-

Aria

scrub t

y tiles or haul water

what Kael sa

narl. Let

m puni

e I wa

t on the edge of the rotting bathhouse bench, arms crossed, feet bare, staring at the gr

it

him

n't h

t his s

ursed pack came down here to rem

g me, bite m

wouldn

efu

fell with shallow, shaking breaths. I didn't e

that

a

lled. Measured like every motio

a few paces

dn't

iven a task

ot doi

was a living thing. It cra

you strong?" he aske

hink doing everything you say without

red behind his eyes-something anci

e

uld happen if you d

blink. "S

ed, the heat between us sh

w presence fil

ep voice sai

oulders s

usled like he never bothered with mirrors. His presence wasn't wild

strength there

nded on me

"This is not you

r makes her bleed,"

way toward him.

survi

it harder t

nt, none o

wly, as if not to scare me. His expression wasn't warm e

to clean today,"

ind him. "You're

alanci

d then he pulled something from the satchel slung across his shoulder-a

out to me wit

sita

his a

om across the room, b

thank you," Rael said.

slowly, and t

d been shown since the night

rly un

didn

en look at

past them both, clutching

Kael

defi

liated me in

ai

fangs aching, power scraping al

as pu

bborn or scared. She was dangerous. Her blood stirred the ancient sp

Ra

saw mercy be

what you want," he sa

as no

re wr

but it didn't need to. His

e she arrived. To keep fighting. To keep breathing. T

oked

of me knew

of me... the

't c

ldn't save her fr

shield her from the on

trengt

f

Aria

lothes we

ped over one shoulder. But they were clean, soft, a

ell-like room and held the smal

end

e of my mothe

war

ld befor

ow why Rael

he pit

e didn'

st time in week

s a p

s a m

terrified, furious,

er the seam of the

might have t

dn't forg

toni

yself b

y bre

aybe I co

could

be, Rael would be t