Page 1 of Favored By the Stars

ChapterOne

Senara

A suffocating stillness descended upon the garden, pressing down on us like a physical weight. The High Lord's and Rys' revelations hung heavy in the air, threatening to crush us under their weight. Thorn's jaw clenched so hard I could hear his teeth grinding together, but his face remained impassive, giving away nothing of the turmoil raging within him. Through our bond, I felt his fear, his anger, his determination to see this through, no matter what. It was his unwavering resolve that kept me from unraveling as my own thoughts spun out of control.

"Moonweaver's Grove?" I asked, unfamiliar with the name since I grew up in the human lands. I glanced between the three men as I waited for someone to fill me in.

Thorn's voice was a low rumble, like thunder before a storm. "It's a place that exists only in whispered legends among the fae. I had heard of it growing up, tales of a sanctuary so pure and sacred that not even the blight could touch its soil. If the moon goddess herself ever walked this world, they said, it was within the confines of that grove beneath trees that sang to the stars. But no one alive today had set eyes on it, and its location remained shrouded in mystery."

"Moonweaver's Grove," I repeated aloud, testing the words as though speaking them would make the idea of the place feel less impossible. "What if... what if we can't find it? And even if we do…" My voice caught in my throat. "How can a place hold the answers I need?"

Rys regarded me with a gaze so patient it was infuriating. "The answers you seek will not come easily, child," he whispered, folding his hands behind his back. "But they are not for you alone to uncover. That is why fate has bound you to another marked by divine light." His eyes flicked meaningfully toward Thorn.

Thorn's hand found my shoulder again, solid as ever. "Then we'll find it," he said simply, his voice rich with quiet determination. "We'll go wherever we have to go. Do whatever needs to be done." He turned to Echo then, his tone sharpening slightly. "But I need to know... What aren't you telling us?"

Echo hesitated; a flicker of something that might've been regret crossed his boyish face, but he quickly masked it with an unreadable politeness that reminded me eerily of Wyn. She had a tendency to make a similar expression when she expected me to figure something out for myself instead of her explaining it to me.

"The grove will test you," he admitted at last. "It is a place of ancient power untouched by time or corruption, but such purity comes at a cost. Those who enter must confront their deepest truths, the parts of themselves they fear most." His gaze shifted between us solemnly.

A faint chill crept down my spine at his words, not from fear exactly, but from the weight of inevitability they carried.

"Your path will take you far from here," Rys continued gravely, his tone almost reverent as though speaking about some sacred pilgrimage. "Through forests older than memory and places where the barrier between our realm and the void thins dangerously." His rheumy eyes fixed on mine, then on Thorn's mark before shifting back again. "You must trust in your connection." He raised one gnarled, trembling hand and traced symbols into the air. The arcs and whorls glowed faintly before sinking into the water's surface like falling stars.

The pool shimmered, its reflection warping as if caught in a sudden gale. Then an image swirled to life: a vast forest blanketed in a rich purple twilight. Its trees stood ancient and towering, their bark gleaming silvery white as though kissed by eternal moonlight. Even through the image, the air seemed alive with magic, soft motes drifting lazily like embers caught on a celestial wind.

"Moonweaver's Grove," Rys murmured, gesturing toward the vision. "Few have ventured there and returned unchanged. Few have returned at all." His tone was grave, a warning wrapped in curiosity, but it only made my resolve harden further.

I stepped closer to the image rippling before us and felt Thorn's steadying presence as he moved alongside me, his right hand slipping around my left one as I reached out, as though he wanted to stop me from getting too close. My fingers hovered just above the water's surface; I could almost feel the forest calling to me through that shimmering barrier. It felt like if I touched it, I could fall in and find myself there instead of just at the bottom of a fountain.

"How do we find our way there?" Thorn asked, his voice low and measured.

Rys hesitated for half a heartbeat before replying, "The Whispering Woods are treacherous for those unfamiliar with their paths, but there are markers hidden within, the remnants of old magic tied to both sun and moon, before the elves and the fae were enemies. Trust in your connection to her power," he said, nodding at me before turning to Thorn with equal gravity, "and your connection to his power as well. The two are intertwined," Rys explained patiently. "The moon goddess receives more frequent invocations, but her mate, the sun god, stands beside her. Always."

"But the courts have been divided for centuries," Thorn countered sharply. There was no malice in his tone, only years of ingrained thoughts and beliefs.

Rys shook his head as though hearing those words physically hurt him. "The moon and sun exist not as opposites but as complements. The moon goddess and the sun god are both necessary parts of our world."

Before Thorn could object again, Echo interrupted, "There is one more matter before you leave. Moonweaver's Grove is sacred ground; it does not bow to mortal whims. You will need guidance to get through the Whispering Woods alive and find the grove, plus protections to traverse its magic." He raised his hand lazily in a motion that seemed dismissive until another figure stepped out from behind one of the carved wooden archways lining the courtyard.

A young elf woman with silver hair braided intricately down her back approached us silently. She looked more like the elves I had seen before, the ones that escorted us from Sanctuary, with a pale purple tint to her skin. Her movements were graceful but deliberate, like water weaving over stones. She wore fitted leathers adorned with simple runic patterns that pulsed faintly with light as she moved.

"This is Kaelyn Lightspire," Echo said, introducing her without preamble. "She is one of our finest trackers and deeply attuned to the magic of the Whispering Woods."

Kaelyn inclined her head toward us in greeting but said nothing at first. Her violet eyes flicked between me and Thorn for a moment before they settled on me. Something in her gaze was sharp, almost appraising, as if she were measuring whether I could withstand what lay ahead.

"Shouldn't be too hard for her," Kaelyn said lightly, though there was no malice in her tone, just dry observation tempered by years of experience.

I blinked at her sudden remark, unsure how to respond. Thorn straightened beside me, always ready to stand up for me or fight for me, but I squeezed his hand subtly before he could say anything.

Kaelyn smirked slightly at my reaction, or maybe at Thorn's tension, and crossed her arms casually as she regarded us both again.

"I'll be accompanying you on your journey," Kaelyn said, her tone matter-of-fact. "The Whispering Woods are treacherous, even for those marked by the celestials. You'll need someone who knows how to navigate its shifting paths and hidden dangers."

I nodded, grateful for the help despite the elf's blunt demeanor. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "We appreciate your guidance."

Kaelyn's eyebrow quirked, as if my politeness surprised her. "Don't thank me yet," she replied. "The woods have a way of testing even the most seasoned travelers. And where we're going? Well, let's just say it's not a place for the faint of heart."

Thorn shifted beside me, his stance protective. "When do we leave?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of urgency.

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