Soaked to the bone beneath pounding rain and rolling thunder, Sorrel runs through the dark forest, her belly aching with hunger and her heart heavy with shame. Cast out from the clan for daring to touch royal food, she is branded a criminal long before she can defend herself. Born without a warrior’s name and burdened by her rogue blood, Sorrel has always been watched, judged, and hated—and Crowstar’s rule turns that hatred into exile. As the storm worsens, Sorrel forces herself onward, biting back tears and refusing to let the tyrant who banished her break her spirit. She swears she will survive, that she will prove the clan wrong and fix a world twisted by fear and lies. Then she freezes. From the shadows of the rain-soaked bushes, a pair of glowing yellow eyes watches her every move—silent, unblinking, and far too close. The storm roars. Sorrel holds her breath. The exile has only just begun. -------------------------------------------------------------------------
