The journey back to Ardan’s pack was long but it felt lighter than any journey we had taken. Gloria who was held tightly with silver chains, rode in a separate cart with her mouth gagged to prevent her from casting any spells. Despite her subdued state, I couldn’t shake the sense of unease that prickled at the back of my mind. Her presence felt like a shadow, dark and cold and trailing us no matter how much distance we put between us and Derek’s pack.

Ardan rode beside me with a sharp and watchful expression with his eyes flickering constantly toward the cart. “She’s too calm,” he murmured with his...