A strig snake of sorrow coiled itself around my heart as I k in the dirt. Elise would’ve yelled at me. She would’ve told me that my clothes were difficult enough to without me rolling around in the mud. Then she would’ve ughed and pyfully messed up my hair even as I protested.

  Not on the five years we spent together did I ever imagine a life without Elise. Looking at her headstone I still couldn’t. Elise was everything to me. Family, mentor, friend, she pyed every role in my life. Even first love. I kept telling myself I’d fess my feelings when I got older. I wao prove to Elise that I was more than just a kid in need of proteg. I wao prove to her that I could protect her too. But I couldn’t protect her. I wasn’t there when Elise needed me.

  “e on, ne. We o leave.”

  Looking up from Elise’s grave I gazed at Lydia with misty eyes. Elise had recruited her a few years after she saved me. At first, I couldn’t help but feel jealous and irritated. Just like me, Lydia was a beastkin. Her cat-like ears were just as sharp as my wolf-ears, ing the one usable advantage I had. Plus, she was already a talehief when Elise found her. She was older thaoo. I couldn’t help but fear Lydia and Elise would bee a couple. I was terrified Elise wouldn’t want to keep me around once she had Lydia. I was wrong.

  The bittersweet memories of my jealousy warmed my heart a bit. Even if I agonized over Lydia’s arrival, it only proved Elise’s love. Even with the perfect aplice, who was close te and cuter than I could ever be, Elise still kept me close. No matter how hard I tried I could never pay back her kindness, and she never wanted me to. Elise allowed me to simply exist near her. She never once asked me to prove my worth.

  With a trembling hand I formed the signs o ask Lydia to wait a few more minutes. Even in my earliest memories, it hurt to speak. The pain was so severe that I could barely squeak out a few words without sobbing. By the time Elise found me, I’d already abarying. I learned some basic sign nguage from my mother, before she and my father decided I wasn’t worth keeping around.

  Not on the five years we were together did I ever try to speak for Elise. She knew sign nguage, so it wasn’t necessary. She even taught Lydia, so she could uand me. I didn’t even know what my voice sounded like anymore. If Elise were still alive, she’d tell me it was fine. She’d probably even say she preferred it that way. Elise never wanted me to hurt myself.

  “I…” My first word in years came hoarsely from throat. Speaking it felt like vomiting needles. In a way, the pain helped me focus. There was a ce this would be the st time I’d ever see Elise’s grave. As much as I wao return, I owerless. Now that the guard knew our faces, it would only be a matter of time before they found Lydia and I. We had to escape before that happened.

  “ne—“ Lydia froze. I could tell she wao reae. She wao e, to stop me before I went further. She and I were family too. Now that Elise was gone, Lydia was the only family I had left. Thankfully, she held babsp;

  “Love…” The sed word hurt just as badly as the first. Fresh tears began to stream down my face as I dug my nails into the palm of my hands. Just one more, I mentally begged myself. Just one more word. “You.”

  With a ragged breath I leaned forward and pced a gentle kiss on Elise’s tombstone. A stone Lydia and I carved ourselves, because no one else would ever give her one. Gravestones were a uniquely human tradition. Even as they returheir loved oo the earth, humans craved a marker. Something to let others know their loved ones had existed. A way to mark one’s final resting pce as sacred ground. I hadn’t uood. I gazed upon funeral processions and graveyards in fusion. Now, it all made sense.

  I didn’t want to send off my memories of Elise with the smoke of a funeral pyre. I wao g to them, to her. I needed Elise’s grave to exist, because I o remain by her side. Even as I fled this pce, my heart would remain forever buried here.

  “She’ll be cross with you,” Lydia spoke softly, gently pg a hand on my shoulder. “When we see her again.”

  ?With you too,? I signed. ?For not stopping me.?

  “As if I could.” Gently pullio my feet, Lydia ed my hand in hers. “Let’s go. We’ll only be stressing her out if we linger any longer.”

