l Lazric abo

't trust myself. The woman in the fire looked like me, but she

h my voice like s

of the dead clearing like a wolf that hadn't fully shi

ding into the early morning. Mist curled

my phone?

. You dropped it back at the

it, or didn't wan

flat. "You're s

I was being tracked - by Thorne's people

e off that he made

id. "She was trying to fin

he won't find this place u

not good

r responsibili

my best

er than before. Less gold, more gray. "The D

her that,"

still living a life where your frien

. "Then help me find her

, then nodded once. "You've got u

-

ed in s

d changed. Or

nch of tiny paws under leaves. I could smell the diffe

s the

feel it on my tongue, metallic and sour, like t

cent I remembered

s it?"

rest burns when power shifts. It

ak for a whil

-

My legs were starting to ache. Lazric

split - one side leading toward the ceme

d been

ld fe

mething stranger. Like t

en I s

t. Small. Spiral-shaped. Not bu

ea

ibe

ne of the ma

examining it. "Old hunt

ered

't shimmer

The air near t

id. "Her blood might've

oes tha

she's not

at him.

s own," he said. "Ev

hink J

o deep it forgot how to wake up. But you?" He

mething happens to

lread

-

rest was thinner here. More light. M

ed. Clean. Left on a stump lik

up. It was

ose," I w

you to think she

ed. "What are

ld be bai

'd seen her use it to open packages, p

t leave warm

didn'

another hour before it loo

's when

a hook thro

t fear. Just

there,"

sk how I knew.

-

re back at the

thing ha

shadows longer. The spira

edge of the circle, barefo

n't loo

" I s

dn't f

ught my a

d him off

the circle, Jez blinked lik

used. Her vo

ey

her. "Are

hink

e hell h

I was following your trail and t

Lazric. His

en marked

?" I de

dn't

mething in the trees. It loo