ne's

acked earth like powdered sugar. Wolves shifted in and out of form, steel clanged, bo

out o

sm

qu

.. b

n't treat m

taff and pointed toward a m

e said. "You'll be remembering wh

alanced. I hadn't held a weapon in years. Not since Kade

hawk. "Isn't about strength. It's about presence. Weight. C

es and focused

.

t f

str

n't co

it c

feel like a victim learning to protect herself

n short sess

movement. Stances

g, Thalia nodded once, with the smallest c

to sle

mo

, som

forgotten existed. But the ac

. I started

fu

fain

ied in grief. A heartbeat that

i

w

clean spinning strike with the staff - that I felt it. A ripple

was

still quiet -

ced. Of cou

tilted her head. "You

wed. "A

full smile. "Then

ng wh

said. "Where your instin

stone-and-cedar structure warmed by und

um. A

i

hot water soak into my skin, steam curling int

full

heard her whisper, faint

ou're

s to find another note at the door. Same b

nd today. She notic

he was watching, or that he understood wha

e note unde

est, golden eyes in the dark, and a warmth at my bac

him until thr

, sweat dripping down my spine, lungs burning,

leather jacket, pants dusted in frost from the early

mproving,

ware you we

watch," he replie

nt a ripple

hide the flutter in my ches

head. "That's

els li

e wolf returns when the body is safe, and the soul

"You know

ips. "You whispered it the

ated. "I did

kno

n silence

n ridge behind the training grounds.

ked. "I'm no

You need to claim this territory with your steps. That's

hink I bel

e didn'

ow yo

e just be

So were two young scouts and a

mission. I

ed paths slick with melting snow, p

He ran ahead sometimes,

ys knew wh

ce was...

full valley, bathed in fading gold light, Th

ng flasks and dried m

the edge o

as vast. Q

ilence, I hea

ard, Eira

di

that left my chest was a low,

of aw

moment later, his eyes not

ng back," I

d. "So a

stars, barefoot in the frost, staring up at the mo

need to

anym

nted to

that wholeness didn't mean r

ecoming so

ne st