Night pressed against the mansion like a living thing. Outside, the forest swayed under the wind’s cold breath, branches scratching softly against each other. Inside, the halls had quieted. The voices from dinner had faded, replaced by the occasional creak of settling wood and the distant echo of patrols moving through the grounds.
Ariana sat on the balcony of her room, arms wrapped loosely around herself. The moonlight painted her in silver, but the chill barely registered. Something else kept her awake—something deeper than unease. Ever since Kael’s words in the library, a strange energy had thrummed beneath her skin, a restless pulse that refused to fade.
It wasn’t fear. Not entirely.
Footsteps sounded in the hall. A moment later, the door opened without a knock. Kael stepped inside,
