C491 ROOTS OF THE OLD HUNGER

"Do not touch it, Lucian!" Aria shouted, her voice cutting through the celebratory ringing of the distant bells. She scrambled to her feet, her silk skirts snagging on the grass as she rushed toward her son. The boy had been reaching for the tiny red flower that had sprouted from the rift in the stone wall, his curiosity getting the better of his caution.

Lucian pulled his hand back