The storm held its breath for a heartbeat, leaving only the hiss of rain against hot iron.The purple light draining from Jesse’s chest hissed as it hit the wet stone, turning clear and pale under the torrent. The blue scales on his throat softened, shrinking back beneath his skin like dying ash. His claws relaxed, the dark talons blunting into ordinary, ink-stained fingers.Jack stepped forward, his own legs shaking so violently he nearly lost his footing on the roof tiles. He reached out, his hand trembling as he gripped the hilt of his blade, pulling it free from the lightning rod with a sickening metallic slide.Jesse collapsed instantly, a frail bundle of wet cloth and bone.Jack caught him before his head hit the slate, dragging his brother into his lap. The raw, blinding fury that had carried Jack across the valley vanished, leaving behind a cold, hollow vacuum that made it hard to breathe."Jesse," Jack choked out, pulling the boy's head against his shoulder. "Jesse, look at m

"The water is glowing, Jack, and the people who drank it are tearing their own skin off!" Tobias screamed the words as he burst through the heavy palace gates, his legs buckling under him. He hit the wet stone on his knees, gasping for air, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Jack grabbed the young scout by his leather vest, dragging him up before he collapsed completely. "Slow down. What do you mean tearing their skin off?" "The lower district aqueduct," Tobias gasped, pointing a shaking finger back toward the steaming rooftops of the city. "The purple stuff from the bridge. It washed into the main pipes when the rain hit. My mother filled a bucket an hour ago. She took two sips, Jack. Just two sips." "Where is she now?" Jack demanded, his grip tightening on the boy's vest. "Locked in the pantry!" Tobias sobbed, tears cutting lines through the soot on his cheeks. "Her eyes turn

The monster’s roar hit the cavern walls so hard that loose shale rained down into the purple water. Vance stumbled back, his boots splashing in the thick sludge as he raised his broadsword. "Jack! What is that thing?" "It's what happens when you feed a wild beast pure poison for three years!" Jack yelled, drawing his hunting blade and stepping between Vance and the looming shadow. "Keep your distance! Don't let its claws touch your skin!" The prototype lunged. Its massive, scaled arm swept across the water like a falling tree trunk. Jack slammed his shoulder into Vance, knocking the captain sideways onto the narrow stone ledge just as the monster’s talons shattered the wooden catwalk behind them. Splinters and glowing purple water sprayed fifty feet into the air. The alpha wolf barked twice, a sharp, guttural command. The three smaller wolves scattered along the caver

The heavy oak doors of the east stable block creaked open, releasing a thick plume of gray steam into the cold morning air. Jack stepped out onto the cobblestones, his shoulders slouched under the weight of his soaked leather coat. The dirt on his face was streaked with black soot, and his hands were stained a dark, copper red from the rusty iron gears below. Behind him, the three shadow wolves padded out silently, their dark fur matted with wet ash, their heads held low to the stone. The morning sky was no longer choked with purple smoke. A thin line of pale yellow light cut through the clouds over the eastern ridge, illuminating the shattered spires of the capital for the first time in three weeks. "Jack!" Lady Cynthia stood near the center of the palace courtyard, her blue silk cloak replaced by a simple woolen tunic splattered with mud at the hem. Beside her, Chancellor Elian was arguing heatedly