CHAPTER 29
AVA’S POV
Three days had passed since Madame Lira’s visit, and the palace felt like it was holding its breath. My ankle had healed enough that I could walk without limping too obviously, though it still ached when I put too much weight on it. The black veins on my arm had faded enough that they could be hidden beneath powder and long sleeves. The rune stone Lira gave me stayed warm against my chest, tucked beneath the neckline of my gown. I wasn’t sure if it actually helped or if I was just desperate enough to believe it did.
Draken hadn’t changed much. He was still the same towering, commanding Lycan King who spoke in short, weighted sentences and moved like the world bent to his will. But he stayed closer. He checked on me more often. He didn’t hover, but I felt his presen
