Kael’s POV
The midnight moon gleamed through the cracked window, its soft silver light painting the wooden floor with long shadows. The silence in the room was almost sacred, interrupted only by the occasional rustle of wind against the shutters. Aria rested her head on my lap, her long lashes fluttering against her cheeks, her eyes fixed on the stars outside.
I could feel the tension in her body. She hadn’t spoken in a while, not since Riven left us with his ultimatum: sunrise. That was the deadline. By then, Aria had to choose whether to go with him and claim the throne her father’s side offered… or keep running with me, hoping we could keep ahead of Lucien and the rest of the monsters hunting us.
She shifted slightly, and I felt the weight of her thoughts pressing against mine.
“Kae
