Kael.
He moved like he had been carved from the night itself—silent, swift, deadly. The dagger in his hand glinted once before he struck, blade aimed straight for the king’s throat.
The king barely had time to raise a magical shield.
The impact sent a shockwave through the hall, scattering dust and loose embers from the torches. My ears rang as Kael was thrown backward from the magical blast—but he landed on his feet, already moving again. I had seen Kael angry. I had seen him calculating, cold, unreadable. But I had never—never—seen him unleashed.
Shadows curled around his arms, wrapping him in darkness that pulsed with power. His eyes were almost entirely black, reflecting the king’s glowing magic like twin voids preparing to consume him.
They collided again.
Magic cracked through
