The invitation arrived at dusk.
A guard stood at my door, eyes averted, voice clipped as he informed me that the King had requested my presence for dinner. Varion, of course, was included. As if I could ever be anywhere without him by my side. The moment the door closed again, I exhaled slowly.
Tonight mattered.
I could feel it in my bones—the way the air seemed heavier, the way my magic stirred uneasily beneath my skin. If I was ever going to set my plan into motion, it had to be soon. And if there was one thing I had learned since coming to this castle, it was that the King liked to talk when he ate. He liked to feel powerful. Untouchable. People always revealed the most when they believed they were in control.
Varion woke up not long after and got dressed pretty quickly, already wat
