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Chapters (61)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. Ashyn: One
  4. Two
  5. Three
  6. Four
  7. Five
  8. Six
  9. Seven
  10. Eight
  11. Moria: Nine
  12. Ten
  13. Eleven
  14. Twelve
  15. Thirteen
  16. Ashyn: Fourteen
  17. Fifteen
  18. Sixteen
  19. Moria: Seventeen
  20. Eighteen
  21. Nineteen
  22. Twenty
  23. Twenty-one
  24. Twenty-two
  25. Ashyn: Twenty-three
  26. Twenty-four
  27. Twenty-five
  28. Twenty-six
  29. Twenty-seven
  30. Twenty-eight
  31. Twenty-nine
  32. Thirty
  33. Moria: Thirty-one
  34. Thirty-two
  35. Thirty-three
  36. Thirty-four
  37. Thirty-five
  38. Thirty-six
  39. Thirty-seven
  40. Ashyn: Thirty-eight
  41. Thirty-nine
  42. Forty
  43. Forty-one
  44. Forty-two
  45. Forty-three
  46. Forty-four
  47. Forty-five
  48. Forty-six
  49. Forty-seven
  50. Forty-eight
  51. Forty-nine
  52. Moria: Fifty
  53. Fifty-one
  54. Fifty-two
  55. Fifty-three
  56. Fifty-four
  57. Fifty-five
  58. About the Author
  59. Back Ad
  60. Credits
  61. About the Publisher

He’d refused. If she went, he’d tell the governor about the dagger, and her father would be punished. That’s how it worked—they couldn’t punish the Keeper, so her father took it in her stead. For such a crime, he might even be exiled.

How could Gavril make such a threat when his own father had been sent into the forest?

“You’d best hope your sister finds that boy’s corpse,” he said. “And that she has the sense to hide your blade.”

She looked at him, stone-faced. “You can leave now, Kitsune. You’ve done your duty, checking on me.”

“I’m here to make sure you stay within the walls and don’t go flitting after butterflies.”

She fought the urge to shoot her fist at him. She’d used that excuse once, when he caught her up to trouble. I was only chasing butterflies. Now he kept bringing it up, and she wasn’t sure if he knew she’d been lying or if that was truly how he saw her—a child chasing butterflies.

“The flare isn’t coming,” she said. “I’m going to speak to the commander.”

Ten

Ten

Moria hadn’t been the only one watching the sky. When they reached the barracks, her father was coming out, the commander at his side. They were assembling a search party.

By the time the party was ready, there was little doubt that something had gone wrong with the Seeking. The moon was halfway from zenith to the treetops now.

“I’ll need a blade. I couldn’t find mine this morning,” Moria lied as she adjusted her boots. “If there isn’t an extra dagger, I’ll take a sword.”

The commander shook his head. “The Keeper is not permitted a sword until she passes her eighteenth—”

“Then a dagger will do.” She walked to Gavril. “I’ll borrow yours. The spirits demand it.”

He looked at her, as if surprised that she’d dare single him out when he knew she’d not misplaced her blade that morning. What she truly meant, though, was: If you’re going to tell them what happened to mine, then do it.

“I can’t give you my dagger, Keeper, because I’m going into the forest.” Gavril turned to one of the sleep-woken guards. “I’ll take your place.”

“Then I’ll take your blade,” Moria said to the same guard.

The sleepy guard handed it over. Moria looked at her father and held her breath until he gave a slow nod. She hugged him and whispered, “I’ll bring her back.” Then she hurried after the others.

Moria strode through the dark forest, holding a frayed length of red ribbon.

“The rest has to be here.” She turned to see Levi, Oswald, and the other guard—Jonas—clustered around, watching her. “You have lanterns. Look for it.”