The Bloodbound Awakening

nst Elian's skin long a

in the foggy shop windows seemed to ripple with something other, every whisper of wind carried fragments

n had said that morning, u

accused last night, her fingers

she closed her eyes, he was there-Raelith, his voice like frostbitten silk, his

n, Elian stood at the hostel's back do

ap of her backpack. Inside: two flashlights, a pocketknife (Jason's cont

n the door's rusted mechanism. "When has break

e. The last time they'd snuck out-just two nights ago, to the tavern-she'd seen him. Really see

ock c

red the door open. "M

n at night were a dif

ath a bone-white moon, the buildings seemed to lean closer, their windows dark eyes tracking their progress.

through the mist. "So, the plan: we hit the museum, fi

ted," Mira interject

The pendant throbbed against her collarbone,

re cl

re, Raelith's voice threading through her

ou hea

ned. "He

llowed. "

ficially losing it." But ev

on with iron-barred windows and a crest carved a

ated. "Tha

rowned.

asn't here durin

side window, waved them over. "Less

of air that smelled of dust and dried herbs-an

stomach

, they sli

and glass cases, the artifacts within glowing faintl

sed his face to a case displaying rusted daggers, their

trial records. 'Executions for consorting with the Night's Chil

breath

, physical tug-toward a shadowed archway cordoned

FOR REN

om

ice. Closer

ved before she

ira's voice faded as Eli

its whose eyes seemed to follow her. At the end, a single

ndant

hed the d

moved, their silver stars shifting like living things. At the center stood a si

trayed

this face-had seen it in dreams, in visio

el

the statue

lood of his beloved. Only her

ld think, Elia

ers brushed the stone, t

d welled, splashing o

rld ex

force of it throwing Elian backward. The walls trembled; the por

th

le

ifted h

eyes were no

were

re staring

ound he

eet, his grip bruising. Behind him, Mira stood froz

statue again. No glowin

lian

m," she

shrill. "Elian,

off-a crack, lik

hree

n the statue's face,

un

ho said it. Maybe a

footsteps echoing like gunshots. Behind them, something

shoving Mira through. Elian scra

and closed ar

Jaso

o

k. The grip held for one te

bblestones. Jason yanked her up, and they ran, ran, ran,

llapsed behind t

K," Jason gasp

dy trembled, her thumb still oozing

e pend

ant was