LOGIN“In the throne sanctum,” he said quietly. “His magic is fading faster than expected. Without him, the portals are failing. The wards are unstable. The palace is barely holding itself together.”The weight of it all pressed against my chest, stealing my breath.“How long does he have?”Kaelan shook h
Cold.That was the first thing my mind registered. Not the gentle coolness of morning air or the refreshing chill of river water. No. This was the kind of cold that seeped into bone and memory, the kind that felt like someone had tossed me onto a slab in a meat freezer and then forgotten about me.M
My heart lurched painfully.“Marek,” I whispered. “I can see it.”“Do not look,” he rasped.“You cannot hold me.”“I can.”“You cannot.”“I can.”“Marek. You are slipping.”“No.”“You are.”“I am not letting you fall alone.”Another surge of magic exploded upward, snapping through the air like froze
The floor vanished under me.One second I stood in the packhouse surrounded by wolves and frost and Marek’s shaking arms.The next, the glowing cracks beneath my feet tore open completely, splitting into a perfect circle of blinding blue light. Gravity twisted sideways. My stomach lurched. The world
I turned toward the wolves.They stood in a loose circle. Silent. Scared. Bracing themselves as if they already knew this moment was inevitable.One by one, they stepped forward.The warrior with the crockpot looked like he might cry. “Do you want food? It is still warm.”I smiled weakly. “Thank you
Snow still drifted through the shattered ceiling, swirling around us like we stood inside a snow globe someone kept shaking. The frost patterns along the floor glowed faintly, pulsing in rhythm with my heart.The voice from the ice still echoed in the air.Aveline. Aveline. You must return.The ho







