-LILIAN-
The cool night air always brought a strange peace to the castle, a quiet calm that let me focus on my growing power in the secret garden. But tonight, that peace was shattered. I lay in my bed, the familiar ache of the bond a dull hum in the background. My body felt stronger than ever, fueled by the energy I drew from the earth. I was almost asleep when a tiny shift in the air, a faint, wrong scent, pulled me sharply from the edge of slumber.
My eyes snapped open. My senses, sharper than ever before, screamed danger. This wasn't Alexander. This was something cold, hateful, and familiar in a way I hadn't expected. I rose to my feet in one fluid motion, my muscles tensing, my gaze sweeping the darkened room. My heart pounded, but it wasn't fear. It was a surge of adrenaline, a rea
