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“Stop!”

I turned toward him, examining his arm, but it was already healed.

His laugh was breathless as he guided my eyes to his, tilting my head with his fingers.

“Do you worry for me, my sweet?” he asked.

“What a ridiculous question,” I said.

This time his laugh was deeper, and he bent to kiss me gently before we returned to Shadow on the other side of the tree line. When we emerged, we found his black stallion quite a distance away, and when Adrian called to him, he snorted, pawing at the ground with his hoof.

“What is he doing?” I asked, glancing at Adrian.

His expression told me everything I needed to know—something was wrong. There was a part of me that did not want to know what Shadow had found. I wanted to live in the blissful moment we had created a little while longer, but we found ourselves moving toward the horse, who seemed even more unsettled the closer we came.

Then I noticed the acrid and unmistakable smell of death and my dread grew. Had we found what remained of Dracul’s men?

Adrian reached for the reins, attempting to calm Shadow, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw what lay at his feet. There was a ring where the grass was flattened beneath the mangled corpse of an owl.

Its feathers had once been white, but now they were flecked with blood, most of it dripping from its wide, round eyes.

I took a step back.

“What is that?” I asked.

I looked at Adrian. His eyes had gone dark, and his jaw popped as he clenched his teeth.

After a moment, he answered. “The correct question is who,” he said, and then met my gaze. “Her name was Ivka.”

Fifteen

Isolde

Adrian removed his cloak and gathered Ivka’s remains. We did not speak on our return to the Red Palace, and anxiety tumbled around in my chest. I felt guilty that I was so afraid of carrying an owl home even though she was one of our own, but it was like bringing death to our kingdom, and I agonized over the consequences.

I had not considered asking Adrian what kind of shifter he had sent to scout my homeland, but if I had known, I would have refused to send her, too afraid of what might become of her—or even my people—on the mission.

I hung my head, heavy with guilt. No matter what kind of animal, Ivka was still one of Adrian’s soldiers. She was one of our people, and I knew that not even my fear of owls explained why she had died.

Adrian was quiet when we arrived, and he waited for me to dismount before he spoke.

“I must take Ivka to her brother,” he said.

I swallowed hard, nodding. “Of course. When will you return?”

“Sundown, likely,” he said. “Before the festivities begin.”

We stared at one another for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I did not mean for this to happen.”

“I know,” he replied quietly. “I do not blame you. It was my choice to send her.”

But it was my insistence that had pushed him.

Adrian mounted his horse again, and as he took up his reins, he said, “This is not a night to venture beyond the gates. Stay within the castle walls.”

Then he left, spurring Shadow down the hillside, disappearing from view, and I closed my eyes and spoke words into the air that I hoped were more of a spell than a prayer that he would be safe.