didn't we

wat

k-veined and glistening as if the roots bled from old wounds. Fog clung low to the grou

ent, the quieter

song. N

th. Steps

ght wasn't heavy-not to her, not anymore. The bond made him feel... *right*. Lik

as still

eginning to fe

pain behind his gritted teeth. Every spike o

proximity. It

ded.

say a wor

d grab her. She had changed since the ritual chamber-her calm sharper, her postu

inally said, voice

what?" Ma

esitate

ani

truths. The kind the Trib

and crouched beside him, pressing a

d. "We're no

anywhere* unless yo

just ahead. An abandoned camp.

I didn't know y

ed. Yea

stomach twist. Like the words st

r into the trees until

with the remnants of a collapsed tent and a few long-dead charms bur

t speak, but the tension in his jaw told

side him. "Li

ked. "F

"You're bleeding into

e gash. The cut was deep, angry, red-raw around the ed

ring at her side with a small satchel

ok the satchel and opened it. H

ow how she kn

ust *

st connect hearts.

mo

est

r flask, and spread the paste gently across the wou

ler's hands,"

ing the gauze around his

hers, that lazy wa

ked away

rned to Liora. "

e. Her face was pale in the silver

seer. Marked like you-but not with fire. With sha

did it

fate, but by *choice*. That the Tribunal would try to kill yo

closer. "En

urned brittle.

ho

didn't

horne

Highb

i f

line?" s

e in the Tribunal ledger. Every house

undreds o

red and enslaved and erased anyone who didn't fit their vi

ight. "So I'm suppo

ftly. "You're suppo

ow

g what they

was a whisper

ide her like a ston

gn," she

the broken bloodlines, shattered the original Tribunal, and bound the moon to o

t I

es

ed back, p

't* become thi

. "They use your blood to anchor a ne

I *try*

er eyes. "Th

oice,

y c

Liora started crackled softly,

ter died," Mari sa

others. The Tribunal branded her

jaw cl

r here. Tor

le

asked, "Wh

e if you fail, she dies again. An

othing for

"Wha

re's someone there who might help. Someone who knew

ho

look

r mo

breath

*died* in

t waver. "That's w

ire f

lean in around her, their leaves whispe

t me," s

hat was coming. She chose to burn the manor rather

he's *

ora said. "But

pright. "If we go to he

y have," L

d back int

ne's c

eat. Not

hing

ere," s

ar

be f

ed into

og pa

aited in t

wo

ilver as ash, her eyes dark and patient. She didn't

few paces away.

n tilted

A daughter. A flamebea

ho

era

pulse s

three centu

hy

n steppe

ve you

omething into

with the lunar crest and

ed up. "W

to the la

t do

n's eyes

nly opens when

ed through

inked, the w

lion was warm

k toward the c

ok

eli

re

she wh

e

. Her feet slammed stone

t into t

as e

ire w

eared th

broken beside the s

s torn open, its c

n ash across t

s ours

stood

lion in her ha

she

n't take

taken *