Chapter 5

The storm stopped. After the silver flames died, the forest fell into deathly silence. The air reeked of blood and an inexplicable emptiness. Lucien stumbled into the ceremonial ground, cloak edges charred black. He fell to his knees, hands digging through the ash, palms burned raw. "Seraphine—!" His voice cracked almost to breaking, mixed with a wolf's howl, edged with tearing madness. But there was nothing in the ash. No blood, no body, no trace of her scent. Only a thread of silver...