Page 153 of Fallen Nocturne

And every carefully rehearsed accusation deserts me.

What happened to him? What enchantment trapped him inside the body of a wolf, and how long has he been living that way?

“Wolf,” I try.

The Grimsbane does not look at me. He stays beside Shade and Rainer, studying the black veins spreading beneath Rainer’s skin as though he never heard me call his name.

It should not matter. We are prisoners. Rainer is dying, Landon may never wake, and Svenn has betrayed us. Yet his silence stings more than I want to admit.

I take a step toward Wolf, but Rhianelle makes a broken sound behind me.

She is bent over Landon, pouring blessing after blessing into his ruined body. Golden light spreads beneath her hands, but he remains still. My attention keeps shifting between my queen desperately trying to call her mate back and the elf I have spent years trying to forget.

Shade stares at Wolf with his dull gray eyes.

“What the fuck, Lucien?” His gaze moves over Wolf’s elven form. “It was you this entire time?”

Wolf gives a single nod.

Lucien.

At last, I have a name for the one who walked away with half my heart.

Lucien turns back to Rainer before I can speak. He crouches beside him and studies the black veins climbing toward his throat. Shade kneels opposite him, his hands hovering over the poisoned wound.

“Can you still steal from the guild’s infirmary and Shepherd’s stash?” Lucien asks.

Shade gives him an incredulous look. “You know I can.”

“I need silverroot tincture, ground moonwort, fever salts, and clean bandages,” Lucien says. “Infirmary first. Shepherd keeps the fever salts on the second shelf.”

Shade raises one hand. A summoning circle opens in the air before him, pale symbols revolving around its edge. He reaches through the glowing center. His arm vanishes past the elbow. When he pulls it back, he is holding several glass bottles. A second circle appears beside the first, then a third. Shade reaches into each one and pulls out folded packets of powder, jars of salve, and a roll of bandages.

Shade is a summoner.

Just like Rhianelle.

Lucien takes the bottles one by one, turning them to the light until he can read their labels.

“Not this.” He passes one back. “It will slow his heart.”

He selects another and presses it into Shade’s hand. “Give him half of this now. Mix the powder with water.”

Shade obeys without question.

I want to speak to Lucien so badly that the words ache inside my chest. His name rests at the back of my throat, but there are too many things I want to ask. None of them belong in this cage while Rainer is poisoned and Landon lies dying beneath Rhianelle’s hands.

So I watch.

Lucien steadies Rainer while Shade pours the medicine between his lips. Rhianelle continues feeding her blessings into Landon, her shoulders trembling from the effort.

“Please,” she whispers. “Come back.”

The golden light flickers.

Landon draws a ragged breath. His body shifts beneath her hands, and his eyes slowly open.

Rhianelle laughs through her tears. She bends over him, one hand cupping the side of his face.