SCARLETT
The sun had barely risen when the quiet aftershock began.
At first it was subtle a tremor beneath the stones of Blackridge Keep, so faint the guards brushed it off as their imaginations. But I felt it deep in my bones, the way a wolf senses a coming storm. The triune mark along my spine thrummed a low, warning rhythm, as if counting down to something none of us could name.
Kael’s arm stayed locked around my waist as we crossed the courtyard. His fire burned low, hidden beneath his skin, but I felt it always there, waiting. Darius walked at my other side, shoulders stiff, eyes darting to every shadow. Lucien lingered half a step behind, silent as a nightmare. Between the three of them, I should have felt safe.
I didn’t.
The forest beyond the walls glowed with a deceptive calm
