Natalie POV
The blinding glare of the dawn sun struck my eyes like a physical blow as Marcus shoved me out onto the stone observation terrace. The crisp, biting mountain air rushed into my lungs, cold as shaved ice, instantly cutting through the lingering stench of the subterranean cells.
Below the terrace, the grand courtyard of the Blackwood estate had been transformed into a sea of absolute silver.
Three full battalions of the elite vanguard stood in rigid, flawless formations, their polished breastplates and raised spears catching the first golden rays of the morning sun. In the dead center of the courtyard stood the gallows—a massive, skeletal structure of dark oak, its thick hemp noose swaying gently in the freezing mountain wind.
Darren was dragged to the base of the wooden step
