he blood-stained necklace on the ground

crescent moon pendant etched with sunbursts, a symbol of divine balance. Her mot

ed with her. She

bered the cold soil. The lifeless face. She'd placed the necklace

here? And why did it

ng the burn of the silver collar around her thro

flin

skin made full cont

erself some

black stone. A woman stood at the center. She was tall, w

turned t

like moons, her v

emember wha

knees b

you?" s

man raised a hand and

.

cave, gasping for breath.

her skin, pulsing. T

as a

ly dug up her mother's

ts spun. Who had it last? Who c

y

mind was racing. Something was wrong. Something worse than

o get out

.

later, Thor

two other rogues. No chains this time. No

urvived,"

," she

to see if you can d

ff. The two guards mot

nstincts were torn-half of her screamed to run, the other

foll

k cavern chamber. Unlike the arena, this space was quiet and s

of the room wa

o it wa

r than

d, sobbing,

?" Raya asked

into the circle. "He lost control. Ki

ned. "So wh

s head. "Because

est we

ean br

d. "Or cursed. Dependin

at one of

ilver dagger and pla

him d

body recoil

About the berserker?" Thorne circled her slowly. "We w

table. His golden eyes,

he choke

ouldn'

inside her

tightened aro

d,not with hunge

o i

g this?" she aske

se you don't belong to them anymore. If

oked at

'her'. A younger version,

her mother's grave

ated, she had no control over it

pped th

N

ion didn't chang

ds lunge

ya was

fully emerge-but

d fast,

uard's throat, and spun toward the second. Blood sprayed. The silver colla

cond guard's shoulder. He scream

didn'

ing," he

chest heaving, fury

who I am?" she hiss

led. "

n't exp

pas

clenched

but yours." Thorne nodded at the altar. "The b

e and the boy, blade still

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm the only o

oming?" s

es gli

e around your mother's neck. The

fr

you talk

sealed a beast inside you by accident? That you're just some divine

eath c

spered. "Ther

lm... revealing a tor

gnized it

's ceremonial robe, th

fresh blood. And it s