Page 53 of Mate Night Snack
"You're seriously considering this?" Bram's voice rose with disbelief. "She's been here mere weeks, and already she's encouraging confrontation over caution."
"Sometimes confrontation is the only path to lasting peace," Miriam said quietly, her voice carrying the weight of years spent watching and waiting. "I've seen what happens when we choose comfortable lies over difficult truths. People disappear. Problems fester. The community suffers."
A new voice spoke from the eastern edge of the circle. "The human has proven herself."
Katniss turned to see a tall figure step into the light, someone she hadn't noticed before. The man looked like he'd been carved from oak and moonlight, his angular features sharp enough to cut glass. His dark hair fell in waves to his shoulders, and his eyes were the deep green of forest shadows. When he moved, it was with the liquid grace of something that had never forgotten its connection to the wild.
"Lucien Vale," Emmett murmured behind her. "Panther shifter. Owns the bookstore."
"She faced the Veil surge and survived," Lucien continued, his voice carrying a faint accent that sounded vaguely European. "She walked willingly into sacred spaces that would drive most humans mad. She chose love over fear when tested. These are not the actions of someone who brings chaos. These are the actions of someone who brings change."
"Change and chaos often wear the same face," Bram retorted.
"So do wisdom and stubbornness," Twyla added sweetly. "The question is whether we're brave enough to tell the difference."
Varric raised his hand again, calling for silence. When he spoke, his voice carried the finality of ancient authority.
"Katniss Greaves, approach the central stone."
Heart pounding, Katniss walked to the massive piece of carved granite that dominated the center of the circle. This close, she could see that the symbols carved into its surface weren't random. They formed a pattern, a story written in stone about protection and community and the bonds that held both together.
"Place your hand upon the Heartstone," Varric commanded.
The moment her palm touched the cool granite, the world exploded into sensation. Power surged through her like lightning in reverse, flowing from the earth up through her bones and into her very soul. Visions flashed behind her eyes, not chaotic and overwhelming like before, but clear and purposeful. She saw Hollow Oak's history stretching back generations, saw the Veil's creation, saw the community that had grown up around this sacred space.
And she saw herself, not as an outsider looking in, but as part of the pattern. Part of the protection. Part of the future.
"The Heartstone accepts her," Varric announced, his voice carrying wonder. "She is recognized as a true seer, granted the protection of our laws and the responsibilities that come with them."
The power faded gradually, leaving Katniss swaying on her feet but oddly stronger than before. She could feel the connection now, the invisible threads that linked her to this place and these people. This was communal, sacred, binding her to the welfare of everyone in the circle.
"Magic never comes without a price," Varric said quietly, his storm-cloud eyes meeting hers with understanding. "You have gained power, protection, and purpose. But you have also accepted responsibility for this community's welfare. Their joys will strengthen you. Their sorrows will wound you. Their fate is now tied to yours, as yours is to theirs."
The weight of it settled over her like a cloak, heavy but not unwelcome. She thought of Mabel Dorsey and the other missing girls, of Emmett's past and Ashwin's threats, of all the secrets this town had carried alone for too long.
"I understand," she said simply.
The formal ceremony dissolved into something more relaxed as people began to move and talk again. Emmett appeared at her side almost instantly.
"How do you feel?" he asked quietly.
Katniss considered the question, taking inventory of the new sensations flowing through her. The connection to the community hummed in her bones like a second heartbeat. Her seer abilities felt more stable, less chaotic, as if the Heartstone had provided an anchor for her visions.
"Different," she said finally. "More. Like I've been accepted into something bigger than myself."
"You have been." His thumb traced over her knuckles. "The Heartstone doesn't accept just anyone. Varric's right about the responsibility, though. You'll feel their pain now, their fear. But also their joy, their love, their hope."
"Sounds like being part of a family," she mused.
"The best kind," he agreed.
Around them, the gathering began to disperse, people drifting back toward the forest paths that would take them home. But the energy lingered, warm and welcoming, like the afterglow of a perfect evening spent with people who mattered.
"Ready to head back?" Emmett asked.
Katniss took one last look around the sacred space, memorizing the way the moonlight painted everything in silver and shadow. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, new threats, new responsibilities. But tonight, she had found her place in the world.
"Ready," she said, and meant it completely.
