Murder at Moonridge Manor

By: G.J Fene

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

In the mist-shrouded village of Moonridge Hollow, witchcraft was supposed to have died out long ago. But when a nobleman’s mysterious death stirs whispers of dark magic, herbalist Penelope Hawthorne knows better. Beneath her quiet shop and calm smile lies a power the old covens once feared, and the secrets she buried are waking again.

Her only companion is Aurelius, a silver-eyed familiar with a mind as sharp as his claws. Together, they uncover a chilling truth: a forbidden order known as the Umbrael is corrupting animals into living conduits, “Borrowed Skins”, to spy, possess, and kill in silence. From black-feathered messengers to foxes with burning eyes, the village’s beasts are no longer what they seem.

As Penelope hunts the shadow growing beneath Moonridge Manor, her own magic begins to blur the line between the healer she was and the witch she swore never to become. Each ritual brings her closer to the Umbrael’s network, and closer to becoming part of it.

But when the curse turns on her familiar, she must choose between saving Aurelius or keeping her humanity intact. And in the reflection of a cracked obsidian mirror, something ancient is still watching… waiting for her to look back.