te Coo

murmured, his deep, raspy voice trembl

out a dazzling Royal Winged Crest crafted from pure gold. It was a sacred battle relic bestowed only upon the realm's supreme

bove my cold cheek before curling into a tight fist, as if terrified his touch would disturb my rest. "If there is a next life, I

his distant courtesy was merely out of respect for his sister Kaiya. How could I have known that

glass lid, Arther eased it back into p

lent rift tore through the void, dragging my sp

-

soothing herbs, mixed with the chill of rain dri

ng against the soft pale-gold velvet canopy overhead,

ess, you're awake!" a panicked, te

I stared at the round-faced girl kneelin

fe, her lifeless body had been dragged from the freezing pond behind

the bedside stand, frantically dabbing at the tears spilling down my cheeks. "I warned you, Lady Kiya's foul draughts

he mattress, I swept my

nt moon; the bronze incense brazier brought from the southern sea ro

caught in

en bedchamber in the Maiden's Wing of the Third Househ

old by my stepmother, Gerda, and my elder half-brother, Ewart. Because Gerda was the sole heiress to the wealthiest

mbling fingers. The warmth of her pulse unde

live! And

ly within my chest-healthy, whole, and enveloped in a faint, ethereal silver-white luminescenc

as dry, my voice cracking.

ed up, snatched the gilded-brass framed mirror from the d

hite as I tilted the

fifteen, her skin radiant with the vibrant,

oisoned mark that had robbed me of my betrothal, smothered my wolf, and bou

tears broke freely down my face. The Moon Goddess had opened her eyes! I was back-

the bed, pale and tremblin

reath and pressed the linen kerchief to

ing resolve forged in the fires of death. Nora instinctively took a half-step back, sh

y folded the linen in my lap. When I spok

at did you say about the d