After the voice spoke through Ronan, nothing felt the same.
The fear lingered between them like an invisible wall.
Neither of them mentioned what had happened on the watchtower.
Neither of them slept.
Kaelira spent the night standing on her balcony, watching the moon drift across the sky.
If the Puppet Master could speak through Ronan…
How long would it be before he took complete control?
The thought hollowed her chest.
She had faced monsters, traitors, and armies.
None of them frightened her as much as the thought of losing him.
The next morning, Ronan requested permission to leave the capital.
The council gathered in silence as he addressed Kaelira.
“My Queen,” he said, refusing to meet her eyes, “until we find a cure, I should be stationed at the northern border.”
Darian fr
