hose t

Lucien's gaze-unflinching, curious, defiant-said it for her.

single nod. "Then t

ria

ed answers. You'll

r word. The shadows swallowed him, leaving Zara alone i

art of her wanted to run. The smarter part, maybe. But she was done running. She'd spent her whole life

eep breath an

-

not really-just stone pillars vanishing into darkness above and

nter of a wide platform,

feet, the thin cotton of her sleep shirt

thers. "This is the Triad.

it looked like marble. The one on the right was smaller, older, with eyes like scorched earth. Th

here?" she said, voi

e the others,"

e?" The elder sneered

ned. "I'm stand

hat you're about to face isn't a game. You survive, and you

ed. "What do

back in unison. Lu

he said. "Not with

t anything human. A creature born of nightmares and rage. Its fur was d

sn't a

somethin

h hitched. "Y

ldest of us. He lost his mind to the b

does he wa

mell y

eant, the creature let out a soun

idn't

e r

roar echoed behind her, too close. She ducked beneath a low arch, dodging the

is i

ng herself on a jagged wall. Blood slicked her

s nowhere

burned. Her

somethin

t in her head,

se. A

t the beast's charge head-on, and

ilver burst f

eature

d eyes

shimmered, not with blood, but light. The beast

the shadows, watchin

," one of the

le to," another repli

forward. "You

nting. "What are

er waist when her knees buckled. "There are humans.

eart thundering. "You

s. "No. I think you're somethi

nd-almost a purr-and vanished into the d

-

't take her

on, through halls lit by flames that didn't burn. They reached a wide space filled with whispers

eyes on her. C

kept h

ace..." s

shed. "We built the towers to protect th

k her head

ur veins once belonged to the first Seer

at w

his expression harder

wood, etched with the same runes she'd see

rmal-simple bed, shelves of books, a wardro

ide. "Rest. Yo

ated. "You'

sed. "I shou

you wa

answer. Did

nd. The spark that jumped between them was

sed to do now?" s

ound his. "Survive. Learn. Remember who y

he was g

-

ght, she

rest bathed in moonlight. Not

ind, stronger than anything she'd ever known. She

earing sto

ing silver. Not afraid

ard him-and wo

palms

ack the shee

r lines running from wrist to fing

them and fe

sn't a