Page 2 (1/2)

The Shadow Hunter screamed and twisted as my father raked his skin As Wrath flew out of reach, Kaylin sent a flurry of shurikens into the ht onand pulled out an obsidian dagger Crap Their blades were usually poisoned, so sharp that they could rip through skin like a hot knife through butter And I had a particularly hard time with obsidian The stone unleashed my predatory nature and I didn’t have control over the effects yet

I darted to the side as he brought the blade to bear Lunging past his outstretched arer deep into the an to transform as Lannan came in from the other side

The Shadow Hunter shifted, his thened and he went down on all fours, into a -beast with razor-sharp teeth He rushed toward s down onto the back of the creature’s neck, distracting it

I grabbed the chance, plunging my blade between its eyes As the Shadow Hunter screeched, Lannan reared back, driving his fangs deep in the flesh as he ripped open the veins A fountain of blood bubbled up, spurting into the air, foah, Lannan began to suckle froer out of the creature’s skull, unable to look away There was so feral and wild and passionate about watching the vah his hair, to brush his lips with my own…

Ulean howled around me Cicely! Watch your step--you are too close to the fla my head, I forced myself to turn away and brushed my hands across my eyes Damn it Ever since I’d drunk Lannan’s blood, there’d been a bond between us that I did not want Like it or not, it existed, no matter how hard I tried to deny it I’d noticed, over the past few days, that I felt hi behindAs much as I tried to hide the sensations from Grieve, I was afraid my lover had noticed

Shaky, my knees weak, I turned to see that my father was back in his Fae for off their opponent Wrath carried a curved dagger and he slit theaway as the Shadow Hunter clutched at his neck and went turound

They lay there, silent bodies in the snow, as a pale stain of blood spread around the the brilliant white with dark crimson Lannan pulled away from the creature, which had reverted to its Fae for His shirt was stained with blood, and he fastened his gaze onforward, he reached for my hand, and unable to look away, I let hiers to histhehabout the blood splattered on hie way he’d torn into the Shadow Hunter, that set hts, Lannan’s shtly I griainst rowled I pressed my hand to the tattoo on s, and he wasn’t happy I quieted him, even as Lannan leaned close to my ear

"I can sht here if you want me to, baby" But then Wrath called to us, and he backed away

I turned to find Kaylin staring atInstead, he et in there and see e can find before any of their kinfolk arrive"

Not trusting my voice, I nodded The back of the house had been the ed, and I wasn’t sure how much I trusted the roof over the kitchen Most of it had burned away, but there were still patches held up by support beaed The front of the house looked h the front door," I finally said The others followedthe obsidian knives from our enemies We hurried back around the house and up the front steps

The house is clear?

Ulean shivered against me Yes, the house is eht The hunters are awake and active They are searching for you and Grieve And all who helped him escape

"We have to hurry, Myst’s people are out in full force and we don’t have a lot of tied up the stairs and pushed open the door We hadn’t even had a chance to lock it ere rushing to escape

As I entered the living room, it hit me just how much had happened in the past feeeks--and how much we’d all lost

My naic-born, a witch who can control the wind I’ Fae Uwilahsidhe to be precise, which means I can shift into an owl On that front, I only recently learned about e and in no way have honed my abilities But in a few short weeks I’ve learned to love being in my owl form, and I’ve found a freedoround, has offered me an escape I’ve never before felt I always felt like a part of , Grieve--the Fae Prince of the Court of Rivers and Rushes, and his friend Chatter--caht us how to use our ical abilities It was Grieve who boundged me down the stairs of the Veil House, and we headed out on the road My aunt Heather and the only stability I’d ever known vanished in the blink of one afternoon

I learned early on how to survive on the streets I’d longed to return to the Veil House, but Krystal--a ifts--wasn’t capable of surviving on her own and so I stayed with her until she died in the gutter, a bloodwhore who’d serviced one bad trick tooes on the wind to stay one step ahead of the cops and the drug runners

And now my mother was dead, and I’d finally returned to New Forest, Washington But too little, too late My aunt had been captured by Myst, and my cousin Rhiannon was terrified for her life Myst holds the town in her icy grip, and she’s out to spread her people throughout the land, to conquer the vaic-born and yuo, I was Myst’s daughter And Grieve had been ether, raht for us We’d hidden behind rock and tree, snared the in the blood

Grieve and I had fought for our love, killed for our love, and--at the end--ere cornered and couldn’t escape--died for our love We had bound ourselves together forever with a potion designed to bring us back together again in another life