Bella woke to silence.

The healer’s chamber smelled of herbs and smoke, but beneath it lingered something sharper—the echo of fire that hadn’t come from any torch. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, and every inch of her skin tingled as if a storm had passed through her veins.

She shifted slightly, the rough blanket scratching against her arms. A groan slipped from her lips. The memory hit like shards: the courtyard, the golden flare, wolves gasping, Alfred shouting, ...