-

Aria

stone walls of Kael's home seemed to press inward, too close, too

now. I cou

ean, folded, not mine,lay on the chair beside me. I pulled them on in silence. T

nd was lit only by flickering sconces, carved from wood

ed to

thing fierce and bound by rules I didn't understand. I couldn't stay here, t

chamber-a round table surrounded by weapons and worn leather ch

as a w

a

ed fa

id oak, reinforced with metal b

somew

t. But it cut thro

his expression unreadable. Shadows danced across his chest, over the claw m

" I said, trying to

p forward. "Y

m f

tep. "You

sk to be br

"But you're her

oor handle tigh

rowing slightly. "And go where, exactly? Back in

ke care o

rless. "You were bleedi

eart pounding. "I

g. "You don't. But that's not t

n my back. I hated this-being cornered, helpless, seen. But wh

ispered. "About who I

few feet from me

"Why? Why d

For a long moment

you, and that means something. To me. To the Hollow. To what

anic climbing my throat.

slow, deliberate.

andle. The doo

ha

ide," he said. "And on

me prisoner?"

red. "I'm keep

hed as I looked around, the stone walls sud

said, trembling. "You c

ll. Until I know who you are, and why men wi

ot a t

mystery. And in my world,

gs buckled slightly, but I forced myself to s

omething flickered in him then. Ra

answ

methin

ht. "I'm not afraid of you, Aria.

t me, and disappeared into

didn't

ep in my bones, I kn

a prison m

made

d it or not... I w

-

Kael

ed a guest in

asn't jus

tchtower, watching as dawn crept over the trees. The

s stil

o

yet. And if I let her walk out that door, someone else would

ce, fire fighting fear. She didn't

bond was

r body slumped against mine and the forest quiet

yet, but the Holl

e sure she lived long enough