the shattered glasses while quickly bringing in a

id over her body

obedience. Her skin was still warm from the bath, and though her throat no longer gl

e from the new mirror that had been set,then she looke

prepared," he said, voice l

g her fingers through her damp

Word of your succe

s tone,measur

dn't r

emptiness beneath her ribs. As if something had been taken from h

filled the halls,an ancient tradition for returning alphas. Her footsteps echoed

ance, fists to chests in sa

room fel

head

knee

d in furs, polished armor, tribal beads and

of l

was the weight of her

ering obsidian seat wrapped in bone and carved vines,stood at the far end, raised above the court. He

platform. He offered his hand w

rose with a thunderous sound,howls,

the Alph

of Moon

of Bloo

ipture, passed from warrior to warrior, r

hin. Cold. Beaut

egan to brin

lades laced in silver, ta

chest plates, smeared wit

, the sigils of fallen houses dragged acr

ly, the p

ues knelt in cha

sed over the

d forward, ancient and twisted, wrapped in ceremo

The land is blood-bound again

rrowed

pe

hrough water, through air. Not made by our kind. Something

Raya stilled them

he

ands. Near the border

mach cl

cou

cou

the steps with quiet command. The war priest moved

that?" Sh

we need to show yo

re was covere

ed fain

"This is all we could extract. The he

ntidote?"

st didn'

forward, gaze

d quietly. "But... you

fro

s lifted,"w

en she

n the

n the

n her

ir ri

ees bu

h her, but the world

ding in the

ke

d over her skin

e was

ro

from t

er mist. His eyes glowed pale blue. His hair hung

trange s

ard him. Her breath

n't be here

ied, voice deep and echoing

't belon

to a soft, haunted

body remembered hi

pped c

again in her throat. The sam

hed tow

dn't f

low her collarbone, her breath hitched. H

rkness,every inch was quiet,she had no

g whispered against her skin. "But

he voice came again,like a motherly vo

love. Do what you

t her chest,and suddenly a surge of heat

st behind

hing v

floor of the thron

lash, cradling her head, shouting for the healers. The vial

visible just for a moment,a mark glow