Darian and Niara moved toward the sacred forest behind the Academy. It didn't take long before he spotted who he was looking for.
Under the pale, filtered light piercing through the white birch trees, a small wolf as black as coal walked across a carpet of wildflowers.
She looked like a solid, velvety shadow, contrasting with the ethereal mist that slithered along the forest floor, moving as if it had a life of its own around her. She was distracted, wandering alone through the woods, as if her thoughts and mind didn't match her actual age.
Darian understood her very well. Howlyn simply couldn't stay near others her age, much less her own species. Even though she was still young, she felt out of place in the world.
Everything and everyone felt too simple and dull to her. Normally, when Darian wasn't around, she lived like this—isolated, not wanting contact with anyone.
