the guards dragged Kora
and her throat hurt from crying. She had stopped begging hours ago, b
ing," one
umbled
shoes, no coat, and no belongings. The thin dress she
d. "Can I at leas
guard
entrance. The palace was waking up. Servants hurried between buildi
oked su
looke
er eyes on
en path. She had cleaned the rooms of people who never learned her name. She had carried their fo
agined she would
outer wall, where a narrow r
sted as she recogn
bo
forest where rogues hunted travelers and e
me?" she asked, alth
he bo
go somewh
guard gla
s orders a
innoc
at to th
bit h
alread
ind them, replaced by thick trees and uneven ground. The a
ne of stones marking the e
nife from his belt and cut
e free
bed her
ds to the near
inted toward
at
w f
a humorl
eno
ked betw
me here without
, and w
guard pushed
border stones and caugh
guard muttered, "Vivi
spun
did yo
ere already
houted. "What
er tu
s, the trees
stood
d through her body, lik
k link
who had surrounded her all her life. There was no familiar pull t
de the Northe
was
d toward t
he whispered.
olf. She had survived the servants' insults
survive
into the A
across the narrow path, catching her dress and scratching her arms. Mist
le, she los
side a tree and
th
o birds. No
nd of her ow
rt with hunger, and the wound inside her
d against
y friends will be wai
ds would not l
s to kill her? Was that why the g
her arms ar
. No wolf. No way
uld not st
ere, she would
he tree and continued
l sounded
sto
thought she ha
growl came
rned s
eyes stared at her f
eath c
yes ap
r. Then
n and their fur filthy. Their faces were marked with ol
ers. A long scar crossed his cheek, and
d when h
k what we
backe
t want
ody
gues l
tilted his hea
d from the Northern
aid no
ontinued. "She said to make it
ood turne
sent
an gr
rt g
ood behind her. Two blocked the path to her r
surroun
ave nothing. Take whateve
ader l
ssibly want from
pped c
from the ground and
ck his
econd, no
ues burst in
r's smile
as a mi
lun
reamed
ught the back of her dress. The fabric to
grabbed
he twisted her leg an
go!" s
her rogue mocked. "May
wed at t
ven though she knew n
crouched
ess paid we
bbed. "I didn't d
ur pro
sed hi
Kora's calf as sharp t
the rogue released her. Blood ran down
er by the hair and
how long
vision
rogues. She had no claws, no
er life, she wished she
drew back
hut he
e fores
e through
It was deeper, louder, and filled with
stopped
slowly turn
he whi
e emerged f
beneath the pale morning light. Its shoulders rose higher th
rists and ankles. Strange red-bl
looked at
of them st
east!" some
er stumb
un
d not g
f its claws sent the leader crashing into a tree,
d tried to flee. The Beast caught hi
ged with his
ead-on and slammed
ered between the
ased them do
s, the cleari
st the tree, u
's claws. Its chest rose and
have been
s terr
thing strange happened. The fear inside her loos
t steppe
across the ground w
herself aga
" she wh
ature s
t, it only
ered its en
red into
, she saw something
hat made he
rouched in
cracking as the creature changed shape. Fur disappeared fr
nelt be
arp cheekbones. Dark stubble covered his chin. His body was marked with ol
rely noticed. Her attenti
yes faded int
ed at h
're
ep, but there wa
swall
. what
sadness cros
n," he said quietly
hed tow
fli
ately, giving her
strand of blood-matted
nd was
eaving the palace, Kora di
ed around her. The pain in her leg spread
her before she
ound her, holding he
rd his h
g. St
smoke and something ancient,
hed her throug
with
ted to
d to ask
d before she could
not
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