The Second Gate
The message disappeared before Isabella could touch it.
Three words.
Three impossible words.
THE SECOND GATE.
She stared at her palm, waiting for the symbol to vanish.
It didn't.
The mark remained.
A faint silver glow beneath her skin.
A reminder.
A warning.
Or perhaps...
A beginning.
Because deep inside, Isabella already knew.
The first Gate had never been the end.
It had only been the first chapter of something much older.
"Lucian."
She didn't bother knocking.
The king was already awake.
Of course he was.
He sat at his desk surrounded by ancient documents, his expression serious.
One look at her face and he stood.
"What happened?"
She held out her hand.
The moment he saw the symbol, his expression changed.
Not confusion.
Recognition.
And that
