a's

ng around me. It

ed me and the sky

ply and tried

I? Last I remembered I

f me drowning and b

ken by the minute and

st the tree line be

hunder through the night

her arms, warmth wrapping a

what I can remember, I... I fell. Into the river. I w

h to stare into my eyes, searchi

give me a name. Just... strong. Silent.

o. She just wrapped her arm around my

gainst us like it knew I'd been through enough. I watched Hazel in the dim moonlight-h

"Do you think there's s

t answer

"I think you're different.

gave me

veryone treat me

ightened. She

he edge of the vi

Dozens of people stood outside our hom

rward. "She's he

. Whi

blema

like a

of all

stung worse

the venom. D

sh

le curving her lips. Her minions follo

d to show up," she s

ont of me instantly

ou always play guard dog

ed. My pulse ro

e, Lyra? Couldn't take another humiliation? Thoug

Tried to breathe through i

ny every year? You're twenty and still nothing. You've failed more t

. "I didn't ask to

. But you sure m

mbled with fury.

hoved h

d hit the ground wi

inside me

knees beside her

her hair. Her

snapped

ind s

it r

aped me, deep a

ep back. "She's

lammed against my ribs like it wa

er," I said

ed, white streaks bleeding throug

ed!" someon

nst

et her t

ward. Tasha s

ce was louder now. Sharper. It

her ground, but he

e

Like I'm dirt beneath your feet. Like I chose thi

ed away. Th

Tasha's throat. She gaspe

screame

ed an inch of

kill her!" s

ned. "Lyra

et

ground like a

flashed behind my eyes. T

ees b

o Hazel, heart thu

rowd

it

not one

uld be l

dange

ed. Fear tur

houted: "

rus

as heavy. Hazel tried to s

ed me fro

My wrists burne

azel's face was

d you," s

trees swa

st rose

was

he dar

er they dec

ed me int

liter

A rusted, iron-barred prison cell near the northern edg

for the dang

t I was to

s. Wild.

o whisper apologies through the bars be

s. Every now and then, someone would pass by and thro

es came

spe

rom o

wit

not li

are

e sho

if it was ma

list

eep inside, a f

rom

sn't t

the be

turned two

ime, it wa

black clouds, shrieking wi

att

p, shouting orders. I heard howls

lv

ou

se Pack h

'd come

d warriors rush past, and others shift into their wolves mid-s

er inside me

at shook me when

th shallow, b

ock on th

ic

r creak

y. No

st

my

cur

tever

t stop

ra

rees. My bare feet slick with mu

cloaked, moving like smoke thro

ani

tur

re pits of

raised my hand, a

the creature,

wled,

chest. A burst of light erupted from me,

asp

was

I hea

vo

yr

urn

who sa

he f

wasn'

behind him-strang

d. "You need to c

are

can tell you wha

first time i

t feel

lt s

odd

into the