  Nodding solemnly, I let Lydia pull me away from Elise’s grave. As we slipped into the trees my chest felt tight. Each step forward was harder tha. I forced myself to keep walking. Elise wouldn’t have wanted me to linger. Not when there was a lingering threat of capture.

  We traveled until dusk. With her skills Lydia could’ve tihrough the night, but I wasn’t so adept. Despite having superiht vision pared to a human my dexterity oor. I couldn’t respond to danger quickly enough. Not to mention, I couldn’t defend myself if we ran into a wild beast, or worse.

  In our time together, Elise spent a great deal of effort teag me how to fight with a variety of small bdes. Knives, daggers, even needles. Against an unprepared oppo or a fellow novice I’d have the upper hand. Anything else and I’d die if I couldn’t flee.

  “As dangerous as it may be, we should probably start a fire.” Lydia noted, looking off into the deepening shadows of the trees around us. Fire would keep most creatures at bay. Even some weaker moeo avoid an active campfire. At least, that’s what I’d been told. Nothing dangerous ever approached the little we'd lived ie it being located deep within the woods.

  ?Should I gather firewood??

  “Please do.”

  Keeping close to the clearing where we decided to make camp, I gathered as many dry branches as I could find. Once I’d collected a sizable enough pile, Lydia arrahem in a little mountain. With our preparations plete, Lydia rummaged around in her bag and withdrew a small sack of bck pellets. With a sour face she ate one of the pellets and pointed her fi the wood. The veins in Lydia’s arm turned momentarily bck as a small bead of fire appeared at her fiip. Laung forward the bead set the branches abze.

  ?You still haven’t taught me magic.? I signed. Even if I was worthless with a bde, it was still possible I’d be able to fight if I knew magic. Wolfkin weren’t known for being capable mages, but I was already an outlier. Maybe I’d be one of the lucky few who could master it.

  “I couldn’t risk it,” Lydia smiled softly. “Most people are allergic to ichor you know. I was waiting on Elise to find a priest willing to work with us. We needed someone who could heal you immediately if you had a bad rea.”

  ?Maybe after we escape Duwan, then.?

  “Sure. Just remember you’re not supposed to use it to light fires like this,” Lydia replied with a half-cocked smile. “Only the worst kind of fools would use magic for simple tasks.”

  ?You’re not a fool.?

  “Maybe. I once overheard a hunter say that campfires lit with magic were better at warding off monsters, which is why I did it. But, he could’ve been mistaken. If he was, I just damaged my own body for no reason. That’d make me a little foolish, wouldn’t it?”

  Even if the hunter had been wrong, I couldn’t see Lydia as a fool, and I told her as much. Once again, she was doing something for my be. If Lydia had been on her own, she wouldn’t have o herself with warding off monsters. She’d wahe tryside alone for years. She knew how to protect herself.

  After a light dinner of hard bread, salted meat and broth warmed over the fire, Lydia curled up to sleep. Betweewo of us, we agreed I would take the first watch. The sun had only just set, and the worst possible dangers lurked when night was at its darkest. Lydia’s skills would be hen. All I had to fear were guardsmen who might have seen the smoke from our fire.

  As the night dragged on, my unfocused gaze lingered on the fire in front of me. The crackle of burning wood was soothing. It did nothing for the pain in my chest, but it gave me something to focus on. I was grateful for anything to busy my mind.

  My breath caught in my throat. Turning my head I focused my hearing on the woods around me. Something was wrong. The forest was quiet. Rushing to Lydia’s side I reached for her. Before I could grab her, I heard a whistling sound. A moment ter, something heavy struck my shoulder. I fell backward, a pained yelp involuntarily esg me. Grabbing my shoulder I felt something firm stig out of it—an arrow.

  The snapping of underbrush sighe arrival of a group of armored men. They looked nothing like the normal hunters and meraries I’d seen around Duwan. Even the guard never wore such fancy armor. They poiheir swords at me.

