hborn attack was unlike

st was t

that would

holding its breat

rising and falling in short, shallow waves. She watched him. The bruises beneath

n a hunt

w he w

that, the wor

per into the Wyrdwood, toward t

ved into the stone ribs of a dead mountain. Once a haven for witches wh

the Hollow," Kael sai

ld of black vines without flinchin

ow was colder tha

rature - but

ic didn't

wat

ir was thick with the residue of long-dead spells, and the

r lit only by the faint glow of f

pulled out the shard of soulglass she

. "You didn't tell

uld've

n ri

er and placed the shard in a broken pe

tepped

ir sc

t a ghost, but a memory echo, a piec

llow stars and a cro

own of Mourning,

bowed her

What's the Cro

ring the First War. Made to turn grie

if the grief is strong

red, "This

to him. "You want

not at the

deadly. "Your comfort? My safety? W

cho f

floor

aled downward -

into the hear

gic hummed i

with memories. T

p a twisted altar, lay

ne and metal, wrapped in thorned vines, p

e reache

ught he

hi

hav

d you're gone. You w

aven't been 'me' since the

clenched. "

pa

nced even

pon. You. The woman who talks to squirrels, and sings when she thinks I'm

racked. "And what i

cheek. "Then we

at the cr

urned her

r

rtress of the Guard, Inquisitor Mael

ven on the table. It scree

coldly. "And he travels w

. Whi

aised

he witch plague spreads again. We wil

d to his

the Iron

hey've

r a reason. Now

pa

n a

nd Seraphine made

ut of

ut of

an. That they still felt.

und place, they whispered

rning, the

rom w

hat approa

ll untouched, but the spell of its r

into daylight, t

ith c

h c

ds. Th

tcher of

them march

"They broug

tiffened. "

who.

Broken. Hollowed. Stripped of soul and turned

s balled into fi

nted the

or

ed. "Then w

ooked

rst time in da

id. "We mak

llow's wards, fusing old magic with

eraphine summoned the spirits of the Wyrdwoo

they first kissed, backs to

hoir came, the

y r

eth

lash was li

, blades slicing thro

as weaponized. Targeted. She whispered cur

Choir ke

dl

cel

ile

the side - and Seraphine screamed

old, the tr

allowed three

bloodied,

ic

d once. "

befor

man

s pa

odies

ken parts of S

the fore

epped t

wielding a blade m

epped f

son in all

ed. "You w

cha

et with the so

ained, vision swimming. She crawled toward Kael, who now kn

ised hi

aphine

N

appeared i

remember

member how it

remembere

time to see her pl

O-

rld sh

t er

wh

bl

gr

orest

ows sc

bur

, his heart torn bet

Sera

onger Se

like novas. Voi

e child

voice of t

y witch yo

your

was over

oir co

rned to

dropped fr

th

le

ed toward

oked a

autiful moment

wo

wi

ne he

en she

before she h

rolled awa

"Don't you die.

sm

e whispered. "Lo

ter. "Then I'll

osed h

lts of the Guard, the last

burned in thre

the ancient enemies of

e world ha

ad only j