Valen’s POV
I had been irrationally angry all day, and the worst part was that I didn’t know how to stop it. It was like a black sludge had settled in my veins, making every word Darian spoke sound like an insult and every breath I took feel like a struggle for air. I hated the walls of this mansion. I hated the silent judgment of the Elders. Most of all, I hated the way I felt whenever I looked at Raven, like I was a drowning man and she was the only piece of wood floating in a stormy sea.
It was no shock that the moment I finally closed my eyes to sleep, I was plunged straight into a nightmare.
In the dream, I was standing in a massive hall with stone floors that were soaked in blood. The air was thick with the metallic tang of it. My hands were heavy, and when I looked down, my sharp
