Chapter Forty-seven
Thalina
Today was the day.
The day I’d been dreading for the past three days. The day I was supposed to prove to my father—Lord High and Mighty—that I was worthy of bearing his name. That I wasn’t just some mistake, but a true member of the Noir family. Unlike my perfect stepsister, Ember, who never had to lift a finger to earn his approval, my existence seemed to require constant justification. I wasn’t his favorite—not by a long shot. If I wanted to compete with Ember, I had to go above and beyond. Always.
And today? Today was the Howling Festival.
The last twenty-four hours had been absolute hell. No sleep. No peace. Just me, tossing and turning, giving this whole thing way too much thought. I kept running in circles, but no matter how many times I tried to fin
