choed in Ella's brain,

er pulse raced. A System? Like in the no

spirit broken by the threat to his brother. Every instinct in Ella's body scre

rd into her palms that the sk

ed out with his bleeding fingers, gently catc

, his voice cracking. "Forgive hi

raight down to the muscle. In this world, minor wounds healed fast for beastmen, but a cu

er dress. He immediately threw himself in front of Kevan, shielding him w

She channeled the original ow

pped, her voice l

Daulton's wolf ears drooped flat against hi

owner's memories. Why was

sical blow to the stomach. Co

n a flesh-rotting toxin and lashed Cordaro for hours. She had left him chai

tense nausea washed over her. She felt physica

wn. She spun around, marchi

dungeon," she

eyes. He thought she was going down there to finish Co

igging his fingers in to keep the boy

an said, his voice

were lined with gold-leaf mirrors and expensive magic-beast pelts, but the air fe

e into the underground levels, the temperat

d mixed with the sweet, sickening sm

The nausea returned,

s gray eyes flickered with a tiny, deeply hidden spark of conf

ridor. A heavy iron grate block

rned ragged. His eyes

wall, suspended by thick, rusted iron chains locked around his wr

who used to command respect. Now, he was covered in blo

could see the deep, jagged whip marks crisscrossing his broad ches

Cordaro's breathing was

entered his bloodstream. H

threw himself against the iron bars, l

osed his eyes. He was waiting for Ella to give

d so hard her knuckles turned stark white. She needed the

d consort dies, the host will suffer a forced extraction of l

don't need a threat to sav

her eyes locking onto Kevan w

stinctively pulling his blee

n rags," Ella barked, her tone leaving no r