en

from beyond th

that

d, but some part of me recognized it before

her's

ward the

aught

on

go of

at the

urn

its white eyes fixed on me. Snow white mist curled around

d not

ot bare

with an expression

wered its

voice inside

me, my

es wea

hear that

tared

r wh

voi

k her he

ed at

ne comple

ard it,

wall

nothing

are you fr

not a

am came from

her's

Kael's grip and r

me, he

a, w

nore

frightened servants and warriors rushing toward the

en years believing

trying to remember the sound of her laughter. Eighteen ye

live, I need

hurting her, I

lie, I wanted to look the pe

d and stopped so suddenly that

stretched

tood a woman wearin

ted against the trunk of an ancient oak. Her face was h

the

n lifted

see her ey

saw he

hildhood, the one that had appeared whene

rt bro

the

step to

n shook

ome clos

top

han I remembered, weak

ered. "I've been

led down

kno

d you l

a hand ove

er wan

didn't you

ked tow

saw him, her ex

e

mistakab

om my daught

epped f

ow she was s

but there was no ha

enough to

ds stru

ered h

ed tow

oes she

not a

back at m

ps talking about my bloodline, the royal famil

a shaky

r was a goo

fr

fath

es

t him, my mother used to kiss my forehead and tell

people who raised me said h

was alive, and she was speaking about my f

was

wer, a low growl rol

r turned

drained

ve fou

d behind us, b

w m

r looked

oug

d positioned itself between her and the

forest ca

stepped out from

e pale and almost translucent beneath the moonlight. All of them

hind Kael raise

Alpha!" som

r shook

rotect

lves a

g happene

ther disappeared beneath a mass of black fur. The ai

ted befor

ss his body. Within seconds, an enormous

earest attacker and kn

bled b

arged directly

N

tore from

d flashe

g wolf stopp

eized it. Then it was thrown backward, crashing thr

in the cour

d at my

ot touc

barely

d at me with te

, L

r the pain

t am

ook he

e my da

not an

of pain tore th

ed to m

flooded

palace beneath

ing a crown

newborn baby a

i

oo

aming that the c

ched m

to

ages v

he entire courtyard

f was sta

an form. Blood ran down his arm,

hurried

I did not

uld

s of grief st

ed a few

, ple

me the

oulder

for you. Every day, I

hy didn

her were waiting for you to awaken. If

owed pa

d n

toward th

y alread

ded from th

n toward t

not po

grabbed my

. You cannot trust the elders. And whatever Kael tell

epped f

cisions. I was a child w

r turned

d enough to inhe

d no

d betwe

d of everyone spe

released m

ckline of her dress and pull

hung

aved on its surface, the mark be

t moon surrounde

e symbol in my dre

aced the rin

s when he was alive.

armed again

silver light appeare

r's eyes

N

ked a

ha

bbed my

s, do not let the ring

d at th

e of light h

a t

oes tha

ked tow

e, I saw genuine

who betrayed your f

complete

took a ste

tanding righ

urn

trance to the courtyard, surro

r Ro

air stirred

led on the ri

he sm

aid quietly, "the princess h

sed on

ehind him drew

he girl

s moved

who tries to

nt, Kael d

between Rowan's

reached fo

aised hi

Rowan's sm

id. "But your father should have k