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I glance down "The Guild sent us to kill Alaric, as payback for last night"

She stops "If you hurt any of my people, I’ll rip your throat out Got it?"

I nod, passing herto har moment, then nods, and continues on up the steps, but she keeps the gun safely by her side We’re all out of breath by the tie The rocky mountainside has been carved into tiered levels and is connected by a maze of steps and steep pathways On every level are tall, blocky stone buildings, crae, helping to carry the injured inside their homes, or fix broken s and fallen doors that ed in the earthquake We’re in a town plaza, about the same size as the one in Amber Hills, which is surrounded by merchant stalls

The roof of one of the stalls has caved in Standing beside it is a ed Lupine with a white-and-black mane, just like Kieran’s--the Lupine pack leader, Alaric Bane, and his daughter, Ulrika She’s wearing the saht top--and there’s a bandage around her arm, where she was shot by one of the townsfolk in Amber Hills Her cropped hair is matted around her boyish face, and there are dark shadows under her eyes I doubt she’s been to sleep yet

"We should evacuate the village," the man with the spotted mane says

"It was just an earthquake, Penn," Alaric says "We’ve had theer of an eruption"

Ulrika glances over her shoulder, sensing us

"Uncle Penn, they’re back!" she cries out

Penn follows her gaze The look of relief that enters his face quickly fades when he sees Kieran He rushes over to us along with Alaric and Ulrika

"What the fragg are they doing here, Theo!" Ulrika says, gesturing toward et they’re our enerunts

"Don’t you realize howher here?" Ulrika continues "What if the other Darklings co for her?"

"They won’t," Lucinda says "Not until nightfall, anyway Annora and I often stay out all day"

"Lucinda will go back to Icarus tonight, after we’ve rescued her sister," Theora explains

"Is this girl who you’ve been sneaking out to see, son?" Penn says

Kieran grips his side "Argh, Dad, can we talk about this later? I’rabs him

"Take him to my house, Penn It’s closer," Alaric says "Put him in Naomi’s room"

Ulrika flinches at the sound of her sister’s name but doesn’t protest as her uncle carries Kieran into a nearby house with a yellow door As soon as they’re gone, Alaric turns to rowls

"I invited hi chased by hunters I couldn’t leave Edmund and Lucinda in the woods It wasn’t safe"

Alaric looks questioningly atparty to kill you, as payback for last night" I tell the Mrs Hope’s funeral, right through to now, leaving nothing out Alaric’s eyes widen as he learns I’, while Ulrika scowls "They took Lucinda’s sister, and they’re going to kill e of his nose "This whole thing has turned into such a mess I should never have trusted Hector to sort this out He lied to the Guild about our deal, and now ht he cared about his people"

"He does," I say "My grandfather’s devoted his whole life to the people of Amber Hills"

Alaric furrows his heavy brow atabout them"

"Who did you mean, then?" I say, confused

He spreads his are I blink, perplexed, and then it slowly sinks in what he means as I stare at the randfather’s, like er back as the truth hits me I’m part Lupine

19

EDMUND

"HOW CAN MY GRANDFATHER be a Lupine? He doesn’t look anything like you," I say Except, I realize he does He has the saray eyes as Alaric and he’s tall too

"Hector’s a hybrid," Alaric explains "His father was hurandfather’s a hybrid, like Theora, that means I’m awhat? They don’t even have a word for soenerous pinch of huether to ht you knew," Alaric says

"No," I randparents, so I had no idea one of them was a Lupine" All I know is that he was orphaned as a baby and raised by an uncle in Carrow Falls, who died of yellohen randfather was just fifteen He moved to Ainal ot married when he was nineteen, then took the preacher’s job after his young bride died while giving birth toI know Why didn’t he tellby his betrayal, but it also explains why he’s been so accepting of reat-grand that his brother, Penn, and Kieran just went into Ulrika pushes pastht be part of the pack now, but that doesn’t ivessmile as we follow her

The hallway is cras his jacket over the coatrack by the door before leading us to the living roo the way The door is open, and I stopon the table is Naomi’s body, shrouded in a muslin cloth and surrounded by pine wreaths Ulrika shuts the door, grief burning in her silver eyes