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have been born a slave of that empire.
    “At least Shkei would probably still be alive,” Misha mused. This time, I was the one who sucked in a sharp breath, feeling as if I had been struck. “Malachi says the vampires planned to cull him, but my older brother has a knack for survival. He would—”
    “That’s enough,” Farrell broke in. The sharp command, so different from his usual thoughtfully permissive approach, made it clear how deeply Misha’s speculation had hurt him.
    “Of course,
sir
,” Misha replied, turning long enough to give Farrell a baleful glare before speeding her pace so she could once more walk several steps ahead of us.
    Farrell sighed heavily, but said nothing. What was there to say?
    We reached the boundary of Midnight’s land, a bridge over the rapidly tumbling Barri Creek, two long days later. Though the four of us were supposedly traveling together, we were far from companionable. It was difficult to hunt effectively while carrying the amount we were and still make good time, but Vance and I used trying as an excuse to range ahead of the others, where Misha’s voice couldn’t reach us. Farrell stayed close to her, protective, and when I saw how tense and drawn he looked in the evenings I felt a twinge of guilt, but mostly relief that I had avoided her seemingly poisonous voice.
    We approached the bridge at sundown. Most serpiente traders would have camped for the night in the clearing on this side, which was maintained for just that reason, then moved on after sunrise to reach the market by midday, but we paused only long enough for the sun to duck behind the trees before stepping onto the trade road.
    This was one of the most dangerous moments of our trip. The trade road was the most likely place for us to run into other serpiente, and on this side of Barri Creek, we were likely to be shot without warning if we were recognized by their guards. Unfortunately, the “creek” had high cliffs on either side and wide rapids at the bottom, so crossing at any other point was even riskier.
    Midnight was the only local empire that didn’t consider us outlaws or worse, which meant we were technically much safer in their land than any other, as long as we didn’t overstay our welcome. We could travel in Midnight’s forests as long as we were intending to trade, and their laws protected us from the other shapeshifter nations who would like to see us dead. However, the penalty would be swift and severe if they judged we were actually
living
here. The only shapeshifters allowed to do that were the ones who officially worked for the vampires’ empire, and they were even more despised than we were.
    More than we used to be, anyway
, I thought, remembering what I had heard in the serpiente market. Midnight didn’t consider us employees—bloodtraitors, as they were referredto by other shapeshifters—but the rest of the world seemed to be leaning that way.
    We finally reached the market midmorning. As always, the sight of the guards at the gates made my hackles rise. The men and women in Midnight’s burgundy regalia were here to make sure the vampires’ laws were being followed, which meant they were the ones ensuring we could trade here safely.… Still, it was hard for me to trust any guards, much less ones I knew had chosen to leave their own people to work for Midnight.
    Normally, the guards made an attempt to avoid conversation unless there was a problem. They knew that most of the merchants and shoppers here considered them traitors. Today, one of them noticed Vance, straightened, and greeted him with a respectful “Sir.”
    The acknowledgment made Vance flinch and freeze at the threshold of the market. Misha was standing with her shoulders tight and her nostrils flared, like a horse on the verge of bolting. Farrell and I exchanged a concerned glance.
    “You don’t need to come,” Farrell said. “The two of you can camp farther back, and Kadee and I can do our trading.”
    “I need