The violet mist shrouding the Northern borders was a living extension of my pulse. Ever since I claimed the ancient Seal, every leaf incinerated by its amethyst energy sent a sharp prick of static to the base of my skull. It was the grueling price of being the shield keeping the world at bay.
Inside the Obsidian Hold, the atmosphere was a volatile mix of reverence and panic. The "Shadow Queen" was no longer a myth. As I walked toward the war room, newly arrived rogue packs dropped to their knees in the frosted dirt.
"Rise," I commanded, my voice carrying a new, resonant vibration. "We stand together as equals, or we die together."
They rose slowly, staring at the black veins tracing my neck. To them, I was a goddess. But inside the war room, that divinity felt like lead.
Silas was lean
