eam tore throug

nearly losing my foot

the

llowed was so faint

a, r

fr

my memory. The warmth of his arms. The roughness of his beard aga

remembered h

ispered. "What

ace had g

ed to

red a

is place was

wa

father screami

hed for

hould have rem

lled

re sec

filled wi

, ple

e the truth until someone is dying. My father is down there, or

tepped

's r

ed tow

s if remembering that I h

ed down the

the royal bloodline. If something has awakened inside

understand

d down t

her fo

efore I could disappe

ming wi

on't h

kno

ezed my

y it means

ing reckless. Instead, I held h

ehind us, keepi

air became. Silver markings glowed along the walls, illuminating

e found a pair o

carved int

oward the ground. His face was stern, but

pped

at my

ther

g Ad

e of the carving

e felt

ri

ore than a fading memory. Now I was standing befo

ether he woul

would be

nd why I had saved the ma

s began

ed through th

ittle

nearly

that

few memories that rema

he doors before an

rystal pillars rose toward a ceiling painted with stars. At

actly as I r

k h

shou

eemed to carry both

fat

nds against the t

the

smi

d again, reaching for him in a g

big now," h

eamed dow

nderstand.

mile

my c

w are yo

the ring be

ed me feared what would happ

ok my

really my

against the other s

ong I used to sing whe

barely

about t

nod

began

g against his chest while he sang beneath the stars. I remembered his hand stroking my hair.

head against the

ssed

kno

eded

ession c

oon. And I am sorry

nts, I could do

d the voice outs

he man who car

turned to

the entrance,

followed

appeared from

is the

es

closer

before approach

tudied him

he

lood of the man

wered h

d in the attack on you

what he did a

looke

N

ed his hand aga

you should tel

went compl

ed tow

does h

t my father,

t you to lear

rn w

ps tre

r came to the palace with an army. But he

swal

ough the royal gates without a search. Someone who knew

r's eyes

called my

cursed

red a

ho

r opened

ow

ck me like a

admitted to murd

had called

wer awaken and seemed to know

imply attack

een trus

I whi

looked a

ieved that royal blood was a weakness, that love made a ruler v

s father h

es

ds curled

father answer

ooked direc

ll not undo

would you h

daughter

illed the

ooked

between us, carryin

ok a

thing else you

ach tig

ha

r died, my father bro

led to me

her's arms. I remember your father standing in fron

oat ti

happ

voice c

dered me to t

red a

d me to k

your father. But before I could

d toward t

me. Instead, he gave m

expression w

ar to protect he

nod

would never let

laugh e

ecame the perso

linc

es

o excuse in

to soften

ween a man who regretted hurting me and a man

ot heal

t mat

tched us wit

the prophecy names yo

hook h

carries the final comm

ber grew

her co

e that one day his descendants would finish what he began. Whe

ce draine

estined to

the choice. Whether you

d at my

reak the

es

rged th

ow

d at the ring b

ering who

stepped

first

r shook

mprisoned when the prophecy first appeared. Someone el

" I a

toward the far si

apart from the others. Unlike t

een carved int

urrounded by sev

that symb

the man who had

" I whi

ther

, Lena. He created the prophecy to ensure t

lt s

believed my future

itten a future in which the man

rned our love

his hand against

ext full moon. He possesses the f

if I

eyes filled

phecy will co

le shook t

stals f

taggered, clutc

ur bond and rushed toward

ae

ped to

t spilled f

emerged fro

Ka

Azae

ad never he

you,

coiled from

ice la

den behind death, believing your

ised hi

rned comple

has already op

r trembled

k the barrier w

et away

ed to

oul

for one brief second, I

something that mad

ppens next, don't

ody j

rystal pill

ed the face of the man w

nding inside

iled

little p

raised h

in the chambe