1
MERYN
Take a breath, Meryn.
Darkness writhes around me, moving in impossible ways. It parts in heartbeats, revealing images that tear me asunder.
Blood, in a viscous scarlet splatter.
Breathe.
Violent red streaks across the gray stone floor.
Breathe.
Across my little sister Saela’s snarling face—her lips and her… fangs.
Meryn, take a breath.
My chest aches painfully, and the shadows contract together again, bringing the room into pitch black once more. As they do, strong, comforting arms tighten around my middle.
But I can’t, I can’t, I can’t—
“Take a breath, Meryn!”
I gasp, breath stuttering. The growling voice in my head is not my own, I realize, but that of my bonded direwolf, Anassa. The towering silver-whitewolf butts her nose into my side as air floods my lungs, and I come fully back into my body.
The shadows part again. It’s a strange new power, but I have some level of control over it. Clearly, it responds to my emotions.
To my shock. To my fury.
I’ve spent the past four months training to become one of the Bonded, all in hopes of getting to the front lines of the war to find Saela. She was kidnapped out of our home, stolen in the night to feed the Siphons in our neighboring country of Astreona.
Or so I thought.
Saela spasms on the floor before me, blood dripping from her chin. I flinch at the sight of her new fangs. After everything I went through to find her, to save her… my little sister has been turned into one ofthem. A Siphon herself.
With the uncontrollable bloodlust to prove it.
Helene, a member of the Daemos pack, stands to the side of Stark’s office. Her stunned eyes are wide, and she holds a hand over her bloodied neck—but she’s safe. Her bond with her direwolf has already healed the wound Saela inflicted.
Helene is fine, but my sister, myeverything…
I lunge toward Saela, desperate to get to her, to help her, to stop her, to somehow change what’s happening.
But those arms around me hold me tight.
“Let mego, Stark!” I spit. The shadows surge toward us, responding to my aggravation.
Before I can free myself, Stark’s massive black direwolf, Cratos, lunges toward Saela with a violent growl.
My stomach drops, and I fight hopelessly against Stark’s strong hold.“No!”
Cratos is going to kill her. My sweet girl, my beautiful sister. He’s going to tear out her throat because she’s dangerous now.
Tears flood down my face in hot rivulets.
“Stop him,” I plead to both Stark and Anassa. “Cratos,stop!”
