BEFORE THE ECLIPSE
The mark did not fade.
Elara noticed it first.
It was late—long past the hour when the keep usually quieted—and the only light in Kael’s chamber came from the open balcony doors. Moonlight spilled across the stone floor, pale and steady, tracing the hard lines of his shoulders as he stood near the edge.
The crescent on his collarbone glowed faintly.
Not bright enough to cast light.
But bright enough to be seen.
“You’re still awake,” she said softly.
Kael didn’t turn. “So are you.”
She crossed the room barefoot, the chill of the floor forgotten the closer she got to him. The air around him felt different tonight. Not unstable. Not sharp.
Heavy.
Alive.
When she reached him, she lifted her hand and pressed her palm gently over the mark.
The reaction was immedia
