Ari's POV

The forest was extremely quiet the following morning. Wow, even what we said sounded strange. Harriet was sitting huddled next to me with her little fingers still clinging to my arm as she felt I might disappear into the night. I touched a strand of her hair away from her forehead, and I heard her little swell and fall of breath. I had that silver wound in my shoulder, but I attempted to keep my eyes open.

We were alive.

But safety was still far away.

I changed slowly and drew the charisma that Silas had handed me out of my pouch. It is an oddly earthy, round...