Midnight came like a whisper, slipping into the castle on soft, unseen feet. The twilight sky outside Liora’s window remained unchanged, its endless gloom casting an eerie glow over the world, but the hour felt different. The air had a certain weight to it, as if the very walls of the castle were holding their breath, waiting for something to happen.
Liora stood in the shadows of her quarters, her heart racing, her pulse loud in her ears. She had been waiting all day for this moment—waiting for the chance to meet the rogue. The deal had been arranged in silence, without the knowledge of Kaelan or anyone else in the court. This was her only opportunity to make her move, to find a way out of her servitude and toward the freedom that felt more distant with each passing day.
The garden was t
