Wings of PantaleonWhen fourteen-year-old Kestrel disobeys his mother and accidentally receives forbidden wings at the Hallows of Pantaleon, he becomes the target of the Blood-ruthless guardians who will kill to reclaim their stolen privilege. Ashamed and desperate to return to his normal life, Kestrel must navigate a deadly swamp where predators hunt from above and a monstrous creature stalks from below, forcing him to choose between hiding what he's become and embracing the transformation that might be his only chance at survival.
Kestrel never meant to disobey. One reckless moment at the forbidden Hallows of Pantaleon has cost him everything he once knew-his normal life, his innocence, and his ability to hide what he's become. The magnificent wings that sprouted from his shoulders should be a gift, but they're a curse he can't explain to his parents or friends. How do you tell the people you love that you've been transformed into something impossible? Desperate and ashamed, Kestrel wants nothing more than to turn back time and undo his mistake.
But the wings won't disappear, and neither will the truth. The Blood, ancient guardians of Pantaleon's power, will stop at nothing to reclaim what was never meant to be his. They watch from above with merciless eyes, hunting for the boy who stole their sacred wings. Kestrel's only chance of survival lies in crossing the treacherous Mirewood Swamp, where the sky-watchers can't see through the dense canopy.
But the swamp holds its own horrors: a creature lurks beneath the murky waters, ancient and hungry, drawn to the scent of fear and the splash of desperate footsteps. Trapped between the hunters in the sky and the predator in the depths, Kestrel must find courage he didn't know he possessed. The journey through the swamp will test more than his ability to hide-it will force him to decide whether his wings are truly a curse or the key to becoming who he was always meant to be.
In a world where disobedience has consequences and some mistakes can never be undone, Kestrel must learn that running from what you've become is far more dangerous than facing it.
Wings of PantaleonWhen fourteen-year-old Kestrel disobeys his mother and accidentally receives forbidden wings at the Hallows of Pantaleon, he becomes the target of the Blood-ruthless guardians who will kill to reclaim their stolen privilege. Ashamed and desperate to return to his normal life, Kestrel must navigate a deadly swamp where predators hunt from above and a monstrous creature stalks from below, forcing him to choose between hiding what he's become and embracing the transformation that might be his only chance at survival.
Kestrel never meant to disobey. One reckless moment at the forbidden Hallows of Pantaleon has cost him everything he once knew-his normal life, his innocence, and his ability to hide what he's become. The magnificent wings that sprouted from his shoulders should be a gift, but they're a curse he can't explain to his parents or friends. How do you tell the people you love that you've been transformed into something impossible? Desperate and ashamed, Kestrel wants nothing more than to turn back time and undo his mistake.
But the wings won't disappear, and neither will the truth. The Blood, ancient guardians of Pantaleon's power, will stop at nothing to reclaim what was never meant to be his. They watch from above with merciless eyes, hunting for the boy who stole their sacred wings. Kestrel's only chance of survival lies in crossing the treacherous Mirewood Swamp, where the sky-watchers can't see through the dense canopy.
But the swamp holds its own horrors: a creature lurks beneath the murky waters, ancient and hungry, drawn to the scent of fear and the splash of desperate footsteps. Trapped between the hunters in the sky and the predator in the depths, Kestrel must find courage he didn't know he possessed. The journey through the swamp will test more than his ability to hide-it will force him to decide whether his wings are truly a curse or the key to becoming who he was always meant to be.
In a world where disobedience has consequences and some mistakes can never be undone, Kestrel must learn that running from what you've become is far more dangerous than facing it.
