THE KING OF

ound t

Black hooves struck the snow, leaving scorch marks where frost should soften. Riders

he carriag

r did n

d like a

Cont

steppe

resence bent the air-cold spreading outward, but not lik

nd Jackline

Unbl

aited seventeen years

not warm,

fid

he moon-blo

ithout effort, smoo

you were never

eld her sp

her like carved sto

o stand here,

gaze slid

steady, no longer jus

but silver hel

tone sharpe

hat body, knight? How

ive stance-but Jackline lif

brow shifted-not sur

im well," h

an your mo

cut like cold glas

of her moth

king of th

thing alre

ip tig

kille

eyes rema

cted the

rd-but Jackline raised

use she

eded clarity m

e is free,"

e your c

g humme

t cur

" he

was inst

ed one

t o

avity flipping. Villagers staggered; some fell to their knees, h

ediately, planting the spear

N

nder her boots

k the spell-but en

g studi

protect the

t him." His gaze

someone watching a child

e you dese

nded hi

alle

led through

voice wa

t fight h

ped to Jack

to her

newly free but

gger, jaw tight with

lifted

t stand

's eyes

rounded by those w

sed hi

ld shattered

le B

reatures made of ink and cold magic. They lun

silver light slicing th

ther down, sw

back-to-back

dren behind barre

n ch

fren

cu

cu

eth and muscle, scattering magic in flares of

r nature, knig

e broke thro

N

wo

this

ma

e didn'

r side pulse-its power ca

to k

f

. Jackline slammed her spear into the ground, summoning a barrier of mo

ted hi

. You devel

e met h

me by trying

ke a man who

l finish t

ed both

r, heavier, no longer j

kline felt something el

e

or hi

r

locking ey

ot losing

shed, brig

ed one f

be

br

e wraiths with Jac

watched t

worr

it

some

me

ckline had n

er hand like a heart prep

for the vi

not even raised h

ce of D

aiths

h and bone-shadow, ravenou

spear a silver arc through black mist, his

oved li

ikes win

er-cut through wrait

selves with farm too

rned-but hope

g did n

wat

observing c

raised

ple enough to

he pack and streaked

ine s

n fe

ut he wasn't

rinted, spe

his name-too d

rd, but three wrait

l, dagger trembl

idn'

dagger-tryin

sm

yo

la

aith l

ew herself b

e frostbite sinking straight to bone. Her v

upward by in

er f

ith sha

to one knee, b

dy

br

ma

-no blood, no wound, but magic like i

ot make you imm

y us

of control, but fury

ackline reached ou

tay wi

lievably

. His shape flickered-wolf, half-man, wolf again. Straining

s power press

ad his arms,

Heir. V

ds. Three

must

led throug

ned, teeth gritted

ull of cold and cro

ne fa

e widened-not k

ere

will

ingers-and sudde

go

ve

hadow turned to flesh. His hand closed ar

re

gic closed around her ribs-lifting her fr

illin

ing

ine l

istance wa

n le

f shadow slam

voice

ren

helpless-he ow

eyes met

f

one m

stop

oke softly

s belong t

hold

kline f

between the c

da

pend

ulled like

the obsidian k

e person b

ting magic that sto

d her spear, v

her

g met h

N

a curl

ished

a wit

ugh the village like

e stood

her-growl low, restra

hook wi

ef and guilt smol

oak, eyes burning with the weigh

ad drawn f

de

lo

ate

ue

cul

-fighting pain, fightin

t her

voice

? He

r off, steady a

to follow.

ed the t

alf-c

da

idian p

them like the heartbeat

loyal, present, choosin

on where shadows swallowed L

e stronghold

runn

hi

imi

y, expression har

ide you,

chin, voice tre

l sav

ce, blades tigh

ver it

laring in his eyes, humanity p

d like promise to the

e stole

ointed in only

Sorcerer-Ki

OF ASH AN

heavy after

now, the absence of Lyrena pierced just as deeply. People whispered prayers. Others packed to fle

t make her

ice

rom the wraith strike pulsed beneath her skin like leftover frost. She didn't

pproache

ot in submission

mured, voice thick. "A

tightened around

nt to save her

etrieve he

shakily, grou

re, too restless for slee

e stronghold?"

met h

, three days. Less if we

shiv

? That plac

e held

we're walking t

nodded once-an answ

ft befo

village, but m

ing their foreheads in gratitude, others pressing food or

woman st

rembling. "The stronghold has stood for ye

s chest t

from

pur

ourney

aned tall and skeletal overhead, branches like fingers pointing toward the stron

close to Jack

ted the sh

the center-anchor

eside her, sil

ten, his st

om wea

remem

e would pause, breathe, then continue. Jackline never pulled him forward. S

Caelan stopp

amp h

ne a

refusing night. Arion lay beside her, body warm against the evening chill.

