Tortured Souls (Book 1, #1)

Luna Mendez has always felt out of place. Adopted as a baby and raised in a loving but secretive household, she grows up sensing she is different. Born beneath a full moon, she experiences vivid visions, strange outbursts of power, and an ever-present pull toward darkness she cannot explain. Her adoptive parents, burdened with a secret they swore never to tell, hide the truth: Luna‘s biological parents were not victims of injustice but infamous dark sorcerers, burned to death by their community for their cruel reign of terror. Luna was spared as an infant and hidden away, given a chance at a new life. As Luna comes of age, her powers intensify, and she begins to lose control. Shadows move at her command, flames dance to her fury, and whispers call to her in her dreams. Her struggle deepens when she discovers her parents‘ lie and learns that she is the child of fire and blood. This revelation ignites an internal war: should she fight her inheritance, or surrender to the destiny woven into her blood? At school, Luna finds solace in a mysterious classmate, Kairo, who seems to understand her like no one else. Their bond grows into trust, then into love. But Kairo harbors his own secret, he was sent by the ancient council not to save Luna, but to watch her, guide her down a path where she will one day be used as a weapon. His betrayal is slow, hidden, and devastating. The climax erupts as Luna, torn between her adoptive family‘s desperate pleas and the pull of her true bloodline, unleashes her full powers. In a moment of terrible clarity, she realizes her mother‘s spirit has been whispering through her visions all along, feeding her strength while tightening her hold. The ritual begins, drawing Solara closer to life with every spell Luna unknowingly casts. By the final pages, Luna stands at the edge of transformation. Though Solara has not fully returned, her grip over Luna is undeniable. Kairo‘s betrayal shatters Luna‘s trust, her adoptive family lies in ruins, and Luna herself is left questioning whether she is fighting her fate or fulfilling it. The novel ends with the haunting line that defines her struggle: "I am my mother‘s seed after all."