ared at

le skin, running in a thin line toward her wrist. She had felt the sharp sting of

the wound were alre

First the bleeding stopped. Then the red line thinned. In less than a minu

d as if nothin

ut the sound seemed distant. Elara's heart beat hard against her ribs. She closed

came from a fe

com

e moonlight his face was all sharp angles and shadow

hand against he

es

red between the trees like something that had been forgotten on purpose-small, dark wood, one w

nd old wood drifted out. He stepped in first, checked the single

at held a few tin cups and a rusted lantern. Someone had left a stack of dry wood beside the hearth. Rowan cr

oor, still holding her

back. Rowan stood, wiped his hands on his

re sh

m c

ress offered nothing. But the real cold sat deeper, under her skin, where the t

anket from the end of t

er

the blanket around her shoulders and sat on the edge o

t efficiency-checking the boarded window, setting the lantern on the table, pouring w

the dark surfa

she said. "

e chair and leaned forwa

t need to

o one el

cks are good at watching. Not so good at int

ers tightene

lways said it. My family line is weak. Tainted.

eyes stayed

u belie

had a reas

was truly corrupt, maybe this was just another sign of how wrong she was. Things that healed

eeth and drank the water instead

re until the sun is up. After that we move north. There's less patrol activity that

ave anywhe

p walking un

something in her chest. No grand promi

the man who had looked down at her and decided she was not worth keeping. She could s

osed h

, it was thin and full of the sound of

rr

ee

t com

vement of Rowan near the hearth. He had kept the fire low.

lking and the leftover shock. She looked at her palm

glance

sle

lit

f clothes on the table-dark pan

g, but better than what you're wearing.

of dust and cedar. She stripped off the ruined white dress and pulled the new clothes on. They hung loose on her f

hecking that she was ste

ing air r

ll of a bird. Elara followed Rowan down a narrow path that wound between the trees.

n hour when Rowan stopped so sudd

centing the air. His

t?" Elara

ice was lo

thorn. Something e

ver. They crouched behind a fallen log. Elara's heart hammered. She coul

th was clos

not run unles

ack wolf, with dark fur and eyes that caught the morning light in a way that looked wro

a's

her skin, as if something in her blood had not

ts head and looked straigh

tightened o

took a st

ano