, his fingers gripping a sharp, jagged stone. The rough edge cut into his

his forearms. She saw t

l back against the cold stone wall and closed her eyes

ootsteps crunched o

e rotting wooden door of the stone room

usty wind from the Wilderlan

he harsh light, lifting

hair stood framed in the

is eyes. He glared at Kiana as if he wante

room. The heat of the wa

n front of Kiana,

a rough animal-skin parchment o

gan snarled, his voice vi

stone loosened. The rock slipped from his f

he sound. His eyes landed on A

flared with a searing, angry crimson light, mirroring his explosive fury. His

ooked down at the dusty anim

didn't reach for the wh

d forward and picke

r movements were so steady, so unbothered, that Broga

up and met Brogan's

na said, her voice dropping

o the open door. "I am severely injured. There are mu

t right now, without the protection of a fa

king laugh. "You're just af

She didn't have the ener

said flatly. "A pr

laughing. He

oice unwavering. "In exchange, when the three months are up, I wil

And for these three months, I swear I will not

of a modern, conditional contract

sted game she was playing, her offer of a three-month probation was their only viable path to survival in this wasteland. His

" Alfred mutt