bit deep b

cutting, cruel. I wrapped my cloak tighter, boots crunching

ed in fog and legend. The last pl

ect hiding place for t

between cliffs and silence. Word was, a tall stranger passed through

l V

ay my pendant pulsed after the me

as c

se for

in blooming low across my spine. Not enough to drop me- yet. Ju

him o

le m

bout this job fe

e pendant st

d dragging me back to memor

all this. Something ancient. So

anning for prints, sounds, anything out of place. The road narr

shing my gloved fin

ks. Barefo

hu

a

racticed ease. My breath fogged in front of me.

hoed off the s

ther to

fr

shif

n loners. These were the Broken- lycans who'd lost the battle for control and descended into

ight of the air... th

ust as o

ashing up to meet it. Steel kissed flesh. A scream tore

dn't

pt co

th and rolled to the side, landing hard against the frozen earth. Ano

fa

ma

time to count.

g the second beast in the throat. Hot blood sprayed the s

eled toward

e thing shrieked and tumbled sideways, convulsing. I t

thing ha

ocked. It sniffed the air- then b

o

like

y by my own rasping breaths and the quie

conds.

th

scared them o

ied me more t

. My hand trembled as I pressed it to my ribs, feeling

e hadn't

ing. No

when I got

once more, then turned

eemed thicker. Like I'd crossed s

ord

was

know ho

st k

d ruin- stone walls choked by ivy and frost. Probably an old watch post, long forgotten. I drag

touched the ch

sting helped clear my head. My mother's journal lay in t

led i

didn't flip t

o the very

sorry. There are things I didn't tell you. Things no mother should ever have to pass on. But you were born with his blood. And that means you carry the curse. The g

oat ti

just a contr

was l

a long time, the flames l

el wasn't

wasn't t

l enemy was som

the pendant. It was wa

knew he

f I wanted to k

ad to f

rails then- no maps, just instinct and whispers.I banked th

came, was sha

led throug

here in t

ng howl