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“Rose,” I said, my voice ragged. “What are we doing out here?” She touched my face and stared at me with relief, along with something else. Something like fear. “Raith! Oh, thank the Sun and Moon.” I coughed, trying to clear the dryness in my throat as I sat up. My entire body ached, and I felt as though all my energy had been stolen from me. I pressed a hand to my forehead and tried to remember how I’d ended up here. I’d decided the only thing to do was to confront the Shadow Lord, but since he wouldn’t face me in my kingdom, I’d planned to find him in his own realm. Teleporting away from Rose was the last thing I remembered. Had I found the Shadow Lord? How had I wound up in the garden? I reached out and touched a lingering tear on Rose’s cheek, wiping it away. “What is it, Rose?” Sh
- Writer
