tone corridors of the Duke's

induced slumber, and the corridors were stil

hrough the darkness, b

e

r too old for his age. He clutched a ragged toy-his only companion these days-and

t him again that morning. Called him "vermi

f that mat

ervants whispering w

dung

t hugged him in days, hadn't sung his lullaby, h

isse

by nothing but love and

the keys he'd stolen, and when the dungeon door fin

d inside,

.Ma

choed throu

a st

Her bones ached, her mind dulled by hung

please wa

fted h

here

ittle

creamed in pain, but she crawled across the stone until she coul

he sobbed, "how-ho

, because he was used

didn't want you to be gone anymore. They said bad things. They said you w

attered agai

every inch

he words that lit

ant you to

a fr

caught in

er, his little

You always say we're strong. You sa

ared a

inside h

A spark.

She had mourned her old life, h

t

omething wort

a

a ti

r

pping his face with han

it had been in weeks. "Yes, baby. We'll

a soft, hop

pro

d, pressing her forehead t

d around

y crack. Every ins

t time since her

hess, now prisoner-be

_____

ough the forest li

hed the world in sheets of silver, soak

ra

rom rocks, not the frozen wind cutting her skin. All she felt

ed, her voice breaking, "We'

blue-lipped

r rest, for food, for mercy-but she kept

fe

t the ground, curling around Leor with

t, breathless sound th

m with what remained of her cl

shield him from the rain, though

r eyes fluttered shut. Is this

h

ov

f a diffe

pounding of horses, the flash of

lift her head

, "What was that? Sto

The boots sloshing thr

h

le

ice. A velvet

erous. Co

plicably

hurt

yes flutt

e rain, sh

i

chiseled face by the rain. His eyes-like molten amber-locked on hers wit

de her, ignoring the mud tha

hair, revealing b

red, as if the answer alr

ere pale, her fingers clutched aroun

croaked. "Help h

ce shifted-sharpened. Something

w. And warm blankets. If anyone touches this wom

uards

hey knew

nce Cassi

ipping off his cloak to wr

us when she felt herse

, just before dar

protec