The air in Bloodhowl territory was dense, heavy with the scent of damp earth — and something else. Something ancient and unsettling that made Clarisa growl uneasily inside me.
We had been running for half a day, through forests and hills, until we reached this place — a hidden valley surrounded by jagged mountains. Mara led us with steady steps, her face impassive as she guided us toward what I guessed had once been her home. The ruins of it stood in the distance, charred and skeletal, the remnants of a fire that had devoured everything. It was a grim monument to the violence that seemed to stain this land.
My parents, Frank and Susan, walked beside me, their faces pale and drawn, their hands clasped tightly as if afraid to let go. Caleb followed close behind, carrying Serena’s lifeless
