Natalie POV
The post-solstice twilight descended upon the high keep with the heavy, unyielding weight of an iron curtain. Outside the frost-rimed glass, the mountain peaks had turned a dark, bruised shade of indigo against the pale winter sky, the absolute stillness of the valley proving that the rogue vanguard had truly scattered into the deep ravines. The grand gallery below was empty now, the scent of the panicked chieftains replac clean, sharp smell of pine-wax and cold slate as the servants washed away the grey slush of the summit.
Inside the grand suite, the heat remained dense, a localized summer preserved within the thick obsidian walls.
I remained nestled deep within the satin cushions of the chaise lounge, my body completely motionless as the rhythmic thrum of the blood-contra
