/-Zara-/

No one moved for a second.

Not even I.

The terror and quiet suspended in the air were palpable. My heart beat so violently it drowned out the drums, the wind—everything.

Draven's wolf—giant black wolf, trembling with rage—circled me like a starving beast that had lost its quarry. His yellow eyes were fixed on mine, raging and confused. He yearned to charge, but the intangible barrier around me restrained him.

He bellowed—a howl so savage it ripped the air asunder.

The ...