Lyra wandered through the forest, the dream still clinging to her skin like mist.
The man with Kade’s face and Jaren’s eyes. The Queen’s whisper: Choose. But how could she choose when every path felt like surrender?
Her mark pulsed beneath her collarbone, glowing faintly in the moonlight. It wasn’t pain anymore. It was wanting a hunger she didn’t understand.
She stopped at a stream, kneeling to splash cold water on her face. The reflection that stared back wasn’t hers. Not entirely.
Silver threaded through her irises. Her skin shimmered faintly. She looked like someone caught between worlds.
“Beautiful,” a voice said behind her.
She turned sharply.
Jaren stood at the edge of the trees, his cloak damp, his eyes darker than usual.
“You followed me,” she said.
“I found you,” he corre
