"You're not leaving, Grayson."I clamped my fingers around his wrist. If I had to throw my entire weight against him or tackle his legs to keep him from bolting back into the treeline, I would. I had a mission to save this boy, and he was being damn difficult about it."I have something for you," I said, my voice cutting through the humid air of the High Meadow."What?" He tried to jerk away, but I held on. His skin was scorching, a furnace of heat that hummed against my palm. Solid. Real."I brought the scrolls," I said. "From my library."I saw the hunger in his eyes before he could mask it with that cold, iron stare. He was a Cole; he was used to being treated like a rabid animal, not a guest. "I don't take handouts, Reed.""It’s not a handout. It’s a trade. Consider it a loan, like the High Priest’s archives. Besides, I’ve already memorized them. They’re just rotting on my shelf."It was a lie, and I hoped the Moon Mother wasn't listening. I had spent two hours agonizing over whic
Last Updated : 2026-03-12 Read more