bChapter /bb95 /b

    at there, fingers absently picking at the gram in fennt of me, the sun warm on my hack, but the chill in my gut was anything bon. Thorne had be Craglen fortress again, this time to sort the mess the ropes had Ich behind

    The rogue scum had wreaked havoc all over this region. Cates, mint, viges nothing had escaped their brutality Now, Thorne and the others bhad /bthe

    Cragen Fortress back. But what did that even mean? We were no closer to any answers, only to more questions.

    I couldn’t shake the feeling gnawing at my insides—the tame uneate that had settled into me ever since thorne announced the n to head to the Great Canyon Trouldn’t exin it, but something about that ce felt like a death sentence

    Maybe it was because the Rogue King had been hiding in the shadows for so long. We knew almost nothing about him, yet he knew everything about us.

    Something wasn’t right

    Tcouldn’t stop Thorne. He was right, after all–it was his responsibility to lead this alliance, to take us into the dark unknown. And yet, as much as he’d said it was the right thing to do, I couldn’t shake my fear,

    i had to stand by him, I told myself. That’s all i could do. But deep down, I wasn’t bsure /bhow much longer I could keep pretending everything was fine.

    A distraction was what I needed. That’s why I found myself back in the makeshift market, trying to busy my hands so they wouldn’t betray how unsettled my mind had be.

    And that’s when I spotted her. Prisca,

    She was picking through the grains beside me, her movements slow band /bdeliberate.

    “Hay,” I said, clearing my bthroat/b. “I know byou’ve /bbeen around the rogue territories. Tell me about the Great Canyon and the Grace Ruin. Anything I should know?”

    Prisca nced up, her face light but guarded. “The Great Canyon? Yeah, I’ve been there. But it’s not a ce for people like us.”

    “Why’s that?” I basked/b, my curiosity bpiqued /b

    She bshited/b, bstretching /bher back against the sun. “The Great Canyon’s a ck market. For the rogues. bIt’s /bfull of well, blet’s /bbjust /bsay bit’s /bhell bfor /banyone who isn’t one of them. But for the rogues? It’s heaven.”

    My stomach twisted at the thought “Can we–people like us–blend in? Get through unnoticed?”

    bPrisca /bfrowned, her eyes narrowing as if she were thinking of something for more dangerous than bI /bcould imagine. “Bad idea, ra. If they spot you, they’ll bskin /byou alive. But, I guess in theory, you bcould /bsneak in. But the Grace bRuin/b? That’s a whole other story”

    “What do you mean?” Lasked, my voice tight.

    Prisca’s face darkened. “They don’t let just anyone in there. You gotta prove you’re a ‘pure blood, a true brogue/b, before you even think about stepping foot in the Grace Ruin. And even if you make it in, pelting out? Well, that’s a death wish.”

    I stared at the grains in my palm, a sick feeling poofing in my stomach. “And you know what this test involves?”

    Prisca shook her head, her expression distant. “Thever bothered to btake /bit. But I heard it’s brutal, it changes you.”

    sighed deeply, the weight of her words settling heavy in my ch

    “I wouldn’t think too hard about it, ra.” Prisca’s voice bwas /bsoft, almost reassuring “it’s not like you’re going there anytime bsoon/b.b” /b

    I couldn’t tell her what Thome had byed/b. I didn’t want her worry

    worrying, and I didn’t want to burden her with the weight of it. So, I simply nodded, forcing

    a smile.

    “Yeah, guess you’re right

    We both returned to picking af the grains in silence, the sounds of the market around us doing little to ease the tension in my chest.

    That was when Bex and Serena showed up, a wee distraction.

    Bes, now that he was free from his former duties as a Gamma, was back to helping wherever he could. Serena, too, had been granted her freedom and offered her help. Despite everything she had been through, it seemed like she was trying to find her ce here, trying to be safe,

    Prisca smiled and waved at them. “bBex/b, can you head to the warehouse? They’re short on hands. We need all the help we can get

    Bex hesitated before looking over at Serena. “Are you okay on your own?” he asked, his voice filled with that familiar concem.

    bSerena /bgave him a smile, the kind that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’ll be fine!

    “Just don’t push yourself too hard, Dex warned, the edge of concern still in his voice. “Call me if you need anything”

    Prisca smirked, raising an eyebrow at Box “She’s with bus /bnow, Bex. We’ve got this covered. bGo /bon, duty calls.”

    He sighed, giving Serena onest nced before heading off. As soon as he was gone, Prisca turned her attention back to Serena

    *So, bcan /byou handle some bookkeeping? Ever worked with numbers?”

    Serena stiffened slightly, but nodded. The tension in her shoulders was unmistakable.

    Prisca gave a reassuring grin. “Rx. No need to stress. I’ll ease byou /binto it. It’s not so bad.”

    She opened the door to their small office, where Mi was bbusy /bwith receipts and ount books.

    “Serena, this is Mi, Mi, meet Serena. She’ll be helping you today

    Micha

    gave ba /bwide, weing smile and waved Serena bover/b. “Hey, nice to meet you Come on, sit. I’ll show you the ropesb./b”

    Serena hesitated, but then, seeing Mi’s friendly demeanor, bshe /bsat down beside her.

    “Wright,” Mi said, cing a pile of receipts in front of Serena. “This is what you need to do.”

    Just then, I overheard a voice from outside the window. “Lance, bwhat /bbare /bbyou /bdoing hereb?/b”

    It was bra/b. She was talking to a man. And the voice… I knew that voice.

    I’d heard it before I’d heard it behind a curtain, at the Grace Ruin, when I begged the Rogue King to release my family.

    it bwas /bbhis /bvoice. The Rogue King’s voice.

    my chest

    Heapt to my feet, my heart pounding in my

    Mi was startled by my movement. “Serena? What’s bwrong/b? You look like byou’ve /bseen a ghost.”

    I barely heard her. I needed to get to ra. I nodded to warn her.

    I dared toward the door, but Mi caught noe by the arm, stopping me.

    “Wait–what’s going on? Why do you look like that?”

    WEEN!!

    Mi’s voice scheurd. “Hey, slow down kay You can tell me entu

    that my mind was, almady rat irit, my body trembling with

    “sat down,” Mi urged gently

    here light under our noses.

    Serena. What’s going on?”

    I wanted to tell her everything, but the words stuck in my throat feouldn’t flot yet.