CHAPTER 8: PROMISES
Fear. That was the first time I ever truly felt what it meant to be terrified—bone-deep, paralyzing terror that stole the breath from my lungs.
The rogue’s smile twisted like a serpent’s grin—crooked and cruel. Under the silver wash of moonlight, his yellowed fangs gleamed with menace. I trembled in Klay’s iron grip, helpless. Bardo's ghost still lingered in my mind. His blood was on my hands, and that truth was an unbearable weight on my soul.
Grief devoured me from the inside out.
“Well, how disappointing,” the rogue hissed, stepping closer, his voice a silk-wrapped dagger. “Where’s the little spitfire I used to enjoy playing with?” His clawed fingers clamped around my chin, forcing my face up toward his. “You’re pathetic now. If it were up to me, I’d tear your th
