The night stretched long and heavy over the ruins.
After the storm of magic had quieted, silence returned thick, uneasy, almost suffocating. The fire had burned low, casting only soft red light that barely reached the edges of the courtyard.
Selene hadn’t slept. Every time her eyes closed, she heard the Moon’s voice whispering in her mind. The echo of that final prophecy clawed at her chest like thorns.
He will betray you before dawn, and yet he will die for you in the end.
She watched Lucian as he kept watch near the fire, head bowed, sword across his knees, every line of his body tense. His eyes glowed faintly in the dark, more wolf than man now.
Kael slept beside his pack, restless even in dreams. His brow furrowed, lips parting like he was whispering to someone unseen.
The ruins
