I wish I could say that when Ronan spoke, I was prepared. But nothing in my life could’ve readied me for the cold weight of his words, the way they landed in the air between us like stones. And then there was the silence—thick and heavy, pressing down on me. On all of us.
He wasn’t just here with a warning. He wasn’t just here to tell us we were exposed, or that the Elders had spies among us. No, Ronan was here to tell us that our fight had already begun. That it wasn’t just about survival anymore. It was about something much darker.
“The Elders are launching a full-scale purge,” Ronan said, his voice steady, despite the tremor of uncertainty in his eyes. “Not just for you, Selene. For anyone who’s harboring you. Anyone who’s helped you.”
The words echoed in my head. Purge. That was wha
