Rayna POV
The fire in the clearing had guttered to embers, but the night was still thick with its heat. Wolves lingered in small clusters, their voices low, their eyes always turning toward me and Damon. Some with trust. Some with doubt. All with expectation.
The Goddess’s kiss still burned faintly at my forehead, the silver mark pulsing like a second heartbeat. It pulled at me, insistent, drawing me toward the ruins of the old capital.
“Now?” Damon asked quietly, his hand brushing mine.
“Yes.” My voice sounded different to my own ears - low, resonant, threaded with something not entirely mine. “It has to be tonight. Under her light.”
The moon hung heavy above us, fat and bright, spilling silver across the broken stones as if she herself had been waiting.
Lira walked at my side, her
