irae'

ls. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone, burning torches, and something deeper-something prim

eamed at me to fight. To ru

t

with the confidence of a man who knew he was the strongest thing in any room. The way his

Al

rapped in a

me, and now I was his priso

ldn't

chamber. The moment I stepped i

here felt

ring oddly against the stone surface. In the center of the room was a raised platform, beneath which was a dark sigil intricatel

gi

ncient

t on the ground. "I am

my arms, compelling

, his silver eyes unreadabl

me. "What is this? S

king the way he gazed at me-as though I we

was quiet but sharp as a blade

ched m

want a

e, drawn back by something they recognized but I didn't? Why d

d, then forced

ed onto the sigil,

kin in what felt like invisible bindings. I inhaled sharply as somethi

h

a

ring and agonizing, as if something

breath, and that

cre

my arms, holding me upright. His touch sent another

sn't

recog

isi

t someone older, taller, draped in the furs of a king. His golden eye

hrough my skull, an

re the

ess swallow

thorn

apsed in

presence in a manner that was unexpected. I tightened my jaw, observing her bo

ad se

way the mark burned when

s, his red eyes gleaming with interest

re. "This isn't

rse than a game. You jus

tightening. The vision had confirmed what I h

just some

descenda

st Lyca

death. My very existence as

d

't kil

oul

e me snarled at

hen chuckled under his breath. "You al

d not

use

und out about her, th

y couldn't

e world down just

n lifted her into my a

ed a brow.

e, my voice c

aled through my bones, rendering every movement a struggle against unseen restraint

vi

he golden-eyed king. His voice, a

re th

snappe

weak body lurch. My hands were still bound, though no longer in iron. The chains had been rep

ead, my sense

above obscuring the moonlight. The air was saturated wi

res

ut these wood

re aw

e sent a chil

lth

catching the dim light like a predator's. He rode with effortless gra

in my throat and asked,

ood," came t

ingering tales of this place-stories of a cursed forest where indivi

fened.

ely. His gaze flicked toward me,

the ground, slaughtered everyone I have ever known, an

n remained difficult to interpret. "

hissed.

warriors, their dark armor blending into the night. And just behind them, Orzian rode

joyed

against my temples. I didn't trust

r

thorn

s figh

, the fire in her gaze despite the exhaust

t

sigil chamber. She felt different now. The scent of old blood and m

as ch

dn't even

s not a place for mortals, nor for creatures like us. But if an

of the Wr

ugh the night. "You sur

him. "Do you ha

ace beside mine. "Plenty. But none

chuckled. "Relax," he murmure

ifting to the thickening f

ere

was already

irae'

into the deeper part o

. Watching

ere nearly indistinguishable. The trees emitted groans as if inhal

felt as a ripple through the air. The wraith paus

ing wa

heir hooves stamping agains

cre

ot animal. S

ons as shadows flickered through the trees.

saw

yes like dying embers, bodies shifting

raith

cursed to linger between life and death. But stories

twisting unnaturally, and for the fi

elthorn

he wraith before it could reach me. The creature

is silver eyes bla

ocess his words before

thborn a

. The mist turned red with the s

. I had no weapon, no way to fight. But somet

tin

s another wrait

ing inside

h

bow

field. The other Wraithborn hesitated, t

ng fo

ked onto mine, something unreadabl

you do?" h

no a

e since the massacre, I r

st Kaelthor

omethin

se creatures wer

Wrait

needed to find the one creature who might know