  Raising his sword one of the men aimed for Lydia who’d yet to wake. Taking a deep breath, I screamed at the top of my lungs. The pain in my throat was excruciating. Thankfully, it was enough. The man’s sword struck the ground as Lydia rolled away. Jumping to her feet Lydia threw her b on the fire causing the clearing to quickly fill with bck smoke.

  Liftio her arms, Lydia took off running into the forest. “Hold on as best you , ’s going to be okay. I’m going to get you out of here.”

  More arrows wizzed through the trees. Dispying the deftness of a master thief, Lydia adjusted her speed and twirled. Even as I felt the air off of the passing projectiles, none of them struck either of us.

  A massive wall of fire appeared to block our path. Droppio the ground, Lydia reached into a pou her belt and withdreair of bck pellets. ing them both She pulled the fire toward her before dispersing it into the trees around us. With the forest abze, Lydia lifted me and took off running again.

  Fear coiled in my stomach as I looked at the sweat coating Lydia’s brow. Her veins were still bed from her st spell. She likely couldn’t cast another, even if she had the ichor to do so. We were running out of ways to fight back, and I was only holding Lydia babsp;

  ?Leave me.?

  Lydia was too focused on running to see me sign. Her eyes were focused oh in front of her, while her ears twitched bad forth stantly listening for the sound of approag arrows. She dodged anht as the bde of a sword appeared from behind a tree. Time seemed to slow for me as I watched Lydia’s eyes widen in horror. She’d just adjusted herself to avoid the arrow, she couldn’t elude the bde ing for her throat.

  Rog forward in Lydia’s arms I pced my wounded shoulder in the sword’s path. The bde dug deep into my flesh as I fell from Lydia’s arms. Losing her bance she stumbled and fell onto her hands and knees. I hit the dirt hard, clutg my arm. My hand grew wet and sticky with my blood as a red-haired peared in front of us. She wore a light blue sash over polished armor. I assumed the sash was a symbol of status. She was likely the leader of the men who ambushed us.

  “A blond catkin apanied by a wolfkin girl. I believe you are the thieves who have been unjustly enrig yourselves off of Duwan’s townsfolk.” The redheaded woman narrowed her eyes as she looked between us. “As captain of the King Loren’s sixth Battalion, I exercise my powers to act as judge aence you for your crimes.”

  “It was all me,” Lydia cried. She tried to crawl to my side only to be stopped by the redhead’s bde. “ne’s i. Please, don’t kill her.”

  “I am certain the guard captain cimed you were both culpable in the crime of ry against Duwan’s townsfolk. Why should I believe the words of a criminal over one as honorable as he?”

  “She’s still a child. I’m begging you.”

  My vision began to fade. I’d lost too much blood, I could hardly follow what was being said. All I could think about was Lydia. After losing Elise, I couldn’t lose her too. Even if I had to give my own life to save hers, I would do it. I would do anything. But I was weak, what could I possibly do?

  Blinking rapidly I tried to focus what was left of my sciousness. Lydia was distrag the redhead, all I needed was something to knock her off bance. Something to hold her still so Lydia could escape. I looked for some kind of sturdy branch or vine I could possibly wield. I almost lost hope, when I noticed something ying in the dirt not far from me.

  An ichor pellet, id on the ground not far from me. It’d likely fallen out of Lydia’s belt pouch when she fell. Could I kick it to her? Would that be enough. No, if Lydia was given the pellet she’d try to fight. She’d try to protect me. I o do something to make her give up owisting I flopped over on top of the pellet. The redhead turned her sword on me, but she didn’t swing for my head. That was her mistake.

  Crushing the pellet in my teeth I swallowed the bitter metallic ooze within. While I knew nothing of magic, I did know the dangers of ichor. It was a dangerous, destructive substance. Assuming I wasn’t allergic to it, and didn’t immediately burn it off by casting a spell, it would wreck havoy body. I’d either endure irreparable harm, or bee a demon. I was hoping for the tter.

  “ne!”

  “What’d she do?!”

