ee: Broken

ra

announcement, the sk

tears. No

king the earth in silence, pr

es didn't spe

e rain couldn't wash away.

r my chest. Across the courtyard, Vanya Spike laughed, soft and pretty, at something G

toward him like he

p breathing if

ch them," Nyssa mu

eed

racked, ju

ee how far I

h her softness. "He just dragged you down

arms until I felt the throb of

d he lo

ftly. "He said

*

llowed blurred i

here the meat passed from hand to hand like comm

, like a new crown, polished

er slept in his arms. Never whispered

just di

forg

se. I wa

d. I became a cautionary tale. A mistake dr

show th

ething inside me shi

rpe

zalo's face, every whisper dressed in s

as bein

*

e central fire. Vanya draped in white fur, Gonzal

how

in s

hun

*

drian found me by t

is cloak, jaw clenched tight lik

done it like that

him. "Why are y

e replied. "And I know

should b

s why I'm warning you..

t h

you as

mured. "He just enjoye

drawn deep into the

re thinking, d

him, my voic

I won't make t

*

onzal

t the bruised sky. Wolves circled the flame in reverence, their eyes refl

Radiant. A shad

side him, unre

is voice calm and cutting, "who sow unrest.

s eyes

from the Bloodfang lands. You no longer b

ce hit li

a ripple of brea

rd. I saw their hesitation,

o cry, but

ng him one more t

e eye and said, "Y

d, slow a

ut not for the r

rned his b

final blow. Not the

turn

ne tall, my jaw locked,

shat

rg

*

order. She looked lik

aid breathlessly. "We could h

N

as ice. Ca

e gone. I w

d. "What wil

e woods, dark,

d've done a l

s the border, a

ond s

hooks ripped fre

d to my ribs. But

*

ed for t

ere no voices lived. The moon watched me, cold and

idn't l

underfoot. Every thorn. Ev

dfang was harsh. But

ies

cro

cag

scent or memory. I built a fire with trembling

only ligh

again. Hood d

t be here.

on't st

ather pouch...root

he world I on

urvive out here, you

t. "I ha

yo

d once.

long time. "He should

into th

ake. And he won

hat you must. But

her

l become

*

od alone beneath the

my hai

wind t

dn't

dn't

y whi

ing. My place. My

s didn't

y w

sil

s before somethin