Chapter 18 – Forbidden Kisses
The moon hung low over Velandria’s spires, casting silver shadows across the palace courtyard. The night air held a stillness that felt too delicate to breathe through, like the whole world waited for something to break. Eira shouldn’t have been out of her chambers, especially not barefoot on the marble terrace, dressed only in a thin nightgown and Mira’s borrowed cloak. But the weight of Cassian’s warning still echoed in her chest—“Break the cycle, or become the next vessel.”
She hadn’t been able to sleep since.
The terrace overlooked the royal gardens, which by day were a bloom of diplomatic illusions—pristine, curated, controlled. By night, they whispered secrets in the dark. Eira curled her fingers around the cold stone railing, trying to push back the