  A strange unnatural feeling of strength flowed through my body. Stumbling to my feet, I looked at the redhead who was bag away. My body must’ve started to demonize. Looking down I could see my wound begin to clot rapidly. My hair faded into a white as pure as freshly fallen snow. Demonization was supposed to cause madness. If so, I didn’t have much time.

  ?Run.?

  “I ’t leave you.” Lydia stood, taking shaky steps toward me even as I frantically signed, beggio flee.

  ?Please. Run. I ’t lose more family.?

  “ne… I don’t want to lose anymore family either. You’re all I have left too.”

  ?I’m already a demon, please go.?

  “I—“ Lydia’s lip quivered as her eyes filled with tears. Without another word she turned on her heels and ran into the trees.

  Turning my attention to the redhead I approached her, oep at a time. She was at least a head taller than me, and armed. I should’ve been c away, but, there was no point. Soon I’d be a mindless monster. I didn’t o care about my own survival.

  ?Flee now and I won’t hurt you,? I signed holding up my hand as if preparing to cast a spell.

  “My… Lady,” Throwing her sword aside, the redhead dropped to her knees. “You’ve returned.”

  Huh? Had fear driven the redhead mad? She was faced with someone who was about to bee a demon. Soon I’d be a mindless monster who thrived off of killing and mutiting others. Did she have a death wish? Why would she drop to her knees. Did she not uand sign nguage? Even if I was about to demonize I still couldn’t speak. Just attempting to caused my throat to ache painfully.

  “Captain Azmoria’s in danger!” The men from before had caught up to us. Charging toward me with their swords raised they raced to save their rade. Only she’d truly lost her mind.

  Rushing to her feet, the redhead—Azmoria—pced herself between me and her men. “No! You ’t hurt her!”

  “Captain…” The men gazed at Azmoria at a loss, their swords still raised to attabsp;

  “Do you not see who this girl is?” Azmoria motiooward me, raising a brow at her men as if they were ignorant buffoons.

  “She’s one of the thievis that have been terrorizing the people of Duwan. Have you lost your mind captain?”

  “Perhaps she’s under some kind of spell?”

  “I have not beeched,” Azmoria hissed. Turning to me she grabbed my wrist and held my hand up for her men to see. In my fusion, I let her do as she liked without resistance. “She has the lotusmark! This girl is a vessel of Saint Rochelle. Our savior has returned!”

  Savior? Tilting my head in fusion I watched in awe as the men who were just trying to kill me all dropped to their knees. I couldn’t uand what was happening. I was supposed to bee a demon. Had I unlocked some hidden ability to bewitch others? Where these knights now thralls at my and?

  “We must return to the capital at once, so that she be ized.” Azmoria decred. “And call for a healer, we o remove the arrow from the saint’s shoulder immediately.”

  “What of the King’s orders?”

  “The ization of the saint takes prece over seg the northern coast.” Azmoria turned, liftio her arms. “Five us for wounding you, Midy. I swear I will pce you in the care of our best healers. I will not stand for even a scar to be left upon your body.”

  I turned my head to gaze at the trees through which Lydia had fled. If these knights were enthralled by me, then I wahem to help me return to her. But, I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t let Lydia bee enthralled. If ter I began to thirst for blood, her life would be at risk. I’d never be able tive myself if she died because of me.

  “Captain, I carry Her Ladyship.” One of the men offered.

  “No. It is an honor to hold the saint in my arms. I will not let you take it from me. Now then, where is our healer?”

  “We left them at camp. Lieutenant Titus didn’t believe we would need a healer just to go after some thieves that’d been giving the local guard trouble.”

  “Titus,” Azmroueeth as she hissed out the name of her subordinate. “Very well, make haste. We o return to camp before the saint’s wounds have set. I promised her I would ensure no scar was left on her body, and I will not be made a liar.”

  The knights began to run through the trees, back toward Duwan. I tried to asking them to slow down. I didn’t really care if I had a few scars. They didn’t listen. Once again, I was left w if they even uood me.

  eri