l's

no matter how far he ran or how deeply he bathed in the cold streams

at the edges as dusk crept in. It had been days-maybe weeks-since he'd last slept wit

er wanted

n d

with stories of balance and ancient laws. Kael remembered sitting at their father's feet, listening to

ed at those ta

t their father died-ripping it from their uncle's throat and marking the sto

with fear. And Rian ha

nizable. The old laws shattered. The weak hunted, not

a coward. When he defended a human child cau

allenged R

human enough not to kill his brother.

, he wa

to live. Especially not

rface of his skin. The shift was always close now-closer than it used to be. Eve

n his chest, taut and strange. He hadn't

i

, pine, something warm and human. Bu

ed him, he had

lt reco

him more than any w

she was part of the prophecy their father spoke

a reckoning. A bond not meant to happe

Moon

ge, nestled in the mist. For the first time in months,

o

was dange

ike him didn't g

got h