Crimson Contracts

e the blood until

sn't

k trail of red stretched from her wrist to elbow, seeping into the frayed cuff of her coat. It wasn't a cut. It

ma

f her wrist: a twisting rune shaped like a

had bra

asn't co

to taste copper. But the mark didn't even fade. In

red. A whisper not qu

stumbled to the mirror

t recogni

ow held threads of burning gold. Her lips were pale. Her cheekb

nched h

t ask fo

gger p

ok it

idn't

re

s spun like wheels in mud. Kael had seen her. And if the wolf prince h

yth anymore. It was active.

d

nt had

osters had al

FEMALE POSSESSION O

or

rably

o feed the lower quarte

the first po

the s

ed into the river where the witches once dro

were

ad to

fig

dn't g

hapel. It was neutral ground, protected by old blood m

yb

r sold everything from curses to compacts of bottled fire. Hooded vend

w of hanging skulls: an old woman wrapped in

am

ggler. Bl

ed the dagger," Irin rasp

arms. "Too lat

kle. "You carry it now. Like

ed an

nt abso

"I want to know wh

n't match her age. Her fingers were dry as parchment, cracklin

woman

," she said slowly

blood w

l for

the first time there was

t was made to b

t, Kael c

t in d

per

re, in her attic, standing beside the guttering candle, s

ed for t

n't st

olding it between

idn't

onto hers, dark hair

and what you've do

explai

re ma

otic

pped c

he Pact. You reawakened it.

owned.

its new Warden. The last one destroyed half the contin

allowed

ed in her grip

it again," she s

t grant power it feeds on it. The m

ens when it's

pression

left of you but a we

ithout an

he fog of Eldemire, as

t of his presence, lingering like

hing the dagger, she felt som

elt w

si

or smugglers. No this was ancient. Territori

nted th

wanted

red her more

uldn't

ark b

gger h

ws of her room,

sh

no, no

trailing his boots, and the roo

the dagger but it

is h

fingers like a

mine," the stranger said

nt dry. "Who th

smi

claws. Just c

Crimson Court. And you, li