Kaelira stared at the black feather resting in her hand.
It looked so ordinary. Soft. Weightless. But holding it made her skin prickle.
She turned it between her fingers, watching how the shaft caught the light and seemed to shimmer with silvery veins—like moonlight moving through it. She’d never seen a bird with feathers like this.
And she was sure it hadn’t been there when she fell asleep.
Someone—or something—had been in her room.
She wrapped the feather in a silk handkerchief and walked straight out of her chamber. This time, she wanted answers.
The two royal guards outside her door snapped to attention.
“Good morning, Your Majesty.”
Kaelira lifted the feather for them to see. “Which one of you came into my room last night?”
They traded confused looks. “None of us, Your Majest
