Nymera’s POV
We left Hollowfang at midnight.
No banners. No goodbyes. Just silence and shadows and the ever-present pull in my blood dragging me east, toward the mountains.
The Hollow Crown.
Even the name sounded cursed.
Kaelith rode beside me, still weak, but pretending not to be. His bandages were hidden beneath his cloak. His sword sat across his lap like a warning to the world.
Dain led the way.
He hadn’t spoken to me since the dying scout whispered through the voice of the First Howl.
But the bond between us buzzed. It never truly went quiet.
Sometimes I felt him thinking about me.
Sometimes I felt him trying not to.
That hurt more than anything.
The moon was high and pale when the Crown appeared on the horizon—jagged peaks ringed in white like teeth. Wind howled through t
