faced dea

etrayal, exi

-nothing, -fe

s skin. Same dark eyes, same blade-straight p

smile wa

ca

know

anci

in her body said again, voice

t move. Di

are

cil feared. What her mother tried t

d, claws

u hurt

e purred. "I've always

g split

whispering words Kael couldn't tra

he creature said. "But you gave

turned. "You

sed

a tree. His ribs cracked, breath knocked from his lungs.

, circling him. "Maybe broken. Maybe whole.

d her han

g inside Ale

lic

shift behind her eye

you," he said,

something feral. "She's trying. But I've

en

woods, another ho

wo

wi

hing

burst into the clearing-a boy no older than

lade. It dripped

was s

aid to the creature

turned.

. "Who the h

sed. "You'll find

he blade at

until the moon turns black. Th

d," the crea

said innocently. "And pro

ld respond, he

hrough

roa

's body shimmered, eyes going wi

mark on her ribs

curling in on itself, and for one

o the ground,

oring the pain, dragging him

catching her fac

k at me. St

yes o

ea

rif

ou," she w

xhal

boy wasn

them, blade still s

day," he said. "Be

his eyes. "A

oy sm

'm the one who kno

ke that, he

artbeat slow, then even out. Her body was trembling-not just from

nked. "

of blood off her c

"I was somewhere else. Deep

. "But you clawe

t think

her, steady

leaning her head against his should

ut the kind that shows up wh

oes tha

ans fate's in flux. And w

gain. But not the terrifyin

"I think the Council

flinch. "I th

u are. But because they

d at him.

t fully. But I believe i

if I can't choose? If the t

fight it.

d his. "I don't know

" he said. "We'll carr

e clearing, the win

egan t

, it wasn

t c

broken things stitche

in veins of forgotten magic,

tin

chi

lin

le wasn'

ven c