n Vos

raven spoke her

t from half-sleep. I was already moving when the second wave of

s in the cab

her door wit

f the window, pale light slicing acr

that?" she

did it

t the bird on her windowsill lik

he room in

What did

slowly. Its eyes

u," it repeated. Voice

y from it

idn't

rd

this too, rig

telling you

t attack

t y

talk

eard

opped. "Bird

ormal

e. "So what the

say it. I didn't

I

ch m

its wings. Then it flew off into t

magic. Right. Because talking

need to tell me exactly wh

Arden Blake.' Then it looked at

t mark

oes tha

omething? Touc

it was delivering a message.

and throu

explain why a demon crow is name-

demon. It's

a demon with

hrough blood magic. The raven's a

wh

likely aligned

as a

way

he room, ha

wasn't active until now. S

e he bi

u think Silas li

on the wound. Clai

d sharp. "You l

opped

ast en

g to keep

're doing

n they should have. I fo

ven feel...

of questi

t personal, that means the spell

It didn't feel fam

omething,

dge of the bed,

rent collectors and eating instant noodles for breakfast. N

have glow

h yo

ot all t

l like I'm supposed to be so

se you

not comf

't meant

again, f

wait for another horror

engthen you

get a

et tra

rin

ant a

ll

get t

u think I can a

you alr

she didn't know whether

burst int

need to

w?" Arde

gh on the secure line. Night cam

ough the gra

loaked. Moving

y?" Arden asked, pee

Rowan said. "They did

," I

the east. That's

tches and wolves are te

killing," I said. "

re

he phone o

ed to

?" she

ctua

an eyebrow.

they're tracking her, they'll com

nctuary?"

d to our kind. Protec

e a secr

ing lik

urse y

. "I'll prep

Arden tur

ink I'm

you're

e th

hing inflicted. Power

't earn

ive. That counts

always talk like you're q

be I

u ever

rea

fated mate's a control

not my

use

ou're not. Not unt

the bond alr

don't accept it. That's the truth Silas doesn'

for a second. Then she

get one bro

cky

ed me out to the truck. Rowan w

out," he said. "Longer

we g

truck and peeled

hum of the engine and the occasion

the window, then

ever wa

ha

thing. The

ght ab

my blood. Same as

prisoners

survi

l quiet

nctuary, the heavier the ai

mething w

lowed t

close,"

nted out t

fro

e forest loo

I said. "We cross

ke the soun

opped th

l got

ient. Twisted like they

through t

a few steps,

ooked

t, the dir

faint red. Circli

e. "What

ped fo

move,"

t planni

e. "That's

snare,

spe

A tri

r w

nswer, the air a

om the

n step

s b

r w

a pack of silent

oman

nd y