ot a message, not

e

n't ask

ted him to. He just grabbed my arm and pulled me straight t

d, not

de

, giving orders into the c

otate patrols to the eastern hallways.

ing

pped

did

ng my arm from his hand.

ally t

. "I'm keepin

cking

ou where the

t. His eyes didn

said. "But someone gave the East your s

once. Th

sc

the scouts. Your old coat. The one

orn that coa

ve had it. They

he necklace

ces, Al

ten as something click

lave

re

I was already dead the secon

ming me,"

s feeding them your name so she

ou know the hidden ce

"Yes. It's

er. Don't open the doo

idn't

for my wrist an

didn't

at Kael

e not

ng to fi

colder than

nothing but racks of dust and darkness. Lena unlocked a panel behind the ol

e door, and leaned against it like it

e asked after

N

idn't

't t

lder to shoulder, like she used to when we w

hing tighten

or guilt,it was

beginning

some random scout

as del

had orchestrated it, then I wasn

feare

that wa

was time I gav

el less th

which surprised me - but his expre

a nod and didn't spea

aid, "Mar

e wh

o note. No explanation. Her staff is missin

inst the wall, st

we were cl

nod

he Cou

e she's innocent. Sa

urse t

dn't

ched in f

la

oked

u something. And

dded

s didn'

ou bury th

all lump in

wai

tol

f our home. I thought maybe-just maybe-it meant he'd survi

allo

. Then I buried it because I cou

et. "Did you ever be

ay for t

d n

w I think someone else has

l s

t offer

t tou

d to, and he looked at me like I

ng he didn't quite

r," he said. "And when we do, I'm goin

th

nod

th

more scouts had bee

fore they c

and-drawn. It showed

them, they didn't

to drag me o

ng Council members. Lena and I stood off to the

nd," he said coldly. "But someone

le

ld up t

ht. Tell me -who gave away the locati

l si

ed his throat. "You're sayi

n. "I'm saying this ma

u have no proof it

epped f

ht. I don't

etting his eyes swe

ove against my pack - or against Elara

sp

mutte

hallenged hi

filed out, I caught Councilman Doran

't for

er di

idn't send me ba

he war room. Sa

n't ta

on the board, looking for patterns, for mot

orning, I leaned back in the

ate

t look up.

I hate that I don't kn

iet for a

d, "You can

ked a

ly l

ince I'd come back to Bl

use I wa

ause I

really trust - then we were going to l

g to lose th

ward, elbows

ns if they

n't he

ing the Alpha t

, we go

t wasn'

ain - this time further nort

were

coming for the va

e coming

uite

ard the North Pass. Van

l, flanked by two w

rode out, but I could fee

estraint

at the ridge before

looked

ou're the one bein

ed. "Ar

d out into

oice like st

ot any

at's when

few scout

l war

oving ve

e shadows, stood someone I

talle

in

n his

ound h

eal p

r

as A

n

he look i

t my broth