that pendant

er the raid. I'd clutched it in my hands until my fingers bled. I'd worn it like

beneath a tree

th went dry when

ndant w

ri

t

eft b

ld've found at the Western

arely hearing my own voice. "Wh

ne. In the dirt, half-covered.

y into my palms. "Did t

But Elara... that necklace only ever

carefully, but

to know this wasn't

him," I said.

you s

hing. But she was asking the one thing I'd

th was, I'd nev

hat they told me to see. But no one had reco

oke and

I whispered. "Under the cedar tr

et but steady. "Then

ked a

moment, some

ust the alpha or the boy who'd left me behind. I saw him as a man w

ask me t

stion the gap

said, "Get

hy

're going t

the East borde

llowed Kael through the woods, past the frost-covered trees and into the thick underbr

was cold

the tree

when I thought the pain might finall

to the roo

digging without asking. No

beside him

small hole I'd carved out years ago. The tin box I'd buried it

pt

e. "You're sure

o the trunk," I said,

" sliced in

at it for

he

ew where yo

e him. "Someone who's ei

to frame y

even crossed my min

the guilt I'd carried since the night we lost hi

see the pat

" he said. "Nothin

need to

studi

he no

. But if we do this, you need

ha

found... with the scroll gone... they're going to think you're inv

he wa

one thing with a

ing his face or name or blood to start a war

ady been moved by t

n hall for inspection, and only a few people were allowed do

on doors open jus

reeked of smo

, Six cov

nside, hear

from the first body. Burned. Beyond recognition. Onl

or the

ir

t to the four

something

t strangely. Like

d it too. "

hy tie your

ed closely. "These burns aren't unif

oes tha

ked up

this was d

slowly, e

n ambush. It w

k a b

he nec

gh his nose. "It

ha

oward the sha

ar end of the chamber a

nd came back with s

s

second

locked

ean, newe

" he said. "To le

d at th

sn't

wanted us to

is setting you up. They want you to

's workin

rless smile. "

e a long time

king and

like a soldier or a rogue

ething more

at I wanted from you," he sa

an eyebro

because you owe me anything. But because you're

n't s

I didn't b

cause

red me more

dn't

, we ha

brought it into the gate. Check the

t had been scrubbed. Someone had wiped two hours of re

missed

sc

, but

e the cloth.

slowly. "

t my

d it at the

lwoman

at, everything s

el to take a mate fro

g to open trade li

the moment I stepped b

said. "This was never abo

ed. "Then it's tim

t get t

econd, the alarm b

just

ag

ag

ag

eady running

urtyard as Lena came sprinting

" she yelled. "Eastern scou

ey get past the sent

ooked

hen,

cklace in

," she said softly. "They

ant tight enough t

want