tayed at the cliff's edge, her gaze locked on the dense forest below. She had memorized this
rms crossing over his chest. "You want to tel
away. Her breath cloude
ntually, her voice barely audible. "And
Elias muttered. "A
don't think it's blindnes
rip his throat out for you
rying to smile, but it didn't reach h
ment. The kind that didn't need filling. The
e first time we met
hove wolfsbane tea down my throat f
time. "You had a sprain
till
glance at him. "Why are you st
y. "I was loyal to you. Not just to Ja
faded. "No
ost they're pretending not to see.
t her fingers curled aro
tomorrow," sh
sed. "
follow. Somewhere I ca
e added with
d p
nd pulled something out-an
t's
." His voice dropped. "You're not the only one who's
ing it as she flipped through
ouldn't need it.
er heart aching. "You s
ready
lose eve
ed was ripped from this pack the day
on the noteb
To learn. To train. To rem
s. Make it look like you left out of
d. "You're r
've always like
embrace, her voice muffled a
e said simply. "Even
eyes damp but fierce.
unting
slipped through the back gates with only a satchel, her cloak, and Elias's
cent of pine needles and damp moss surrounding her. Her wo
she told
rritory-an abandoned cabin nestled near a fr
to the corners. A broken window let
, fo
ing herbs, boiling water, cleaning the space. K
ned her old ceremonial cloak and ca
ing in the clearing behind the cabin. Her muscles ached
d. Trappe
ned Elias's notebook an
he stood in front of the cracke
ispered. "You are not the
wild eyes, calloused hands, and somet
re re
n, too fast-there was a
fr
here. Not Elias. Not
ck came
a v
. You don't
spine s
d the doo
d in a weatherworn coat, a blade strapped to
e T
brot
be rogue. Dangerous in wa
r eyes. "How di
led. "Or maybe I followed the trail
mile. "Why a
ng something reckless.
for a long moment
me
something was shifting. She'd starte
t they'd buried
s don't s
ance neve
n his eyes. Back then, she was barely seventeen, still caught between her quiet dreams of being a healer and her new bond with the brooding f
der. Harder. T
loorboards of the cabin like he owned the place. The scars on his jaw
ome," Kade said, tossing his s
live in peace, alo
whistle. "Damn. Y
o catch up. Why ar
ou disappeared. Word travels, even through rogue
y wo
ightened around the word true, like it tasted bitter. "A
iled. "So you've
eyes. "He chos
his gaze
for a long moment, just stared into the
d, "Tell me
she
stood beside Astrid like she hadn't bled beside him in battle, hadn't nursed his mother through he
glove, while Oliver had been reduced to whispers and pitying glances. How Jason hadn't lifted a sin
ning
loy
ea
nt," she whispered. "And in the end, they ma
I should've killed him
in
ward. "So wha
The fire crackl
a full one yet
want
dn't a
it. I know that look. It's the one Dad had b
not
reed. "You'
need strength. I need people who won't
"And what exactly will
ing back what was stolen. That we're burning down the rot. An
rp and savage. "Now
fingers traced old glass jars-dried herbs, medicinal roots, and
cks who hate the Emberfangs. Packs Jason's father
finished. "Especially
ce him. "You're
e blood calls to blood. And no one treats my siste
oat tig
g to make them wish they never crossed you. All of them. Astrid.
" she whispered. "I
they
etween them, heavy wi
asked, "Do you thi
tared
think you're fin
thing like clarity settled in Oli
nger waiting
d choose
ould
lapsed barn behind the cabin. Kade watched her strike it, a
id no
ded her
through the air, the blade glea
fight me," Kade
turned.
ow
d. "You're
n you return?" Kade growled. "You think
"I want to see what five years
Fine. Just don't cry w
ow, brother and sister-both shape
ducked, spinning to deliver a blow to his ribs.
but rolled and kicked up
hs steamed
he said.
her with every move, shedding years of s
inks and gold, Oliver was on her knee
er her, bruis
n what you wa
yes burning with
bleed like I bled. To watch everythin
rned. "Then you'r