The moon hung low over the Stormborn-Blackthorne territories, silver light dancing off the dew-soaked grass. Clouds drifted across the sky, occasionally blotting out the moon’s pale glow, and the world seemed caught in a hushed anticipation, like a held breath before chaos.
Aria slipped past the drowsy patrols at the southern gate, her footsteps nearly silent. She knew her parents would never approve of her heading out alone in the dead of night, especially after she’d stormed from the council meeting earlier. But she needed answers, and the weight of suspicion from every corner drove her onward. She couldn’t just pace the corridors of the keep, caged by fear and decorum.
Her cloak billowed behind her as she moved along an old game trail that wound between massive pines. In her mind, she
