Chapter 8 · When the Wolves Remember

The queen accepted Mira's condition, though not its spirit. Liora's chain loosened enough for her to breathe, and the Court withdrew from the Archive into the snow. Mira, Rowan, and Liora followed under guard. The ash-gray wolf circled them, snapping whenever a lantern came too close.

At the mountain's western face, the Court had built a camp around a fallen star. Black tents covered the snow. Soldiers watched from the slopes, their faces hidden behind green glass. The queen's crown cast no light, but every shadow bent toward it.

“You are not a prisoner,” the queen told Mira.

“Then take off the guards.”

“You are a guest with an unusual number of armed acquaintances.”

Mira almost laughed. The queen looked surprised, as if laughter had become an extinct language in her court. Up close, the queen's hands shook. Dark veins traveled from her wrists toward her heart.

Liora explained the bargain at a ruined watchtower. The queen wanted the first flame to burn away the oath that was killing her. In exchange, she would release every prisoner held by the Court and let the border kingdoms choose their own rulers.