The Wolf King's Daughter

ts befo

my skull. Then heat-smoke,

they sting. The air smells

eathing?"

" anothe

uches my

bolt uprigh

yr

s R

ce grou

indly before it's caught mid-air. His ha

ys. "You're alri

ok a

by a single torch wedged into the wall. The ceiling

, shirt torn, blood on his che

ink

pened?" I

edative knife," he say

w l

f a

feet, too fast

s me befo

w do

? Where's the villa

"They burned the square. T

ath ca

real. That's a drea

s not

ys nothing for a while

s slow. Not l

t e

t pulls

ny?" "T

ia?", he

ck. "Is s

aw. She covered for u

'm goin

you'r

ave

elp them if

e him,

esn't

oesn't know what war is," I say. "I was bo

aw ti

ays. "I'm trying to keep you alive

p holding

m n

ieter now. "But I saw what they did,

n't c

u w

e at ea

too c

. I hate how calm he looks. Li

cream at hi

I ca

ow what he's

sca

of t

osin

e that it

tanding in the ruin

a dream. Charred beams groan under my

nd bo

burned

till gripp

em are st

him. He helped sharpen blades at the fo

ed around a knife. B

s face wit

oesn't

mov

halia hou

of the watchtower, blood soaking her

n to

yr

racks, but

alive,

are

p. She winces bu

down," she says

e than anyon

ooks

's eve

attered. Dead. Hidin

aw cl

?" she

asn't

mutters. "He sends ra

cloth to

, then gri

He's not going to stop. You have to en

ssed that bor

be the

my wrist

gdom back? Don't wait for

t her

even have

e. Not yet. Just a

wal

e do I fi

iles f

your father kept hidden. If Cyrus wants your bloodl

rip w

ali

umps s

eels be

burni

healing," I

ne left," he

ll find

ten miles with her

se my

time to gri

do one

y forehea

isper. "I'm not d

esn't

reathing

re

southern cliffs, where the

t up

not

e last of the medicin

lds th

from him, kne

s speaks for

looks

e diff

That's not a com

meant to

harp," he says. "B

." "No. Yo

you'r

. "But I'm still

hink I

t pulled you out, y

d sl

ly should'v

sn't a

ce up

rsher than usual. There's blood on h

nce, he l

ke

ourself?" I

answer for

Every s

l him it wasn

I do

t of me doe

part of him

wake up to a cold fi

t up

af

ans

ade, step in

fr

at the cliff's ed

yrus

oyal black. Cloak f

eside

a

ing s

ns to me

rning, P

n't

't br

the one thing

sor