Chapter 40

Maeve’s POV

I plunged deeper into the mountains, sword gripped tightly, the snarls of those damned wolves echoing behind me. It felt as though I’d become their sole quarry. I swung my blade in wide arcs, glancing over my shoulder for any sign of Elysia. She had fought by my side moments before, but as the pack descended on us, she’d insisted I flee alone.

Gasping for breath, I pressed on. Turning to face them seemed like certain death. My blurred vision made every rock and root a hazard, until my unsteady legs slipped on a narrow ledge. My foot struck a protruding boulder, and I tumbled headlong down the mountainside.

When I finally stopped rolling, every muscle ached and my limbs felt bruised. Ahead, the wolves pressed on relentlessly. I hauled myself upright and sprinted—only to slam into a rocky barrier. My chest heaved; there was no further path. I stood at the cliff’s edge, the sea and jagged rocks yawning far below. There was no way I’d survive that dr