When the Moon Hatched
by Sarah A. Parker
Contents
Chapter 2
Overview
Still disguised as Kemori, Raeve successfully lures Tarik Relaken into a private corridor, where his predatory behavior confirms both his interest and her desire to kill him. She is about to strike when the mysterious cloaked man interrupts, forcing her to abandon an easy kill and continue the trap elsewhere. On her way out, Levvi's kindness briefly challenges Raeve's emotional distance, but Raeve leaves determined to keep Tarik following her.
Summary
After hours of singing at the Hungry Hollow, Raeve, still disguised as the veiled bard Kemori, retreats to the washroom to recover. Another woman insults her as a null, and Raeve swallows her anger to preserve her cover. When Raeve steps back into the corridor, she finds Lord Tarik Relaken waiting alone, confirming that her performance has successfully drawn his attention.
Tarik blocks the exit, praises Raeve's voice and appearance, and quickly turns vulgar and threatening. Raeve tries to refuse him and slip past, but Tarik stops her with a hand braced against the wall. His behavior hardens Raeve's resolve to kill him, and she judges the corridor as a possible place to do it, even calculating how to bolt the door and hide his severed hand. She reaches for the dagger hidden in her bodice, ready to strike.
Before Raeve can act, the cloaked man who had watched her sing enters the corridor from the lavatory. His sudden presence changes the balance immediately: Tarik withdraws his hand, steps aside, and lets Raeve pass. Raeve notices that the stranger's attention is fixed on Tarik rather than on her, and she realizes the interruption has saved Tarik's life for the moment while also complicating her plan.
Raeve moves through the debauched, thinning crowd toward the exit, assuming Tarik will follow once he recovers. Levvi, the musician who performed with Raeve, stops her to give her their payment and then offers concern, money, and an escort home. Raeve refuses the payment and the escort, trying to leave quickly, but Levvi persists because she noticed Tarik watching Raeve and fears for her safety.
To calm Levvi, Raeve discreetly shows her a hidden glass orb, and Levvi immediately understands that Tarik is the real issue. Shaken, Levvi hands Raeve her contact details anyway, as if sensing they may never meet again. Tarik then reappears from the lavatory, catches Raeve's eye, and Raeve leaves the Hungry Hollow to continue drawing him outside, while privately reflecting that companionship is dangerous and easier to avoid than to lose.
Who Appears
- Raeve (as Kemori)Veiled bard in disguise who lures Tarik, nearly kills him, and refuses Levvi's help.
- Tarik RelakenPredatory lord Raeve targets; corners her in the corridor and becomes her intended victim.
- LevviFellow musician, visibly pregnant, who pays Raeve, worries for her safety, and offers an escort.
- Cloaked maleMysterious watcher whose sudden arrival interrupts Raeve's planned attack and unsettles Tarik.