k of wet leather

sion unreadable. Torchlight flickered off a half-unrolled map of the eastern Wyrdwood -

ain Marrow's voice was sharp with r

d up. "No second b

. "Pride will

ed, rolling the map tighter than nece

if saying the name might summon fire. "That

ped the map into his satche

are you

aused.

" But he was

d, the trees w

und her - brushing against the world, searching for presence, pressure, imbalance. For years s

as telling her Kael

till hun

e sensed it wasn't

ped from a god's quiver. She followed a hidden path to the ruins of an ancient altar, once sacred to her bloo

glyph and felt it stir

spered. "You've

her senses. Not n

emo

ones. Her mother's hands - warm and trembling - had pushed

aited in

on

of boots stom

ce said: "There

forgot t

knew h

the edge of th

o ignore the pull. Something in her fa

into view, not h

cross the altar that once h

ave come back,"

uldn't b

itter. "And yet

- not drawing it, but not forgetting it, either.

ow. "You've bee

the qu

t him, to the trees.

re a

harpened. "That m

s you da

o men l

orward. "You bur

as fifteen. I barely kne

hesit

believe we're born evil? Or do you nee

e was answ

urned

y. Not softly, either. "I've seen

leave behind," she hissed, eyes fla

Her skin was warmer t

pare me back t

ed. "I didn't k

lie p

id no

closer - not quite close enough to s

kill me now

h caught. "S

"But I won

hy

know why

them. Not hostile. Not fo

our later. No vi

thing ha

et. Like heat

the embers of a low fire

or perhaps to his own confusion. Witch hunters were marked a

ime, it di

like a h

nnec

sed hi

the stars, listening

, she wasn't sure if she wa

wors

re she wanted