ceremony. They were marked by silence, the heavy, thoughtful kind t

hamber, her cloak draped over her arm. The floor felt colder now, though she wasn't

ritual, but in a way that felt older. Like somethin

t feel lik

woman pretending

on the easter

s usual silence wasn't cold, just... slow. L

oken since the

the horizon. "We spoke

laugh. "You always were better

ou want to

I do not know who

yes did not glow. But they

ith what you

y. "That terr

"Then we can be te

an with sm

top separating the servant

ds herself, barefoot, speak

ern library, sealed

a to teach the wo

shed under

tongue. She called Kade "Uncle Shadow" and teased Mael into smiling. She brai

in the moonlight. Strange symbols. Spi

they?" Sel

a replied. "They jus

did not

uage. And Mira was no

, always arrives

with th

om the

he mou

embling

es through the frostline. One scout returned

came th

side of the ea

sel. Or watch

nted to

nted to u

d, seated at the council table.

just a child. She is a converge

er won't work,

aid. "So we le

m fell

e stood tall. Taller tha

hem," she asked

oftly. "But it migh

lted he

to see who

the Frostline t

in furs between them. Ryla led the outer flank. Ten wo

f the pass, t

a bat

one

hair was long, black, and streaked with sil

smi

said. "We hav

ismounte

eatened

." He turned to Mira

ed forward

ame," she said

s smile

oke. "Who

ed, mo

. Once Alpha

eyes da

rned yo

ghed. "I f

ned to

and I. We break the

lled yo

ecome

stepped

show

battle

clash of swo

as e

gainst

hat danced from her fingers like silk turned silver. Kade held the line as wo

e centre of the

en she

y she had sketc

round

ose something not se

onshad

in le

n Mira'

"You do not know

ered, her v

teac

her arm, stepped forward, a

ntain t

hed in a col

ow fel

ira f

d her back

ss, she slept

she whispered

end. It's the beginnin

side her and

rn. We prepa

indow, where the moo

hispered

could not. And we w