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The wind nipped at my cheeks as we docked at the academy.

The full bloom of autumn reigned, with shimmering golden leaves trailing across the mountainside. A warmth prickled my spine as I turned to face Saani’s sharp brown eyes.

“Where do you think you’re going, Severyn?” she asked, her voice sharp and commanding.

“Back to my dorm,” I said, crossing my arms tightly over my leathered thighs.

“I’m rounding up Summer to go into the woods. It’s time you all understood the dangers you face while guarding the borders. Clearly, Damien has no intention of training you any further in the forests.”

Damien caught up to me, his hair windblown from the sail home. “What about our weapons?” he asked.

“There are daggers in the cabins. That’s all you’ll need, and your quells should protect you. The Serpent has claimed you, Blanche. That’s a heavy promise for a first-year student.” She clicked her tongue and headed toward the bright warmth of the Summer trail.

Damien groaned, cursing under his breath. “Did you get any sleep at the estate? Because I swear, rock is more comfortable than those beds.”

I’d tossed and turned all night. The bond between Archer and me pulsed until it dimmed in the early hours of dawn. I tried not to let it get to me, but I knew he was home in Demetria.

“Same here,” I muttered.

A brush of warmth consumed my skin as we entered the Summer trail and walked until we reached the long rope swaying over the rushing waters below.

One by one, we crossed over. Damien let me go first. I gripped the zipline, heaving myself over.

My muscles groaned in protest as I landed—muscles that hadn’t had more than a few days to recover in months.

I wasn’t stretching nearly as much as I should have.

And the bond between Archer and me might have stolen a bit of my energy.

We passed by the broken bushes, just a mile from the lake where I’d found Klaus and Naraic. Damien noticed my lingering stare.

“Sev, have you ever thought if your quell could… resurrect him?”

I shuddered. “He’s… bone. That’s all that’s left of him, Damien. If I tried, I think I’d create something far worse than any forbidden quell ever could.”

Damien shuddered, too. “Is there a reason it worked with Naraic?”

“Naraic severed his bond with Klaus before he died and bonded with me. Klaus knew I’d come to the academy. It was only a matter of time after I got my letter.” I told him about Veravine and showed him the bracelet on my wrist .

I didn’t mention that barter between our fathers. I didn’t know how.

“It seems our families have known each other for decades. My father told me the past Serpent was killed by the Forgotten. I think you should open the port. My grandfather left his last words in his.”

“On your mother’s side?”

He nodded. “Archer has it now. My father would have smashed the ring if he’d gotten his hands on it.”

I flinched. I could never imagine destroying a person’s last words.

We neared the trail’s end, where it forked into a campground. Saani flicked her wrist, and her whip struck the burnt logs, sparking a flame.

She pointed toward the end of the trail. “Daggers are near that tree. Suit up. We’re going to spend the night in the woods.”

Jutting from the bark were two dozen daggers. No sheaths, but I managed to prod three between the thickest parts of the leathers I’d changed into at the estate. Damien placed the end of a dagger between his teeth as he tightened his boots.

The twelve of us moved toward the forests. The sun crept between the gray clouds and across the horizon. Silence fell as the scurries of the woods grew louder. This felt like a death mission as howls tore along the branches.

“How many beasts does Summer have?” I asked Damien.

A student who resembled Saani locked eyes with me.

Then, trilling passively, she said, “We learned this in week one. Summer has five predators. Rippers will tear your flesh off and wear it, so if you see a student who’s gone mysteriously missing and glowing orbs, don’t believe for one second it’s them.

Death dwellers are everywhere. But Summer has three other predators—cleavers, detors, and vermilds.

My name is Bria, by the way. I am a second-year. ”

A tremor went down my spine. I’d have to do my research on those beasts.

My fingers curled around the iron blade as Summer encased us in the heated sunset.

The forest cried back, the squeals growing louder the farther we ventured in.

The slim light of the setting sun guided us through the broken path.

Palm trees wavered in the breeze, and vines crawled, wrapping along the branches.

Bria screamed as a vine coiled around her leg, slithering with a loud hiss.

Before we could cut through the thick, curling vine, her yelps turned to chokes as it tightened around her throat.

I sliced at the green veins of the vine, its circular mouth rimmed with razors. Blood spewed as the vine sank deeper.

I struck a flame against its body, withering the plant until it fell to the forest floor.

Bria clasped her neck, a circular welt forming from the suckers. Her tanned skin turned pale as her wild eyes surveyed the woods. Breathlessly, she kicked the dead, shriveled vine away. “Did I mention the vines can kill you?”

