fireflies. Victor stumbled back, his cloak ripping at the hem. The air smelled burnt:

nting so hard, widening her eyes with

?" she demanded,

ng! It bowed and then ev

hing," she said, staring at

ield, stepping in front of both of

, move,

. "Just not fast enough fo

the creature tossed him aside like he weighed nothing

ween Victor and me like it was d

ed. "Kael!!!!, ca

e sank, grave.

re! I don't even k

Selene

," Kael

It's

ian snarl

chest. His eyes held this feverish, old hung

ed. "She broke the order, tak

of me, blocking Vict

going anywhe

k. "You cannot protect

ill ready to fight. "We don't ne

ed. "Stand

ke

ir, fear pressing into my ribs. I didn't know who to trust, Kael, Selene, Ri

guardian st

.. fully..

eyes were pinned on mine: old, knowing, wait

almost a whisper. "El

ispered back. "Hello giant creatu

y something before it decid

: gently, almost like a dog asking for direc

tely when those words came out of my mouth. And th

been holding his breath the wh

n the floor and that made

to the sanctum or I

seemed it hated it when Victor

was ancient, bone-deep, a force

" Selene said as she gr

"Riven west hall

fully into a wolf and that took h

ov

you run now, you

en you hid everythi

sion twisted. "

tugging at his slee

g anymore, it was shaking, vibrati

ered, voice tiny. "It

?" I

eans if we don't leave right now,

e the walls were groaning and t

d across the stone

ing in a language I ha

guardian roa

bed my ha

feet like the manor itself was breathing. Doors were slamming on their ow

ross the walls like

top!" Ka

t. I co

sing the old wing

nting toward the

d me towar

or slammed behind us so hard

afterward

hands on my knees, try

ce cracked. "Wha

The guardian woke because of you, the manor woke

" My throat tighten

in a way that scared

n didn't bow

ng eyes staye

dying me like I was a pr

wed to

llowed

the ritual cho

or what?"

ael's silence s