the guards dragged Kora

and her throat hurt from crying. She had stopped begging hours ago, b

ing," one

umbled

shoes, no coat, and no belongings. The thin dress she

d. "Can I at leas

guard

entrance. The palace was waking up. Servants hurried between buildi

oked su

looke

er eyes on

en path. She had cleaned the rooms of people who never learned her name. She had carried their fo

agined she would

outer wall, where a narrow r

sted as she recogn

bo

forest where rogues hunted travelers and e

me?" she asked, alth

he bo

go somewh

guard gla

s orders a

innoc

at to th

bit h

alread

ind them, replaced by thick trees and uneven ground. The a

ne of stones marking the e

nife from his belt and cut

e free

bed her

ds to the near

inted toward

at

w f

a humorl

eno

ked betw

me here without

, and w

guard pushed

border stones and caugh

guard muttered, "Vivi

spun

did yo

ere already

houted. "What

er tu

s, the trees

stood

d through her body, lik

k link

who had surrounded her all her life. There was no familiar pull t

de the Northe

was

d toward t

he whispered.

olf. She had survived the servants' insults

survive

into the A

across the narrow path, catching her dress and scratching her arms. Mist

le, she los

side a tree and

th

o birds. No

nd of her ow

rt with hunger, and the wound inside her

d against

y friends will be wai

ds would not l

s to kill her? Was that why the g

her arms ar

. No wolf. No way

uld not st

ere, she would

he tree and continued

l sounded

sto

thought she ha

growl came

rned s

eyes stared at her f

eath c

yes ap

r. Then

n and their fur filthy. Their faces were marked with ol

ers. A long scar crossed his cheek, and

d when h

k what we

backe

t want

ody

gues l

tilted his hea

d from the Northern

aid no

ontinued. "She said to make it

ood turne

sent

an gr

rt g

ood behind her. Two blocked the path to her r

surroun

ave nothing. Take whateve

ader l

ssibly want from

pped c

from the ground and

ck his

econd, no

ues burst in

r's smile

as a mi

lun

reamed

ught the back of her dress. The fabric to

grabbed

he twisted her leg an

go!" s

her rogue mocked. "May

wed at t

ven though she knew n

crouched

ess paid we

bbed. "I didn't d

ur pro

sed hi

Kora's calf as sharp t

the rogue released her. Blood ran down

er by the hair and

how long

vision

rogues. She had no claws, no

er life, she wished she

drew back

hut he

e fores

e through

It was deeper, louder, and filled with

stopped

slowly turn

he whi

e emerged f

beneath the pale morning light. Its shoulders rose higher th

rists and ankles. Strange red-bl

looked at

of them st

east!" some

er stumb

un

d not g

f its claws sent the leader crashing into a tree,

d tried to flee. The Beast caught hi

ged with his

ead-on and slammed

ered between the

ased them do

s, the cleari

st the tree, u

's claws. Its chest rose and

have been

s terr

thing strange happened. The fear inside her loos

t steppe

across the ground w

herself aga

" she wh

ature s

t, it only

ered its en

red into

, she saw something

hat made he

rouched in

cracking as the creature changed shape. Fur disappeared fr

nelt be

arp cheekbones. Dark stubble covered his chin. His body was marked with ol

rely noticed. Her attenti

yes faded int

ed at h

're

ep, but there wa

swall

. what

sadness cros

n," he said quietly

hed tow

fli

ately, giving her

strand of blood-matted

nd was

eaving the palace, Kora di

ed around her. The pain in her leg spread

her before she

ound her, holding he

rd his h

g. St

smoke and something ancient,

hed her throug

with

ted to

d to ask

d before she could

not