The Vessel's Awakening: Seven Bound By Fate.

ud. Too much. And yet, I had n

damp earth and something metallic, almost like blood. My legs felt weak beneath me, my bod

ke a living thing, drinking in the faint moonlight. She hadn't spoken since we left the c

been h

been c

sure which sc

-

vengers

s, and a sky unlike any I had ever seen. The stars swirled in unfa

t belon

se. "Stay close. The scavenger

mean there are

her expression un

of wind through the trees. The ground beneath my feet was uneven, and I stumbled more than o

ng to carry me

to l

-

irst

o rise, my entire body ached. My throat bur

narrow stream, kneeling to dr

oing to need to start act

lowed.

n dr

lness shocked my skin. When I brought it to my lips, the taste

heels, watching me. "D

ze. "

surprised. "Th

took it carefully, the wei

n. There's something

-

avenge

was different from anything I had known-massive roots curled through the ground like t

out warnin

adows, surrounding us in a

efore. His lip curled in something between a sneer and a snarl. "Told

ve. "You don't

r, his hand on the hilt o

I wasn't tied up. Thi

hen you're dumbe

she was standing beside me. The next, she was b

fro

ers hes

her voice almos

y d

ambled away, panting,

, my hear

e people who think they can take what isn't theirs.

r tighter. "And if

nd sharp. "Then we

-

Nigh

an old outpost. I barely had the str

slept, the

ky bu

felt their hunger, their rage. I tried to move, b

ient, filled with somet

e the V

h burning golden eyes. Power radia

ould no

d through me

-

e circle beneath the Ethereal Veil, the cosmic force that separated their realm from the low

voice repeated. It belonged to Dakar, the Vampire De

he Nymph Demi-Goddess, her voice like a river's whisper. "Or

peak of balance while the Vessel walks blind? She is

strained power. The air itse

is presence did not flicker with aggression, nor did he raise his voice

ed her first trial. And now,

u would risk everything on

will

l fail," Va

them, where the veil between realms grew thin. So

e only ones aw

ell into an u

hey all felt it-a shadow, mov

-

akenin

e gas

ssing against my chest. My body ached worse than befo

t. The fire had burned low, casting flickering

rpening a blade, her

ed without looking

s my collarbone. I gasped, clutching at my skin. It felt like

. She set down the blade and moved toward me

essed into

id, voice flat

owed. "

ut a small metal mirror, and handed

lines forming an intricate sigil, glowing faintly w

stial

se hammering. "What th

. "It means they kno

-

l by

came t

deeper into the ruins. She had given me no time to proces

today,"

d. "Star

first real lesson. If you want to survive

shoulders.

rked. "We

ck-and threw a dag

slicing the edge of my sleeve. My heart slamme

the

. "You think your enemi

tion flaring. I clenched my fi

better lea

ther word,