aring was buzzing-people training, fixing busted boots, scrounging up breakfast. And Evangeline? She just heard her own

away. MoonClaw had been her

an arrow with that telltale b

d her, voice low. "

ven look at him. "O

s set. "We

rew was pacing like a caged wolf. "They crossed ten

t shrugged. "They want us r

ce, just said, "

hot him a lo

h. "Of you. Of what

. For once, they weren't running-th

eady. Training in shifts. Traps everywhere. I

long enough to nod. "An

ed. "Especially once they he

vangeline. Her spine

damn symbol,

angerous thing. "No. Yo

r. The water was silver, the moon all smug and bright

until they were right behind her. Bu

when I'm hiding,"

while. Just the night, the

e the silence.

very time I close my ey

era

tuck somewhere between

ttered, voice barely hangin

. "Yeah, a piece of you probably did. Bu

actually believe I can p

on't even need to believe. I alr

threatening. "I don't know how t

you. You lead with all your scars s

rushed it away, thumb lingering just a second to

," she

d. "Not doing it for th

th caugh

t budge. "When

n't mov

steel and shadows. Kieran stood in the war room

edHowl now?" His voice

a," the Be

eastern

guarding it, hell, they're

enom. "She's building a k

a look. "Not stolen. Earned. She's got loy

d so fast, Ariella almost l

"Oh, please. I ain

r real, I half-expected to see t

hear the nerves. "RedHowl's getting stronger every day... If we hang

abbed a dagger right into the map-dead center of

e a whisper. "But... if the red wol

so hard, the whole room jumped. "I re

ne up. The silence was

her chest. "Seriously? You're like, 'Oh, is that a fire? L

d like she was invisi

gy anymore. This w

nest. Archers perched in the trees, looking sharp. Scouts dar

apping, eyes like storm clouds. She'd never led anyt

actually had somet

ow. "You don't have to b

breath, and stepped up. Her voice

ns to be forged in fire and keep rising. We were born from pa

th a chorus of howls

war drums started up,

aw was

vangeline wasn't