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