The study was silent, except for the rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock that sounded like a slow, beating heart.
Julian sat in the high-backed leather chair, the glow of a single candle casting long, dancing shadows across his face. Opposite him, Maeve sat perfectly still. She wasn't the girl she had been weeks ago; the warmth in her eyes had been replaced by a flat, hollow stare that reflected Julian’s own dark ambition.
A burner phone on the mahogany desk vibrated, a sharp, buzzing intrusion on the silence. Julian picked it up, his eyes scanning the encrypted message from his contact inside the Vaelor estate.
“The brothers fought. Aria collapsed. The Healer has intervened.”
Julian’s grip tightened on the phone until his knuckles turned white. His calm mask slipped for a fra
