The bearish duke of Arden didn’t even care for his own family. How could he be trusted with anything else? He’d cast aside strong, kind Alys as if she were of no value.

Families argued, but you couldn’t just pretend that they didn’t matter.

She’d already had one brother be taken captive, and the pain of that thought made her breath turn ragged and her head spin as remembered moments flashed past her in vivid accusation. Connall had tried so hard to protect her …

She wouldn’t let either of her triplets throw themselves away now.

“We can’t just go running in with sticks to rescue Mother and the others,” Cordelia told Rosalind. “They have real swords—and we don’t even understand what’s happening.”

If only any of the adults back home had ever answered any of her questions!

“What are we going to do, then?” Giles wrapped his arms around his skinny chest. He looked already defeated—and smaller, too, without his usual swagger.

It felt wrong to see exuberant Giles so cowed. He should be dancing around composing epic songs about their adventures, not crumpling into himself like a tree ready to topple. Rosalind stood fiercely on guard, which was normal … but the pale fear and guilt on her face felt horribly off-kilter, too. Rosalind was always supposed to be absurdly overconfident, no matter how wrong she might actually be.

Everything had fallen apart tonight … and it was all her fault.

But she wasn’t going to let herself think about that, ever. Instead, she said, “Everyone needs rest so we can think. I know a den nearby that’s empty. Connall and I found it last time I went exploring. You’ll both be safe enough sleeping in there.”

“What about you?” Rosalind frowned. “We’ll need to take turns standing guard.”

“No one will get past me tonight.” It was the one thing Cordelia could still be sure of.

It was a relief to turn bear a few minutes later. She stretched her big brown bulk across the entrance to the abandoned wolf den, forming a breathing wall of fur and claws between the wide-open outside world and the tiny, squabbling pieces that remained of her family.

It was her job to protect them now.

It was all that she had left.

Shadows fell across her closed eyelids. Cool night air ruffled through her fur. Owls hooted softly to each other overhead, while mice and pine martens skittered through the thick undergrowth nearby.

She was as free and unleashed as she had ever yearned to be.

And she was so lucky that a powerful, wild bear couldn’t cry … even when the girl inside had just had her entire world shattered.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six