Each autumn, the village of Embermoor harvests flamefruit from scorched trees that grow only under moonless skies. But this year, the forest doesn't sleep. When a young girl disappears during the harvest and a second moon rises in the sky, Mira—a reclusive herbalist with secrets burned into her skin—must uncover the truth behind the ancient bargain that keeps Embermoor breathing, or watch the village and herself consumed in fire that does not warm.
The first ember fell from the sky on the twelfth night of Hollowmonth.
It drifted past Mira’s window in a slow spiral, glowing orange like a cinder plucked from
some celestial hearth. She didn’t move to catch it. She never did. Not anymore.
Outside, Embermoor slept uneasily beneath its usual blanket of soot. The harvest fires
had already begun near the orchard rim, casting long shadows across the charred
earth. Trees bent inward as if listening to some forgotten lullaby. The scent of burnt fruit
and damp ash crept through the thatch walls of Mira’s hut.
Published on 2025-10-30 by Jam eBooks