ad by inches, clanging again

d the shadows and drew twin blade

" he

the wolf beneath her skin. The moonstone at

old archive hall, cloaked in shadow, their eyes g

sent an assas

er," Thorne growled. "I

t-just launched himself int

st of the three-a robed figure wh

le

r claws dug into the stone as she lunged, dodging a stream of bl

the Old Tongue. Elara's fur stood on end as the magic cl

hissed, hurling a cri

in burned across her side, but she didn't stop. She

the groun

d beneath her, arms flailing,

woman's wrist-hard. A crac

and Elara growled, placing her

, half-shifted now, voice ra

eer... he knows... you'v

bora

nly smiled, blo

ou were never meant t

ng sound-

r came fr

dn't stri

with one of his own. His arm bled from another skir

assin fled in

id, panting. "He'll lea

pounding. Her body ached. He

nswers,"

im. "Then you ne

ep, the Council's chamb

-glass moon, jaw tight. "Bloodb

loodbound. These were subjugated. Marked with glyphs I've

hat temple was se

reopened it,

ic, arms folded, pain m

Thorne had spoken to me. Which means someone

erupte

work, check every rune, every sigil. No one

?" Elar

are le

arched. "

a sanctuary-deep in the Ashfang mountains. It's old, sacred, shielded f

le people die for m

sanctuary is for. It's where the other relics

r fell dea

?" Fenr

killed. Some were... put into sta

. "Why didn't anyone

he vault was lost for

wly. "Then you'll

n eyebrow. "I d

demption," Fenr

eft at

escended the southern ridge toward the hidden pass. Snow

ds?" Ela

replied, scanning the peaks. "Bes

of secrets,"

trained

a while, the only sound the

"Why did you lea

answer r

le wasn't our only threat. The world's changing. But we cling to ancient lines like they're c

ed him. "

o might actually burn it all d

almost

mo

alley choked in mist. Thorne knelt a

er

n a tongue Elara barel

ound t

elf, a hidden staircase revealed itself,

a st

s of wolves, moons, and bloodlines stretched a

orch. "Welcome

desce

emed to whisper. Elara swore she hea

filled with crystal pillars. In the center: a ston

it," Th

yphs and placed hi

ng ha

tepped

red, the s

ence was

flat against t

runes, casting the ch

eal s

atures eerily similar to Elara's. Long black hair. A crescent scar beneath

or over two hundred ye

she?" El

said. "The first

h

ody g

ed open-pure silver, g

led back, h

at up

ike wind across

of my blood... w

pened h

untain beg

oed down th

ed. "They f

d blade from Asha's hand and

let th