Chapter 46
Elara’s POV
Sleep did not come easily after the fortress was saved.
I lay in my chamber, every muscle trembling, every breath echoing in my ears as if the weight of the night pressed down upon me. I had washed the blood from my hands—scrubbed until my skin was raw—yet it lingered in memory, the red of it dripping down my palms, the sharp sound of death etched into my bones.
But when exhaustion finally claimed me, it was not the nightmare of slaughter that filled my dreams.
It was her.
A woman of fire and shadow stood before me. Her hair flowed like molten gold, her gown spun from the threads of dawn itself. Her eyes… her eyes were my own, though older, deeper, burdened by secrets.
“Mother?” I whispered, my voice breaking as I reached out.
Her smile was sad, yet proud. “E
