booth near the edge of the market square, knees drawn to her chest, her chin resting against her arms. Her coat, damp from the earlier drizzle, clun

treetlamp flickered l

walls were carved from obsidian and echo-root, absorbing light and humming with ancestral power. In a vaulted chamber thick with the scent of pine, o

ou cer

three. "Our diviners have confirmed it. The

the armrest. "After all this time...

been spoken aloud in centuries-not since Princess Althaea vanished after tu

against steel. "Find the child, but do not alert the w

orner shop hadn't paid her much attention, but the owner had watched her like a hawk, hand hovering near the phone. She couldn't

ated

s that seemed to b

arted noti

ar parked across

near the alley-too clean to be from th

could've sworn she saw a man watching her from the corner. But when she looked again,

t imagini

calm her breath, but a deep ache buzzed beh

of the inner sanctuary. The council had gathered again, this time with m

searched the last recorded perimeter and found only remnants

dnight furs. Rick's jaw was tight. "They wouldn'

ssed throug

ommanding. "Then find out what they were protecting. We

e phone booth, her limbs stiff and hea

e setting new paths toward the same question. And though their missions st

become the secret everyone needed. A fig

in an oversized coat, walking ben

l hu

l al

brea