Riley's POV
I turn slowly toward Cane, my throat clogged, my ears still ringing from everything that just happened.
“What is the Rite of the Borrowed Moon?” I ask him.
The question leaves my mouth before I can stop it.
Cane freezes.
He looks like I slapped him.
For a few long seconds, he doesn’t say anything. He looks away from me, his jaw tight, his shoulders stiff, like he’s fighting with himself. The silence stretches so long it starts to scare me.
Finally, he turns back to me, his eyes hard.
“Don’t even think about it,” he says firmly. “It’s a death wish. Even males don’t survive there.”
My stomach drops.
He steps back, putting distance between us like my question alone is dangerous.
“No,” I say quickly, my voice breaking. “You have to tell me. Please.”
I hear how desperat
