-Carter-
Surrounded. Sh*t!
I glanced at Ashes, who lay on the ground, his brother beside him, still with his hands tied behind his back. If I didn’t heal Ashes soon, he would die too. What had I done?
“Is there any chance you might be able to transform, Ladon?” I asked, edging a little closer to him.
“What?”
“You heard me! Ashes was supposed to make the damn signal!”
“I can’t shift!” he replied. “I’m not old enough!”
“Try!”
He looked up at me with confusion, then down at his brother, who nodded at him, while darkness began to spread up his neck. But I couldn’t turn my back on the rebels, and retracting the darkness required concentration and time—time I didn’t have!
“Ladon!”
“I’m trying!” he exclaimed, just as the first rebel lunged at me.
I easily deflected his sword before sei
