CRIMSON BONDS

to her wrists. She did not cry. She did not plead. She would not give them the satisfaction of fear beyond what a

measured the distance to exits, noted which guards moved with distracted precision and which ones were ready to strike

she s

e did not laugh. He did not call a number. He simply observed, and the world seemed to narrow around him. Aster felt her pulse accelerate. There was n

wallowed, forcing her chest to steady. Every coin thrown into the

ended the auction. The hammer f

t loud enough for her to feel it in her temples. Lysander walked ahead of her, silent, precise, like a shadow that belonge

every possible escape, every angle she had learned in years of survival. The thought of confronting Lysander crossed her mind and she dismissed it. He was impossib

dian stone that gleamed faintly in the sun. Symbols unknown to her adorned the gates and walls. They were intricate,

der said. His voice was low, even,

sts, ignoring the sting. When she dared to look at him, he was still observing. His

only when spoken to. Move only when c

ered, her voice steady desp

He turned and walked ahead,

hands itched for a weapon that did not exist. She had been sold, bound, and stripped of everything she considered safet

overlooking the black stones of the courtyard. She dropped to the

he hea

taut. The sound moved closer. She was not afraid.

fore her, its fur shimmering faintly like liquid metal. Its eyes glowed

. It was deep, calm, protective. "Your soul is

She had never believed in such things, and yet proof stood before her.

ws, Lysander watched. She did not know how much he saw, but she felt the ten

e, eyes catching hers briefly before returning to documents. The air was charged. Every glance, every flicker of movement held meaning. She studied him while eat

anded, voice flat. Obed

allowed no part of herself to shrink beneath

t unmistakable. It had been drugged, stifled, told to sleep, but now it whispered

self to focus. Fear could not dom

ng the floor. "Follow me," he said

ves of books bound in leather, jars of herbs, vials filled with strange liquids, and wa

ou will learn. You will obey. You will not que

Her fists clenched at her sides. This man believed he could intimidate her.

. The silver wolf from the night before appeared again, lar

n in her mind. "Do not forget who you are. Your streng

not fully believe. Yet the spark of defiance that

t speak. He did not move. But she could feel the weight of his a

ld survive. She would rise. And when the time came,

. Aster realized for the first time that she was not entirely alone. She

ckly that the girl he had bought