Althea sat quietly near the window of the inn, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of the small black bangle she had bought a few days ago from the Nightcrawler Pack’s market.

The faint shimmer of the embedded stone, and she smiled softly. She had cast a simple protective spell on it—something subtle, harmless, yet strong enough to shield the wearer from negative energy.

It wasn’t much, but it was something she wanted Gavriel to have. Still, she hesitated on whether to give it to ...