ng branches and shaking leaves. Storms came fast in Elandra Hollow, and Selene

o ride it out

aps she'd set the day before. Rhian insisted on helping, though his wounds hadn't fully sea

back. Watching him move like a shadow reminded her how dangerous he

, the two of them were tucked bac

s water dripped f

howing off, just done pretending not to ache. His chest was mottled with bru

ded not to lo

er gaze. Di

urned

e said softly. "Because I never sh

was

ued, "something inside me moved. S

respond

her on the cold stone. Their shoulders brus

kered across

he said at last. "Y

r w

ed down

ghtened. But she

ng real,

e above them. Thunder

eyes. She didn't know what scared her more-how easily

he dreamt of

running free beneath a silver moon, her feet

ke to

wa

scent clung to the fabric-pine, smoke, and someth

gently. Not possession. Not

't used

never gave

orest glittered like glass. Water clung to

sharpening a stick into a s

inst the cave's m

ng to reope

op. "You wor

ne bleeding o

've left m

ake me r

led fa

cking traps, gathering roots and greens. They barel

ompanion

ili

rcling the same fi

rest dipped into open valley. Smoke rose in the far dista

poin

ink it's y

r tried to

ou go t

didn't

He didn't come here to die. Not a

was wa

nni

osi

be-he wasn't going