Chapter 31: The Oath of Fire
The heat of summer had not yet touched Velandria’s golden halls, but the palace walls pulsed with something far hotter—something older and dangerous, something that now lived in Eira’s chest like a second heartbeat.
She couldn’t sleep.
It had been a week since the curse broke—since Selis’s soul had dissolved into shimmering light in the ancient shrine, and Eira had collapsed into Alric’s arms, unsure if she’d ever open her eyes again. But she had.
Alive. Still Eira. Still wearing Elyanora’s face.
And more conflicted than ever.
She stood on a narrow balcony just beyond her chambers, wrapped in a robe of soft blue linen. The stars above Velandria glittered in silent counsel. Eira leaned against the cool marble balustrade, heart heavy.
Selis was gone. But t
