ht her to was not a pl

led ancient, dust, iron, and something sharper beneath it, like scorched ozone. At the center of the chamber lay a

edge, arms wrapp

had not

armed. She had never realized how much the embers had been

she said softl

ing the runes one by one. "A binding

tact fro

rom the last

e said that, like it was

I do?"

e her fully. "Step

mach ti

d t

will learn how little co

didn'

ia steppe

o life. Light surged upward, forming a translucent dome arou

eath c

ed outside

coming in?

ers will react to me instead of

s alone echoed

g steadiness into her vo

he interrup

. "That's suppose

supposed to make you

h her feet began

n her ches

e fire

g restless and sharp, like a caged beast scraping against bone. Hea

, dropping

"Do not reach for the f

t's tearing me a

ou are fig

urns yet screaming across her nerves. Images flashed throug

split

melting

creaming

d and clutch

it s

rough the chaos. "T

he sobbed. "It's

. "The embers are older than you. You ar

ut that snapp

haled s

he fire, s

one who c

mes shu

essened ju

ite trembling legs. Slowly, carefully, she loos

did not

obe

olled burn that wrapped around her like living armor. The r

eyes

mured, "that's

y. "You could soun

estraint on their first attempt,"

d. "And the on

mselves before

at settled heavi

ill wreathed in controlled flame.

es

t?" she as

hesit

s answe

it take?"

lowly. "Clos

an to race, b

said. "Something small. Something y

d, searchi

a moment. "The sound of he

l said softly. "Now

a d

brightene

mething

st her mind but unmistakable. The warmth o

es fle

cracked. "I can't

jaw tig

id quietly, "

infully. "It took

ery time you draw deeply. Sometim

dn't

r fists, extingu

ment, neither

she lifte

how to l

something like resp

id, "is the r

, the runes around the c

spun.

a figure collapsed just inside the s

wo

ith blood. Strange sigils burned across her ski

nstantly. "You weren't

y, coughing. "And

fted, locki

s reacted

ng across Aria's skin as the woma

woman whispered. "Th

he?" Aria

ook at her. "

"Your future, if you

ing to ease A

?" Kael asked

d. "The Hunt has begun in earnest. An

fened. "W

flicked ba

sted. And desperate enough to burn entire real

seemed to

wallow

being hunted,"

smile w

being ch

he sky bled red and black, a figure wrapp

rs had a

were no