derlands, but tonight-it howled like
Her breath came in short, ragged bursts as she stumbled through the half-frozen underbrush. The wind didn't care that she was shaking.
obbed with every step, bruises blooming like violet curses beneath her skin. Sh
bare. Bleeding
r gave her before the fever took her. She didn't even remember falling the last tim
he go
ai
ag
ag
ing up mean
g back m
press of fingers around her wrist, the weight of him breathing threats into
save you, Ayla. Jus
pl
led in her st
o
this
this
ag
done bei
hid her bruises and a
she
the only plac
monsters fe
Ve
der than the kingdom itself-wild, endless, and wrong. Mothers warned their chil
sed, they
that fe
ven wolves forg
of course. Silly o
es in t
en who di
e and came out hollow-o
she hoped it
es might twist and turn, the shadows might whisper-but at least they wouldn't call h
o
forest, she would gr
that hadn't been crushed by bruises or
surr
fe
lic
l. S
andle in
just runn
unning to
it kil
the silence grew-like the fores
bir
ling of
ho of her own f
uneven, like a war drum calli
around her ankles like it had eyes. The trees no longer swayed. The
ached from cold and terror and everything she'd left behind. She pressed a hand to the nearest tree
ping beast. Each breath she took felt heavier than the last. She blinked hard, trying to c
til she was crouched low to the ground. For a sec
to herself, voice cracked and barely audi
now if she meant a fe
until the forest
old and something she couldn't nam
brushed
gh
o
ntio
fr
h caught
ood we
felt lik
bra
th. Too
ngers.
ng her head, she tilt
th
her, thick with shadows and silence. But the air had changed. It
cle in her body tight with tension. Her hands curled into
s rose. A chill slit
asn't
ing wa
at didn't wa
between the tree
The mist whispered against her cal
raid," she wh
she
t of th
of the
ight become if no
ight be if no
of fear and fight, a single, des
mething di
hing was alre
htning strike-sudden, se
ped to one knee, gasping, her fingers clawing at the fabric of her dress. The pa
he tugged the neckline
saw made th
r collarbone, something s
st, like lig
glo
iv
it had always been there-waiting. Pul
lse st
t... i
ke it had heard her voice-and the
and hovered over the mark, afraid to touch it. Her skin was hot-burn
ts raced i
it m
cu
s that fed on lost g
-" she whispered
o escape this place and the thi
t wasn't fini
, unseen root, twisted up
d slammed into the ground with a sickening thud. Pain flared in her
ll she could do was lie there-gasping, blinking against th
h
le
st, heavier than before. The trees stood like st
replaced by a throbbing warmt
cold earth, heart pounding against the w
gers tw
ng had
now what the
now who had
her-something ancient
e fore
onger just
s wai
le beh
Inten
the
uscle tensed. She w
closer-slow, ste
ight, heart pounding,
n-e
d. Not
o
dows, sharp and unbl
shadow. His skin shimmered faintly with runes like starli
autiful.
ully
e," he said, voice like
d, forcing herself
't mercy," he adde
t's th
r-surprise or curiosity-f
want
nt to b
nd death are
ways looked t
t each other-
lness, something
gnit
pped c
it. Heat surged through her chest, her knees weakening.
ooked
glowing-brighter, puls
Ma
inside her. No
n the mark. His e
're ma
to be," she sa
he didn't belong-yet li
pposed to be her
shot back. "So kil
sed. The a
shaking,
happens when you
nk I'm the
mouth-but didn'
ound shuddered
ttural-ripped t
d. The trees beh
something massive cr
en-it
ess-raced from the shadows, twisted
eyed man steppe
ropped. Bon
e shi
nto a
e wrapped in mo
prot
mons
to