The celebration ended in blood.
And for one terrifying moment…
I thought I was going to lose the only person who had ever chosen me.
Kael raised the crystal glass toward his lips.
Something about it made my heart race.
I didn’t know why.
Maybe it was the strange feeling that had settled over the ballroom.
Maybe it was the hooded figure I thought I had seen near one of the pillars.
Or maybe it was simply fear.
“Kael…”
He looked at me.
“What is it?”
“I…”
Before I could finish—
A scream tore through the ballroom.
“Assassin!”
Everything happened at once.
A servant collapsed, dropping a silver tray.
The music stopped.
Guests scattered in every direction.
A black-cloaked figure leaped from the upper balcony, sword flashing in the light of the chandeliers.
Their target wasn’t
