a's

swallowed

hair across my face. There was no ground beneath me, no sky above

mmered agai

r!" I

e ans

m my body moments earlier had disap

uddenly as the

truck sol

tone, the impact forcin

nds, I could do

upright, I realized I was no

by swirling silver mist. Strange blue flames floated silently through t

e felt..

d been wait

od, my legs

re a

dlessly through th

rep

sil

my arms ar

happened tonight rep

g me before t

s voice warni

owing

r-haired

na

fat

still fel

-one years believi

ad foun

him again w

lled down

en know if

whimpere

l fin

you're

echoed throug

un a

s stone doors was

ed as the heavy ent

rridor illuminated by r

e me whispered

told me to ru

choice di

ath and stepped i

way, symbols carved into the

lv

o

l

they stretched ahea

the stronger the st

't frig

s fam

for

st l

o

row

eel like home when I'd

y opened into an en

ed in m

lined

eds o

ng

ee

rio

ore a crown shaped

hall stood a magnif

anything I h

he shape of two wolves sta

, my pendant grew

o.

read through

king, I took

ano

ible force was guidin

ouldn

et refuse

d before it, the th

e voice fill

home... P

fr

nce

r leader had c

was calling me

princess,"

remaine

wly

one shi

figure appea

breath

d a jeweled crown rested upon her head. H

sm

ust like yo

oat ti

new he

ur grand

at her in

is Quee

her head

een of the M

question, a deafening roa

ed from t

expression cha

foun

ho

o destroyed

xplosion echoed t

ne was

reached fo

ssed through m

inheritance before the

't kno

u w

d calm despite th

ready ins

ace sho

ross the floor b

en

laugh echoed t

the royal bloodlin

epped through th

dragged across

eyes burned

od dozens of a

his gaze se

last

heathed a blo

d the last Mo

golden eyes n

d the last Mo

hundered i

I am," I said, forcing my

ere wasn't an ounce of kindness in it.

ront of me, her transluc

o place her

voice echoing throu

gdom fell because it was weak. Ton

his blood-

im spread out, surrou

at me to run, but th

me, her expression c

is not the absence of fear. It is choos

know how

on't n

hed the pendant

e that your mother's sac

st into brillia

ne awakened one by one, filling

confident

o.

e palace

through the ceiling and la

and gentle, driving away the fear that ha

had ever heard whispe

r has r

tue bowed

ook an uneasy

ened his grip

er!" he

ove, the throne erupt

raised my hands

ded, something rested upo

ver c

eneath the moonlight, as though it had

at me with tears gl

as ch

the crown slowly r

an driftin