Chapter 6: The Forest of Chains

The ground bruised my body as they dragged me through the undergrowth, stones and roots tearing at my skin. Every breath I pulled tasted of soil and iron, thick with the musk of rogues. Chains bit into my wrists, tighter with every tug, the iron steeped in wolfsbane that burned like fire against my flesh. My wolf whimpered, scratching faintly at the corners of my mind, then fell silent again. Smothered. Unreachable.

The forest floor seemed endless, every jagged stone branding itself into my body, every twist of a root stealing a shred of skin. I could feel my flesh splitting beneath the iron cuffs, skin wet and raw. Each heartbeat pumped poison deeper through me, like fire dripping slow into my veins. I wondered how long it would take before I simply stopped feeling anything at all—if the forest itself would drink me dry before the rogues ever let me go.

Beside me, Chloe stumbled, her cloak torn, hair tangled with leaves. She screamed Kaelus’ name over and over, like a litany, like a