Morwenna's POV
The scent of burned cedar still clung to the palace walls.
Three days had passed since the siege, yet the air remained thick with smoke, blood, and the tension of unshed truths. My face still felt tight where a rogue’s claws had grazed my cheek. The scar would fade, I was told. I hoped it wouldn’t.
Let them remember I survived.
Sabine had doubled my training. At dawn, I learned to channel power without the shard. At dusk, I was tested with illusions, poisons, and blades. Elda watched from the shadows, offering no comfort. Only judgment.
"You can’t rely on instinct alone," she said, again and again. "Power that reacts without thought will one day turn on you."
But I wasn’t afraid of the power.
I was afraid of how good it felt.
Leofric had kept his distance since namin