, quiet seem

rion s

and stepped in front of Jackline, eyes

ned hi

d s

ken fra

rd

ea

ug

ma

er... you

ine f

tilled like

turned

eyes w

blade stoppe

pered, voice

o you r

hers-steady, ancho

Loved you. Fo

led tre

e trust

-not with weakness, but w

embere

mbered

ly-he was remem

hand on his c

more than

eter now, carr

s a k

a gua

be...

led throu

jaw un

ed, "The curse

on's eyes-not as

n eq

h what she sta

, forehead pressing to

rackled ar

eat, hope wa

as r

a

ath

h

stled from

an a

wi

tst

a

ng f

stood i

th blades in

ked towar

-deep, warnin

n hand, fire behind he

dows stepped

wrai

lag

ark

hing

d with som

fe

so

with you," t

be left br

stepped

of ours. We t

stared

the

sold

o fight for the freedom t

er, waiting for h

e breat

ed her sp

walk w

e died in a forest and the cursed knight who ref

nghold where th

s vic

revol

Fen W

led throug

hing every step. The path narrowed into marshland-water still a

dow

ldren feare

soldiers

voices did n

walked in ti

d ahead with

with silent

ed close t

de her like a wal

to black soil that

ine f

gi

l

ng

d that

he King seeded this place with memory-

jaw cl

ened her grip

spered, v

pens if w

mouth h

t like th

ushing her hand. His presence steadied her l

bered how to be teeth. The villagers trembled, but kep

led them

spering

t, it w

t the edge

cle

did you survive

ther's

o

a

un

ne swa

fened-he h

idn't

whisper

for you, jus

's steps

her hip-silver, tryin

rabbed

let i

fen alre

very branch, every

d them t

nnot sa

il him as sh

istake saved

jaw-breathing through

her side, a low r

th

oke through

ug

ma

r

.. mi

eyes burning

not from curse-from me

clear, voice heavy with

re...

nhaled-sha

recoiled like sha

xhaled

holdi

e nodde

g to voices. I

her hand-not wolf-com

tched-fear crack

en had mo

Not Born

moonlight like silver blood. Frost curled at the e

kline loo

nfami

gniz

-crest.

en in

nelt, ey

illusion. It

voice t

ng us we ar

taun

iti

ck water, and the fen reflec

un

iv

like someone caught be

lcony of dark sto

to Jackline's mind-

ou're comi

cracked-vis

taggered,

steadi

did yo

red with steel

He keeps her at

red in relief, hope

ater-head bowed as if

he

s lungs t

t is

ted hi

ith full voice-shaken but

curse

stilled

ped closer, h

In Shad

dded

rned like s

y took me from your mo

immediately-hand steady,

t that mome

red in his eyes lik

fen brok

not with

mov

ic-bolted back the way they came,

here coura

reacted i

a-sto

en answer

like something b

surged

the man in

the clearing-then sil

vered hi

gers

ne m

ight of it-not guilt

voice was

eats those

osed her ey

lifted

re run

ce didn

her, breathing st

-anger turne

d his head

is shoulders-sm

with silver fire in her bones an

h Shad

the str

stolen and the lif

s sur

a f

arpened in

E FEN R

deepened

ng old names. Branches creaked without wind. No birds sang. Even the moon seemed we

d with a st

o longer guided-besid

owed like

in kept the vi

choice, even when fear

as not finish

t

s a courtyard, surface still and reflective like polished o

ca

raised

esolve. We cross together

ine n

one wal

those words-some for the firs

epped f

n's Fi

-like a heartbeat under liquid skin. Mist coiled upward,

ackline-a whisper wear

save him, i

break a curse w

t pounded, but

ng it with love

th. With cho

on flicker

vani

one wearing his past self, armor si

ed out, voice sm

pain. Forget the wo

trem

rage. Wit

e hu

spe

ber all

beside him-hand

ed to forget

eath s

s head gently

llusion s

some sobbed, some clenched fists, some froze, t

this

they cross

dissolved like

ond the

thinni

e against t

Stro

ed upward like broken t

ung lifeless, un

ale-blue light, like

ine i

nally

she was st

e he cur

where her

she woul

whis

er than I

nswered

is s

three keys-circlet

r, they

f wa

de her, no fear in hi

eyes was fain

urned li

clear, voice

er the th

urned shar

u d

first fully-human inten

re. I broke only

's pulse

. cr

ached for me. I tried to

ened with sorro

me-and I swore I'

ot romantic, but fierce and d

't," she

you lost

d brushing hers-no sham

k into that plac

e nodde

take it t

lagers lifted ma

drew

ripped h

jaw despite

trial forged

battle teste

arpened he

the fin

her spear toward

not fight for su

ower in sound like t

ht for

they stepped o

throne room whe