Kael knelt slowly beside the scorched mark in the courtyard, one hand hovering just above it. Even untrained wolves could sense the dark magic pulsing from it — thick like smoke, bitter like iron. But Kael felt more than that.
He felt recognition.
“It can’t be,” he whispered.
Roran stood behind him, frowning. “You know that mark.”
Kael clenched his jaw. “It belonged to the Nightshade coven.”
“I thought the Nightshades were wiped out after the Ashfall War.”
“So did I.” Kael’s voice was low and dark. “I watched my father burn their stronghold to the ground.”
Roran’s gaze sharpened. “Then why would they come back now?”
Kael rose, his hands curling into fists. “Because of her.”
⸻
The Prophecy Deepens
Lyra sat by the cold edge of the river outside the castle walls, heart pounding in
