The mysterious visitor turned out to be a fourteen-year-old girl with a limp and a story that made my chest tight.

Her name was Rhea. She'd been one of the bonded children in the underground chambers. Escaped during the chaos when we'd freed them, but got separated from the main group.

"I hid in the forest for three days," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "Heard wolves talking. Gideon's wolves. They said something about a safe house in the marshes. Said there were more crystals there. ...