The palace had never felt more dangerous.
Even after the battle, even after the Shadow Pack retreated, Ivy sensed something darker brewing beneath the surface. The air hummed with unease. Whispers slithered through corridors. Servants avoided her eyes.
And Gloria Jay watched.
From the shadows.
From behind false smiles.
From beneath her polished obedience.
Ivy felt it in her bones.
“She’s planning something,” Ivy muttered, pacing her chamber.
Rowan stood near the balcony, arms crossed. “She’s always planning something.”
“That’s not comforting.”
“She’s desperate,” he said quietly. “Desperate people are reckless.”
Ivy’s gaze sharpened. “Which makes her dangerous.”
Rowan nodded once.
Neither of them missed the irony once, he had almost made Gloria his Luna. Once, Ivy had been noth
