Page 7 of A Fate Unwoven

Finæn’s axe flew through the air and embedded itself into thekorupted’s side with a sickeningthud.

“Lena, shoot it now!”

She’d taken a few steps closer to the creature without realizing it. The hand holding her bow had lowered to her side, and the other one—the one she’d felt that spark of pain in—was rising to reach out toward the creature.

The creature hesitated long enough to blink at her, as if acknowledging her mercy, before bolting into the darkness of the trees.

Finæn was already moving toward his sister, his breath coming in short, heavy gasps. He cradled Maia’s head in his lap, stroking her damp hair with shaking hands. “Maia, Maia, can you hear me?”

At the sight of Maia, whatever force had been keeping Lena at bay loosened its grip. She was at Finæn’s side before she even realized she was moving. Maia lay still, her skin as pale as the frosted groundbeneath her. Lena’s gaze swept over her. There was no blood that she could see, but there was a faint, plum-colored bruise forming at her temple that made Lena feel sick. Lena was no healer, yet she’d heard tales of people bleeding from the inside, their life fading away without anyone even knowing. If the wound to her head was a bad one, then they’d need to move fast.

She was about to snap instructions to Finæn when Maia’s eyes fluttered open.

“Oh, thank the Sisters.” Finæn breathed out.

“What happened?” Maia asked.

A sob escaped Lena’s lips.She’s okay.She reached out to take Maia’s hand. “Are you alright?” she asked through the lump in her throat. It was only when Maia nodded that some of the tension in Lena’s shoulders released. “Can you stand?”

Maia gave another nod. “I think so.”

Together, Lena and Finæn helped Maia to her feet, their gazes drifting back to the tree line. There was no sign of movement. No indication the creature she’d allowed to escape was coming back to finish the job.

Still, Lena’s stomach twisted.

“What in fate’s name was that?” Finæn hissed at her under his breath. “Why did thatthing—”

“Later.” Lena’s voice shook. “We need to get Maia to healer Estryd.”

But Maia shrugged out of her grip. “I’m not going anywhere until one of you tells me what in the name of the Lost Sisters that thing was!”

“It was just a wolf,” Lena said, before Finæn could speak.

She hated lying to Maia; even with her frail body, she was one of the strongest people Lena knew. If anyone would be able to handle the truth, it was her.

But telling her the truth meant admitting it to herself.

“Come on, let’s—ah!” Another wave of pain in her wrist cut off Lena’s words. She grasped her arm to her chest, eyes screwing shutagainst the pain. Ice burned through her veins, the cold creeping closer and closer to her heart.

“Are you alright?” Finæn’s voice was thick with worry.

She let out a breath as the chill began to pass and tenderly opened her eyes. Her skin tingled, as if someone had taken a hot blade and carved a circle into her flesh, and Finæn was looking at her in a way he never had before.

“Your eyes, they’re silver. And that creature …” He glanced down at the wrist she’d been cradling. “Lift up your sleeve.”

“What? No, I said it’s fine.” She made to move past him, but his fingers curled around her wrist. She gave a single tug, anger and panic flaring. “Finæn, let me go.”

But it was too late. He’d already turned her arm over and slid up her sleeve, revealing the pale flesh beneath.

And the faint outline of a familiar symbol etched into her skin.

Lena’s heart gave a single, nauseatingthud.

Finæn opened his mouth to speak, but something over Lena’s shoulder must have caught his attention. Lena followed his gaze, her heartbeat a wild, erratic thing in her chest. In the distance, the unmistakable flicker of torchlight cut through the dark, illuminating a half dozen silhouettes riding toward Forvyrg at an alarming speed.

Maia swore under her breath. “Is that—”

“The Fist,” Finæn cut Maia off, confirming Lena’s initial assumption. He turned to her, and the world shifted beneath her feet at the look in his eyes.