- THE WOUN

g. Not with danger, though danger lived here, but with a heav

eper, each breath warming the faint thread of silver fire beneath her ribs. She didn't

again, rustling t

ser

dered by jagged rocks. The scent of pine thickened.

oo

ke at once. Without hesita

aring o

ll clearing. It was quiet. Too

yria s

uely recognized from stories of Neverland's royal guard-was split down one side. Bloo

sn't

clenched har

her chest ro

i

w how she knew

, though she didn't rem

ly. He wasn't fully conscious, b

as a

re

ands trembling. The young man groaned sof

nst sun-touched skin, lips parted as if caught between a sigh and a prayer. But the wo

Lyria whispered.

or a moment, luminou

asped. "From

d. He reme

rolled back,

r hands to his wound. Her silver flame

willed. Help

nothing

spread throu

her palms, thin and tre

, hissing softly, not

is back archin

wildly, fighting her control. Healing was harder than purifying. The

e didn

dn't

hat losing him would break something

wound sealed. Pink flesh replaced s

ped forwar

ed, brushing blood from

ince A

hind her ma

erland steeds bearing two armored guards. Their c

not ordinary hunters; thes

ard dismount

d, rushing to Aiden. "By

in

breath

e...

lling star. She had healed-not ju

Prince of

d pointed at he

ep away

er snarled, urging her to run, shi

she said firmly.

is blade. "What are you?

saved

was soft b

a tu

ning weakly on one elbow as he looke

sword," he

eyed instant

her. "You're not from t

at was she supposed to say? A half-wolf exi

.. Ly

curved-exhaus

t the name, as if tasting

rmed. "Anyone

rmured, "th

tensified, so strong it

n the way he kept looking at her,

broke as the

Highness," the first guard urged. "Lady Seraphi

f upright. "I'll go. But she d

oked at Ly

Come with us. At lea

a fr

art th

e, and yet she felt the

ard. "Why would

le. "Because I trust what my he

breath

them seemed to hus

instinctively reached out. His h

that

er flame

ll tig

cient clicke

fa

prop

gnit

a story had finall

his throat. "Y

't release

id softly, only

tween fear and the unde

she n

e was enough to melt

oward Neverland, toward a destiny neither u