ale discovered that the Northern Pala

bathroom was so cold t

ad apparently decided that br

r bedroom door had informed her that her

min

red at t

ke someone wh

ooked her u

N

bli

k you for y

e. I'm Captain

d ponytail, and a scar running from her right cheek to her jaw. She

uld break a man's nose before

ded she l

look as though she would to

to train me

rtuna

nfortu

l has instructed me

lded he

unds rea

t you leave the training grounds

ds less re

pair of trousers a

minu

e walke

t the clothes

ning, I would appreciate a lit

s, apparently,

aining

d, the sun had barely r

tone walls and tall pine trees. Dozens of warriors

amp earth, sweat, an

ooked

people t

," Mira

not a

ance of surviving a

y turned t

ow how to enco

ouragement

d her a wo

ld

too

e th

N

her fingers ar

Relax your shoulders. Ke

tried

circl

ine I'm y

ka

I want to

ig

stronger, and more

fro

to teach me or r

lun

yel

ped over her own feet, and

nearby burst

Lyra sat on the groun

raised

e to formall

ered her

wh

manag

t u

ed the hand

softened by perhap

going to win

hered

n not to lose the

at the dagge

inside h

ife she remembered and the life she had inhe

ot to be

diff

mu

s tire

," she

ised an

ha

k me a

read across the

getting s

ed on her feet for a

gre

miliating

ress all

e Who Was

upper balcony overlooki

Seren held a

ible," Sere

es

work is a

es

ed herself with t

ooked

as wo

tai

, Lyra stu

llar before she could fal

mouth t

n no

t's inte

at

smi

id n

solutel

away from

ing useful t

e prince's sudden interest in a woman who has

ession h

political

cour

ld destabilize

ural

cil wants her

ural

ok a sip

n standing here for forty mi

aid no

hed upon something he

elve years avoi

s made you

gave your en

as already beco

use of h

se of the

en she fell, s

single

plain, he found himself wantin

Unexpect

's muscles we

bruised, and she had developed a person

alled an end t

e impr

early

all

N

tared

lips tw

u haven

ason, that

n bench and reached

fell ac

look

dark training clothes. He had warm brown ski

ble way, unlike Kael, whose beauty seemed s

held out a

've been dragged b

accep

someone who enjoys

interest

t be terribly

lau

lias R

a Va

kno

rowed h

that everyone in this

re Blackthorn Pack to collapse to the

gro

don't re

at besi

re are more concerned about

fort

worth, I think you

rned to

ecting

him decide what yo

caught her

ockery, curiosity,

expected un

toward the tr

r. He treated her terribly. Everyone told her to be pa

ssion gre

the hardest thing she ever

chest t

sor

. She's h

ed back

int, isn't it?

Lyra couldn't

she s

omeone who looks like he spends

s gr

Profess

e a wa

palace gua

ach me how to fight with

olut

cut across

lutel

s si

likes

ned to break

she shows

lau

mall, ungu

alcony above,

oked

s smilin

s smili

asant tightened

n't li

s reached over and gently remov

away from

er

our Hig

Elias

eyes s

hy

the qu

s si

lared

miled s

was what you w

hat E

er room exhausted

done something that had nothing to do with Darian, her

ad tr

ad la

ke to her as though she wer

a beg

opened the small noteb

rst page,

want fo

rn to

stand m

money to live

who don't care

anyone to lo

pa

e added

looks at me as though I'm

d at the

, n

ately cros

moment, she

ide the palace, an

n

ic

e ti

a s

hurried footsteps in the c

d her bed

rd was runni

y Ly

happ

ce was

f Blackthorn

stomach

ho

demanding an audien

ard sw

ought a roya

ed into th

red, dressed in black, his

t look s

ked fu

our room,"

pine str

N

w tigh

is not the t

orders as though I'm

ent, neit

lowered

come here for a

ld knot form i

id he c

ed direct

you. And if I refuse his challenge,

blood r

fted her chin, and stepped

"it's time I reminded everyo

tared

time, he didn't