Ardyn POV

The scent of smoke and blood clung to me, seeping into my skin, my hair, my bones. Even after we left the ruined temple behind, I could still hear the dying cries of wolves, the crack of breaking bones, and the Huntress’s voice echoing in my head like a curse.

Kael carried me most of the way back.

I’d protested at first, but the moment his arms wrapped around me, something inside me unraveled. My magic was raw and trembling, my body shaking with exhaustion. I clung to him like ...