_Lyla's POV_
The wind held its breath in the clearing.
I remained crouched behind the twisted tree trunk, heart thundering in my chest, as Nyx’s anguished cries shattered the serenity that had reigned moments before. The wild honeysuckle scent now seemed too sweet, cloying, like it was trying to mask the rot beneath. My breath caught as I watched Selene stand frozen. There was a single red rose trembling in her grasp. Rowan looked between the sisters. He was clearly shaken, but it was Selene who spoke first, her voice cutting the silence like a shard of obsidian.
"This is your fault, Rowan," she said. Her silver eyes shimmered with a rage born not of jealousy, but of protection. "You should have known. You should have seen what she felt for you. And now you have broken her."
Rowan look
