(Malik)
The night enveloped the castle in shadows, wrapping around me like a shroud as I stood on the balcony, gazing out over the sprawling grounds bathed in moonlight. Stars dotted the ink - black sky, twinkling like shards of crystal scattered across a vast forest. I drew in a deep breath, feeling the familiar cold air fill my lungs. Yet it was not the chilly night that had my heart racing; it was the presence of Juriel, my beloved mate, just a few rooms away.
After turning her, I had watched with bated breath as she adapted to her newfound immortality. Elation coursed through me each time I saw her - how the fading sunlight had given her skin a glow, how her laugh no longer contained the fragility it once had, as if she had reclaimed all the brightness the nightmarish ordeal had trie
