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That I’m not Calla, and I never will be. I’ll never be the one my father is proud of and loves.

I can’t be the worthless daughter again.

Also—and this part really bewilders me—the man seems genuinely puzzled by the Graywatch, like he has no idea what they are. Everyone in Meridia knows. Maybe he’s one of those conspiracy believers who think the Graywatch are part of some elaborate plot to enslave the population and harvest their organs…or whatever mad theory is circulating this week.

I clamp my jaw shut, because what can I say? First, I need to find out who I’m dealing with.

His mouth curves into something that’s not quite a smile. “Smart girl.”

I hate that those words bring a flight of fluttering wings to my chest.

He seizes my elbow and pulls me out of the doorway, back into the street. Now that the Graywatch have gone to investigate the fountain, we’re alone again. Bells ring in the distance, blocks away.

I follow the man because, with my wrists bound in front of me, I have no other choice. My satchel dangles awkwardly at my side, the strap cutting into my shoulder.

Every step reminds me of what happened in that doorway. My body hums with leftover arousal I don’t know how to process as I trail him through the empty streets to the gate.

I refuse to think about it or allow the memories to replay.

I’d have let him do anything. Anything he wanted. If the Graywatch hadn’t interrupted, if he’d kept going, I would have⁠—

What?

What would I have done?

I don’t have a reference point for what comes after kissing like that, but somehow, I instinctively knew what to do. My body was ready, eager, demanding things I’ve never given it before.

The massive iron gates loom ahead, the hinges as thick as my thigh. They’ll close as soon as the Graywatch arrive with the night’s roundups.

Then the guards on duty will throw the mechanisms that swing the doors shut for the night. We have maybe two minutes before they seal, until we’re stuck inside until dawn.

The man speeds up, prompting me into a half-run. With my bound hands, I can barely maintain my balance.

“Keep your head down and keep moving. Don’t slow down. Don’t call out.”

I do more than that. I duck my chin to my chest as we approach.

The gates climb forty feet high, crowned with gargoyles that monitor the road with eerie stone eyes. They’re animate. Not exactly alive, but conscious enough to perceive threats and raise an alarm if they sense anyone using magic to breach the wards.

We slip through the open gates as the clang of bells reaches the main road.

I let my hood cover my face so the gargoyles perched on the walls won’t recognize me and issue an alert.

Failing my mission was bad enough, but getting caught by an outlander is even worse.

Still, I can fix this. Once we’re in the woods, I’ll take care of him. As soon as I get the right opportunity, I’ll use my abilities to outstrip his elemental magic.

Chapter Six

Agnar

As we travel away from Edgehallow, we stick to the edges of the beaten dirt road, where moonlight doesn’t quite penetrate the forest. Pine and fresh earth cleanse the town’s stench from my nostrils. I inhale deeply, overjoyed to leave that place behind.

Trudging along the ground like a normal person is slow, not to mention annoying. It would be so much faster if I could spread my wings and fly. If I carried this woman, I’d be out of here in minutes.

Except, she can’t see my wings. The moment that happens, she’ll know I’m Tirenese. And I prefer to keep my identity secret, at least until I learn more about her.

So we walk like children, people with nothing better to do than play in the dirt instead of soaring through the night. The moon hangs fat and bright overhead, full enough to cast shadows through the trees. Beautiful on the ground, it’s a sensation in the sky. One I am forced to miss this month.