e it's planning to stay. It wraps around my spine as I stand in the courtyard, barely breathing, surrounded by soldiers who d

them. I feel

like a brand, warm and aching. Every now and then, it flares u

ched wire. He's not saying anything. Not since we were escorted out of the Temple. Not sin

yself. "You can talk, y

naps to mine. Shar

Because

h

he's joking. But the look in his e

valley below. Deep, haunting. N

head turns slig

e. N

ugh a narrow corridor lined with ancient moon runes. His grip

keep up. "Wha

're d

stutter

See

one another, faces pale, weapons drawn. In the middle of it all is Comma

up at Kad

er. The s

Lira. Lira, who held my hand this morning. Who

rns. "No. No,

Kade says fla

nods toward the scroll. "Sh

I already feel like

twin sh

oom s

out befo

cracked ice and a temper worse than Kade's. The saddle barely fits my size. My legs ac

hink this is fixable. That Lira can be r

know b

rders. His soldiers flank me on both sides, close enoug

olf. "Don't buck me off, okay? I'm new

east

e that as

Shadow Gorgea narrow pass where even the sun doesn't d

il dusk. We move

an eyebrow.

al. They're foll

ence

s small. "

omething in his eyes that isn't disgust or disinterest. It's

changed its mind. That kind of betrayal doesn't go unnoticed. S

"I didn't ask

her d

t. And for the briefest second, I

ke a shroud, h

in. Not with the dreams clawing at the edges of my m

y

ght in my throat. The ai

s from somewhere out

mble into boots and furs and

from the rid

mutters. "Too m

once. "We

r

rough the trees, turning snow into steam. Wo

I se

i

, eyes glowing, hair loose and wild. S

ything e

that's all I

. Trees blur. My lung

e. Soldiers yelling my name.

nto a frozen stream. My hands hi

yl

sp

the edge of t

sm

id know how

tangled with leaves. Her e

hy

as mine. Because I was promised everything. And t

't choo

You were born lucky

he ice cracks

. Please. You'

the saddest soun

any

lu

fe

ce sh

I hear is the

in da

nse light behind your eyelids. Real

. My head pul

I hea

spering. Not in

nearby. Slow.

lares. Th

see

ale eyes st

t wo

enter, a thr

isn't

m not