's

under my feet. The past was a vivid, bleeding wound in my mind, and I

cluded grove behind the pack house, un

lecherous brute I had always a

would force my hand onto a ceremonial silver d

feigning a frantic search, with my fathe

n. He would claim I had tried to seduce him, and when he r

and the "evidence" stacked against me,

e it even began. It was the first stone cast i

howed a woman with eyes as cold as a winter grav

reverie. It was Martha again, her

my parchment, and I could smell the cloying scent of gar

ng my eyes. She added, grudgingly, "A

against my fingertips was a jolt of c

t script, the sweet words, the invitation to the gr

of my single candle and watched

e. I needed someone I c

bringing with it a pang of

in the entire Blackwood pack who had ever shown me genuine kindness. In my last life, she had been punis

again. I would prote

he servant's passages I knew so well. I found Hazel in the cramped laun

ning in surprise. She immediately shot to

hat are you

help," I said, my

sked anything of her before, too afr

to follow me to a small, empty storage closet. Once in

voice barely a whisper, "must not leave

pace. But beneath it, I felt her unwavering loyalty. S

ould think I was mad. So I created a

etting a tremor of calculated fear enter my voice. "The

dagger, the false accusations. As I spoke, I felt Hazel's hand

pered fiercely. "We ha

tter truth a familiar taste in my mou

hat wil

trap against them. But to do that, I need you to be

usting to the gloom, and beg