oe

roat, a sound that seemed to make t

ving faster than hum

, and before he could react, I drove

doubling ov

arled, my voice layered wit

k, wiping a drop of

d glowing red

ur visits to the infirmary! What secret are you keeping,

surd, so deeply insu

grating sound, de

, tears of pure ra

hands of the Rogues. "They held me captive for weeks, Hunter," I said, my voice dropping

arrogant anger dra

ed, stepping closer to him. "I sent you over a thousand SOS

o release a weak, comfort

glowing whit

o me. You knew your letter was the cause. You are as cu

bbed the heavy wolf-tooth neckl

yank, I broke t

, letting it smack direct

th, and let the ancient words

ect you, Hunte

my lips, a horrifying pa

saw was being dragged down the len

eached of all support; my calves spasmed uncontrollably, and the full weight

clutching his own chest

ive, fragile ego, t

teeth, he forc

er, accept yo

snapped c

silence fi

, the doors to the e

lked out, his face

ed to the Moon," the H

mother w

cream. I d

shaking legs

nd Hazel as if they we

pounding on my door and the hundreds of missed calls from Hunter. I packed my ancient rune books and arranged a swift, silent Moon

ibrated in

as H

g his panicked breath

e, pl

terrupted, my own throat admitting no tremor, the dry cords of

pped t

r," I said smoothly. "And the

led the communication chip out of the p

astic pieces o

a Hunter with negligent homicide. The evidence was simple: the crystal recording of his ceremony, timestamped to the moment my gr

rocess it. But when they did, Hunt

and I left my old li

them. The runes. The evidence. And the