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“I’ve got my ways. A few tricks up my sleeve.” Finndryl grinned. He had fresh blood splattered on his face and clothes. In his locs. Dripping from his sword. He risked his life for strangers. Lore thought he’d never looked so beautiful. “Besides, anyonewho would participate in this fucked up experiment didn’t deserve to live.”

“You’ve got that right. The steward said the king himself signed off on this. I’m going to make everyone involved pay.”

“Let’s do it together.”

“Deal.”

Chapter33

Lore followed Finndryl on unsteady legs down the stairs and onto the forest path.

When she saw the fox waiting for her, she wasn’t overly surprised. The creature looked at her, its eyes so bright and intelligent. It was clear that Lore had missed, somehow, that this wasn’t just anordinaryfox.

Its orange fur now glowed in the moonlight and its white tail sparkled like snow, glinting withSource.

Lore reached out her hand and the fox rose on its hind legs to nuzzle her palm before settling back down without a sound. Warmth spread from Lore’s hand where it had brushed the silken fur and it spread to her chest. Something had just happened with the fox. Something she wasn’t sure of, but she now felt connected to it. She could feel its heart beating beside her and feel the comforting presence that it—no,she—sent Lore’s way.

A thrum through the invisible chord that connected them said,“I am here. I am here. I am here.”

Lore spread her spell of invisibility out until it cloaked the fox as well as Finndryl.

Lore could still see the fox, just like she could still see herself,but the shimmer ofSourcelet her know the spell was working. The trio walked silently, unseen, as winged and unwinged soldiers alike rushed through the castle, searching for them.

Soon, they would discover that the tower was empty, save for the dead guards and the steward’s disfigured corpse.

***

Lore and Finndryl eventually made it to the garden gate.

Lore heaved a sigh of relief as they slipped inside, closing it behind them. Soon, they would be reunited with Asher and the others. From there, they would make their way back to Duskmere and Lore would find a way to break the spell surrounding the town. Then, nothing would stop them from leaving and finding their own place in the world.

The humans would decide their own fate from here.

They walked through the overgrown garden, heading toward the faceless statue and the stairs that would lead them to safety. The fox yipped and wound itself around Lore’s legs, not unlike a housecat.

“What is it, girl?” She knelt down to scratch behind its ears, then it glowed brightly and turned into a moon moth, its wings flapping silently.

Finndryl reached out a hand, surprise on his face. The moth landed on his knuckles and flapped its wings a few times before flying up to land on Lore’s shoulder. The moth walked up her shoulder before settling beneath her hair.

“What—” Finndryl asked.

But Lore cut him off. “This fox was my buddy the entire time I was here working in the library. But that, well, that was new.”

They walked farther into the garden, the moth’s wings justslightly tickling Lore’s chin. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation; in fact, it was comforting in a way. The fox-turned-moth was a friend. Lore felt that in her bones.

Just as they arrived at the faceless statue, Asher stepped out from behind.

“Where are the humans? You left them?” Finndryl asked, his voice strained.

“Yes. Grey and Isla are leading them home. Finndryl, you should meet up with them in the tunnels below. I need to speak to Lore first.”

“What’s wrong?” Nightmarish thoughts ran through Lore’s head. Perhaps one of the children had gotten hurt in the time she’d last seen them. Maybe they were lost. But no, Asher’s face wasn’t sad.

He looked calm, actually. “Finndryl,” he repeated, “you go on ahead.”

Finndryl didn’t move from where he stood behind Lore. “I’m fine here with her. I’ll stay with her until we’ve gotten her safely off the castle grounds, which is what we should be doing now, Asher. Anything you have to say to her can be said once we are in Duskmere.”

Anger flashed in Asher’s eyes. “You don’t give up, do you, Finndryl? You think that she really wants you here with her? She can’t stand you. Nobody can.”