

I don't want to know what he used—most likely the tears of a million destroyed lives. If only I had known during my mortal years how much power the lunalisks had over the world and what occurred in it. Hitler himself may have been working with a diabolist, but the Holocaust of World War II is Damien's personal pride and joy.

He is the grumpiest old man and the stuff of nightmares rolled into a single being. And to think I let him take my soul because I inanely believed he would spare my sister.

Her death is the reason the world suffered.

"Shaed." Damien's expression turns dark, his gaze piercing. "Our influence has been . . . countered. By someone with considerable power over the Lyght. A Moonwatch."
I feel a spark of hope, but I work to conceal it as best as possible. Maybe there's a chance for this nightmare to end—even if it means the extinguishment of my existence. But I remember my sister, who was destroyed because of her light.

The diabolist tsks, smirking at me with a falsely sympathetic expression. "It's all coming back to you, isn't it? The term Moonwatch must wound you so much, seeing as that insufferable whelp of a child was your sister." He steps closer, his eyes boring into mine. They are blue, but so light they are nearly white. The black Daark cracks in his skin around his eyes twists as he grimaces.

Oftentimes, lunalisks appear beautiful to disguise their true nature, but there is nothing remotely lovely or alluring about a diabolist's appearance. As they dabble in Daark arts, they grow more twisted both psychologically and physically, as the magic takes a horrible toll on their bodies and minds.

"My sister," I say, gritting my teeth, "had she lived, would have far more power than you." She was supposed to heal all of us, but I couldn't protect her.

Damien bares his teeth in an evil grin. "Ah, but she is not alive, is she?"

I want to rip out his throat.

"Enough about the brat. To you, Shaed, I am offering a proposal. Find and destroy the Moonwatch with my powers, and I will return your soul. You will become my apprentice, and I will instruct you in the Daark arts." He stretches out a hand, the many rings on his fingers glimmering in the pale light of Echo.

I would rather live a hundred lifetimes as a Shaed than become a diabolist that seeks to destroy the world through darkness. At the same time, however, this is the first time Damien has offered to return my soul, even if it will eventually be twisted by the Daark. I remind myself that with my freedom, I could escape.

So, even though my mind screams against it, I nod.

Damien slips a ring from his finger and hands it to me. It's a black silver band with a simple line design, far different from the designs of his other rings, which are intricate and inlaid with enormous gemstones or runes.

"This ring holds power over the lunalisks and a small measure of my Daark powers. Use it to find, capture, and destroy the Moonwatch, and you will get your freedom."

I slip the ring onto my finger, and for the first time in nearly a century, I feel cold.

🌑

The light is slowly appearing over the horizon, with the dark silhouettes of the trees rising into the sky. It's so early that no one is out, and there are barely any cars on the street. I walk along the sidewalk in the park that sits next to the school, watching the ravens fly among the trees.