Chapters (46)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Thirty-five
- Thirty-six
- Thirty-seven
- Thirty-eight
- Thirty-nine
- Forty
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
“Now that the human knows?” asked Pashla. Kyra winced at Pashla’s use of the term. “It’s fine. They always find out eventually. It is a hard secret to keep. If Leyus has ruled to spare his life, you need not worry about him.”
Pashla’s voice was calm, without any hint of anger. But her face was more closed to Kyra than she had ever seen. It hurt, but Kyra was too exhausted to do anything except acknowledge it. They walked the rest of the way in silence. At the shelter, Pashla tended both their wounds, although she told Tristam that her saliva wouldn’t be as effective for him. Another clanswoman came with some food, then both Makvani left, leaving Kyra and Tristam alone.
Kyra studied the ground, the trees, anything to avoid looking at him. A strong wind blew through the tent, bringing down a shower of leaves around them.
“Are you really going to make me ask for an explanation, Kyra?”
She didn’t want to talk about it, couldn’t talk about it without the threat of memories she wasn’t ready to relive. But she also couldn’t avoid facing him forever.
“I didn’t know,” she said miserably.
“Know what?”
“Anything.” Her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat. “When the Demon Riders found me at the Guildhouse, they told me I was part Makvani.”
He was quiet, eyes cast toward the ground but focused beyond it. “And they taught you how to change into a cat.”
“Pashla thought it worth trying. But it never happened until…” She trailed off.
“Until you faced James?” he asked. He raised his eyes to her face now, and she couldn’t tell if it was dread or wonder in his eyes.
“I had no idea. I wasn’t even trying,” she said. “You don’t have to believe me.”
He paused. “I believe you. I don’t think you’d be shaking so much if you were lying.”
Kyra wrapped her arms around her knees and tried to squeeze herself still. “You fear me,” she said.
“I’d be a fool not to,” he said.
It was one thing to know it, but another altogether to hear him say it so plainly. Kyra rounded on him in fury. “I saved your life back there. You of all people—”