I’d felt those vines’ pincers before. I knew their teeth left aching welts.

We kept going, the howling and cries growing closer, louder as dusk settled over the horizon. I glanced at Damien, whose dagger was out and ready to strike. I knew he could fight—we’d been spine to spine as the death dwellers surrounded us.

Then, Damien lunged at me, swiping at a glowing orb of fangs—I yelped, drawing my dagger as the creature fell to my feet.

“That is a ripper, Severyn,” Damien said breathlessly. “Keep your quell at the ready.”

I didn’t know if he meant my forbidden one or the flames with the number of deadly creatures. We were all exhausted beyond deprivation. How was this—right? To send us into the woods after the bid .

I nodded at Damien graciously—then another ripper came for us, and I slashed through the iridescent body, speckling light radiating from the see-through figure.

If fear hadn’t held me, I would have called it beautiful.

Two more—a third came from the trails. Sweat dripped from my chin.

Exhaustion claimed my will to move as my knees buckled.

I craned toward Saani and the two lifeless bodies that bellowed below, a mask of stillness peeled over their fear-stricken faces.

A ripper had gotten to them, tearing skin from the bone.

I couldn’t watch—not without nearly hurling my breakfast up.

Damien raised two daggers above his head and slashed right through both, leaving a peeled-back cheekbone of a student.

It tried to rip their skin off.

Saani was killing us off.

A figure appeared from the woods. I raised my dagger as Klaus stood before me.

Klaus. It… resembled him.

“Severyn, you need to find him. Find him. Find him. Find him.” His lips were delayed, puffed, and unnatural. His body slumped over as if submerged in water. “Find him now. Find him.”

A pruned finger reached for me.

A ripper had torn his skin off. I stood there numb, gripping the dagger as it came toward me.

Klaus. What had those beasts done to him? A ripper… found his body and wore him as an iridescent glimmer shone through his dull skin.

Kill it. Kill it. Kill him. It wasn’t my brother.

His thrashing arms heaved forward. He smelled decayed and rotted. This wasn’t Klaus. I knew it wasn’t. Damien raised a dagger, and I scorched his hand back.

“No, don’t kill him,” I snapped .

Damien’s features twisted. “That’s not him, Severyn! A ripper claimed his body when he died. It’s not him, Sev. He is dead.”

The figure slashed into my arm, and I stifled my cry, “I need to be the one who does it.”

Damien stared wildly at the dagger clenched in my fist. “Severyn, do it. Kill it.”

I pierced the dagger through his heart.

A stream of clear fluid emptied from his body. His tears leaked a silvered brine. I tore my dagger out. He staggered back, clutching his ribs.

“Sev,” Klaus cried. “Why did you—hurt me? Why did you claim my dragon? Why? Why? ”

“It’s mimicking him, Sev. Don’t believe it.” Damien slid the knife across his throat.

But not before the beast, compelling my brother, sputtered, “Archer is in danger.”

I ran.

My legs barely held me up as I flew through the Summer forests. My eyes dampened with tears as trees and vines escaped my sight. Saani yelled for me, but I didn’t care. Boots and hisses chased after me. I swung my dagger at the lunging claws.

Archer needed me. Archer was in danger. I got to the trail, and Damien rushed behind me, reaching for my shoulder.

“Severyn, what are you doing?”

“It’s Archer. I haven’t felt him all day. I’m leaving for Demetria.”

“You’ll be expelled and sent to Malvoria the second you step off this academy,” he warned, pulling me back. “Don’t risk your future for him.”

I clenched my jaw. “I don’t care. I’ll be dead if I don’t find him. ”

I thought Damien had just understood how powerful our bond was. He staggered back. “Emerich!” he yelled, caving his mouth with his hands.

“You aren’t coming with me,” I hissed low.

Emerich cried from above, and not even a minute later. His talons raised high before striking the ground. Naraic and Ciaran flew through the clouds. “Damien, I won’t risk you getting expelled.”

Damien ignored my curses as he mounted Emerich. “Archer is my brother, in case you forgot.”

Naraic huffed a breath of ash, lowering his spiked spine for me to mount. Ciaran flew in circles above, releasing a cry through the sharp wind. I had heard that cry before—a cry of mourning.

I stared at Damien. “Night is three days of travel. I don’t have that kind of time.”

“I can portal us halfway once we get to Ravensla. You can portal us once we’re in Heit, the western Summer realm.”

“I have never portaled, Damien. I’ll scorch you all!”