The Fire Behind Us

The night burned red behind us.

Smoke curled into the stars, swallowing the moon until it was nothing but a dim smear in the sky. My lungs ached with every breath, my body raw from the beating, from the running, from the impossible weight of what we’d left behind.

Rosie’s scream still rang in my ears. It was sharp, furious, broken.

“Aslaan—” My voice cracked as we tore through the trees. “She didn’t follow us.”

“I know.” His tone was harsh, ...