Daren's voice barked from

m was already swollen, bu

maybe your weak wrists can't hand

cousin, maybe, I couldn't remember....picked up a stone and

with a sneer, "M

cted him, of

p," anothe

d enough, her wolf will

ting me across the same shoulder t

not to, because flinching gav

iate younger brother spat near my foot,

pen," one of the kitchen boys snick

uttered. "Sucking up Crescent F

why father st

her to shift just so he

stance. One wrong move and they

ring, gripping it tight and if I hesitated ev

ai

in the training room muttered, but I d

ng me. "No shift, or a single howl, no voi

never did, because

ntly. My arms ached from yesterday's be

from the shadows barked, "Let

said, "She doesn't

for them, they called it a c

rother, Daren, leaned against the fence post with his arm

him snapping

nd certainly no on

man walking in behi

rich of Cre

once, cold, sharp and

ing, he never did w

e patted his shoulder and muttered about t

ch, I was alwa

led and Riko lunged

y jaw, the third slammed into my ribs, and I gasped, no

Look, she can

od from my lip

und and that wipe

usting," Da

drich corrected. "Bu

e ground and someone tosse

ga

ga

dare stay d

se and my legs shook, but

d at. If I screamed, I would

ace and a heart of stone, then I whisper

stepped, swung and the b

rked in my head, but the sil

e," he sai

n, 'You're welcome'

my back hit the dirt, but this time I pulled h

olled off, the

sing dust beneath his boot

rong?" he asked, "You're sti

t meet

said coldly. "And your presence her

d lowered the

ve had your legs broken to spare th

d. "Maybe we

il her feet bleed. Maybe she'll learn something useful abou

ting behind him like a blade

ra

la

ft

en

ty F

ir

y feet blistered while

ud, Riko poured cold water ov

t u

dn't

t.

spear jabbed into my ribs

aid.

oaked, finally

them up fo

narrowing his eyes toward

ng else," an

d not

, I guess we

dded, "Dead eyes and a m

in the cold, mud-

************

de the East Wing under the fa

u o

ds Tessa, stood in the shadow

hispered, and handed me a sli

torn between h

u keep letting them do

. matching the tone of her voice,

them