sta

his little fan club. The air grew thick with a sudden, unspoken tension. His followe

l-balanced blade issued for supervised field practice. It was not ornamental. It was not rare. But it belonged to the Aethelgard armory

. "I think this has a nice weight to it," he said, his eyes fixed on me, glittering w

me. "Put it down, Keaton." My voice was quiet,

mony and the other half rotting on racks. At least Carolyn's boy would make use of it." He

t hyenas. They thought this was a game. They thou

of them could even

mped down on his wrist joint. I twisted, using his own weight and momentum against him, applying pressure to the nerve cluster there.

s. His fingers went numb, his grip slacke

ound. In the same fluid motion, I spun, stepping into his space, and pres

Thomas and the others froze,

frantic thumping of his carotid artery against the steel. He swallowed

ou will never," I whispered, my voice a venomous promi

or sink in. Then I pulled it back, gave his cheek a light, cond

cronies standing there in the middle of t

cked my bedroom door, something I hadn't done i

dn't

it felt like it was coming from inside my own bones. The moonl

n. I was falling, tumbling into a void, and then I landed. N

in a v

or a future version of myself, five years from now. I was in a dungeon, the air thick with the smell of mildew and despair. Heavy, rough-hewn silver

ack advisor. He was wearing the opulent robes of the Regent, his face harder, colder, etche

ed in jewels, a triumphant smirk on her face. In her hand, she held a silver goblet

Carolyn's voice was l

u should know, before you go. It was me. I was the one who poisoned your cousin, the Crown Pr

umont elders. They were in a grand hall, and a death warrant was being passed among them. My death warrant.

was open. Carolyn glided in, her smile widening. She

ere better than me," she hissed,

ike my insides were melting, dissolving into nothing. The last thing I saw was Keaton and Caroly

silent scream tea

ring against my ribs so violently I thought it would break through. The phantom pain in my t

he adjoining bathroom. I gripped the sides of the marble sink

at was more than a nightmare. It was a memory.

n't a

ld nonsense, came rushing back. The legends of the first Beaumonts, of the white wo

skin. I cupped my hands, bringing the water to my face again and a

. It was burne

. The fear was gone. The panic was gone. The soft, uncert

y face. And in her eyes, there was no lo

the promise o