Ash Pact

t thundering in her chest like war drums. The air was colder now, sharp wi

n't ima

ad weight, form, hunger. A living shadow born of

her lips. They

uld run. She should never let

t part was:

-

ed. She di

round her. Somewhere beyond the walls, Kael prowled. She felt it in her bones, like a

lust. It wasn't

posse

the moment she c

-

ft s

nock th

tst

er dagger-but when the door

as T

iv

ered, wide-eyed and ghost

her lungs forg

trembling

her, Thalia pulled he

Thalia sobbed into her neck

ripping her sister's

the nobles under him. He tried to stop it, but t

eneath her feet. The man she was supposed to destroy-the

. "He's playing you

lia said. "The shadow. It does

ves-hit her

away, tryin

he air cha

mmed shut wi

ed up the wall l

ugh the door, but out of the wall itse

ithout a word, as if

, every line of his bod

you to s

you," she sai

arse now. "You pull me. You always ha

that the curse s

d her in th

ace-not gentle this ti

the thing inside me wants yo

d barely

ced the corne

" he said, low and burning. "Do i

ence st

een them beca

pped the collar of his sh

e kiss wasn't

s sur

vouring hers. Her cloak fell, her dagger clattered to the floor-useless now. His teet

ngers twisting in his h

adows stir

ae

led back, pantin

ice cr

ely stop i

ace. "Then stop pre

l f

, and he kissed her again-like it w