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Della had said it was a dumping ground for all things corrupted, but it was worse than I'd expected. How were there so many corrupted in one stronghold?

Beyond that, life was completely absent from this place. No living trees or bugs or birds … just those haphazardly placed cages atop dead, scraggly grass.

Della let out a sharp cry as she drew near, Liam holding her elbow for support. His gaze met mine, green depths full of pain.

Corruption was part of life on the Isle, but surely there was a better way to deal with the twisted thanthis.

"Rowan!" she called out as she entered the first of the messy rows of cages, Liam at her side. "Can you hear me? Rowan!"

Tye and I followed shortly behind, studying one rusted, empty cage after another. Doors hung crookedlyfrom their hinges, and some had bars that were twisted and torn.

"Della, I'm not sure you should be calling out," Liam said. "This place is dangerous. We should move quietly and —"

But Della ignored him, continuing to call to her son.

He turned to frown at me, and I shook my head. "Just keep your eyes peeled and we'll do the same."

His frown deepened, but he nodded, moving slightly ahead with the woman as Tye and I examined the cages more closely.

We continued through the field, glancing into cage after empty cage — and the further we got, the more unsettling the feeling of corruption became … despite the damn collar.

"Where are all the corrupted?" Tye growled at my side.

My brows drew together, stomach turning. "Della — do you know what happens to the corrupted once they're left here?"

The woman slowed and turned around, expression full of fear. Panicked brown eyes slid to meet mine, then back out to the cages ahead of us.

"I — I'm not sure," she said, voice breaking. "I thought they'd still be here — it's why I asked you to come. But they …" her shoulders shook as she spun around and resumed her search. "I need to find my son!"

"Damnit," Tye growled as we followed after her, that pit in my stomach growing deeper with every step.

"Rowan?!" Della screamed. "Where are you, baby? Can you hear me? Call out to mama!"

A prickle ran down my neck. Wraiths wandered around, looking for victims … they didn't just vanish.

"Rowan! Rowan!" she yelled, voice full of terror as she broke into a run. "Yell for me, sweetheart! I'm here!"

"Fuck!" We chased after her, rounding the next row and narrowly avoiding stumbling over the woman.

She was frantically searching an empty cage atop a small wooden cart — one which, hours earlier, little hands had been reaching out of as a little boy called for his mother.

"Nooo!" she sobbed, lifting a torn piece of gray cloth to her cheek.

Fear and anger warred within me as I took in the bent metal frame where the door had been ripped off its hinges.

Forsaken hells!

Della turned to us, tears running down her cheeks. "Rowan — I was so close!" Sobbing, she clenched her fists and searched the forest nearby. "He must be around here somewhere! I have to see him. I have to know!"

Tye stepped past me, eyes narrowing as he dropped to inspect the cage more closely. "There's a strange smell here," he said, leaning in. "And look how the cage is bent." He grasped a torn and twisted metal bar. "This isn't right. We need to —"

Something howled from the tree line a dozen yards away and the woman gasped. "Rowan!"

Oh gods.Images of a child-sized ghoul flashed through my mind, and I launched forward to grab the woman. I couldn't let her see that —

But Della jerked free from my grasp, dashing towards the sound.

"Wait!" I called, chasing after her.