The words settled over the ruined hall like a curse.
Midnight’s breath caught.
Kael’s grip on her wrist tightened instantly.
Not enough to hurt.
Enough to remind her he was there.
Grounding her.
Protecting her.
The Hollow King watched the contact with open fascination.
“Such devotion,” it murmured. “Your bloodline never learns.”
Kael stepped forward slightly.
Silver eyes glowing brighter now.
“You lost the right to speak about my bloodline centuries ago.”
The creature beneath the mountain smiled wider.
“And yet your family still built their kingdom on our corpses.”
Silence.
Lucien went still.
The older wolves exchanged uneasy looks.
Midnight frowned sharply.
“What does that mean?”
Kael didn’t answer.
Which meant the creature probably wasn’t lying.
The Hollow King notic
