above the clearing, casting silv
had once bled for, lived for now sta
ists and ankles, chained to the sacred s
ld serve a
e clearing, harder than any blade. "You stand ac
k, my voice raw against the
His face might have
ce, my sister-in-everything-but-blood, clu
lipping from torn wrists. "You'
, poisonous smile. "We are looki
rayed the pa
ds," Morwen said, voice smooth an
!" I shouted. "I
ienne said lightly, as though e
eone from the
!" anothe
his hand f
d stille
yal," Kael said. "Tonight, we restore
him. "Kael," I wh
rned
wa
d to the enfor
face blank under masks of
bric from my body, exposing me fully
ood tall, my chin
de slashed ac
it bled to keep m
across my s
red onto
I did n
circled me, bl
p enough to sca
before
sneered, driving h
feet. "I won't give
," Morwen
ulled from the fire
d me down, forcing
thrashing wildly
the brand aga
aaaaa! Aaaaaaaaa! Aaaaaaaaaaa! It ripped
burning flesh
arms, breath sob
looke
nne l
e," she
ped forwa
agger, long
," he said, hi
this mercy
it nec
de into my side,
ed, st
n, burying it i
ite-hot, teari
, this one slo
s to come to a
knees, blood p
rienne's laughter pealed
tepped
est," he ordered. "Let th
ged my broken body
the pack, my people n
t friend, turne
tched grimly,
ne s
e pro
med ahead, bla
into the dir
ood, my visi
this," I whispe
ything we
een
as no p
sou
dar
ghtless in an
ing and overw
rged from th
an, robed in shifting silver, and
oon G
aid, voice rich and heavy
move, to kn
ad nobo
nd you were destroyed because
?" I cried, voice breakin
sad, endless eyes. "Even gods
with grief, rage,
t finished,
"What do
e," she said, str
ve years into your past
vered th
e,
whispered, "will
gently. "But you wil
" I spat the n
her noose," th
sita
called
deeper: justice
ed for
is like a hungry fire. Feed it too
sed m
acc
s closed a
exploded into
bi
sp, tangled in s
e and woodsmoke
r
ld r
right, clutch
. Uns
ed to th
man stared
bur
blo
was carved i
the
were not
a hardness
fi
the door
. Trusting. Innocent. "Are you
bered t
t started driftin
slow unrav
mirror, stea
time," I
this
her
shouted, with
on training clothes with
drew solidifi
t beg Kael
plead for
never kn
ttle world to the ground befo
ed the
tled. "You okay? Yo
mil
dangerou
l diff
arred in the distance, young and eager, oblivio
laughing with Beta Rowan, ever
't seen
o
he last days of
el Blackthorne would regret
Adri
choke on h
lf, the cool win
, I would
l burn everythin