Aria couldn't take her eyes off the silver ring.
It glimmered between the trees.
For one terrible second, she thought Lucian was standing there.
But the figure disappeared before anyone could react.
“Wait!”
Aria ran toward the forest.
Kaelen followed immediately.
“Aria!”
She pushed through the trees, branches scratching against her arms.
The figure was fast.
Too fast for an ordinary wolf.
She caught a glimpse of a dark cloak.
Then nothing.
She stopped.
The forest was silent.
Kaelen arrived seconds later.
“Did you see who it was?”
“No.”
He studied the ground.
There were footprints.
One set.
Kaelen crouched.
“They were heading north.”
Aria looked in that direction.
“The Black Forest.”
Kaelen stood.
“Darius.”
“Or someone working for him.”
Shadow emerged from the tr
