The fortress was quieter at night, when Kael finally allowed sleep to claim him and the endless watch of the guards slackened into a rhythm Ariana had come to memorize. She lay stiff in bed, Kael’s arm sprawled over her waist like a chain made of flesh and warmth. Every breath he drew was deep and steady, his body heavy with the weight of exhausted rest.
But Ariana’s mind refused peace.
Selene’s voice lingered like a phantom in her skull—Chains of the Heart. Guard your freedom. Guard your soul.
It gnawed at her, made her restless. The goddess had given no answers, only riddles wrapped in dread. And Ariana knew where she might find them.
Lucien.
The thought of his name stirred conflict in her chest. He was manipulative, dangerous, cunning—but he also knew more about her past than Kael
