Chapter Twenty One
The walk home from the training wing is quiet. Too quiet. The night air bites against my skin, but I can still feel the heat of Viktor’s presence beside me. Our steps echo on the path, steady but sharp, like we’re both holding back too much.
We cross into the house without a word. The silence presses down harder than any argument. My chest aches with the weight of it until I can’t keep it inside anymore.
“I need to tell you something.”
Viktor stops short, his eyes narrowing like he already expects the worst. “What?”
I wet my lips, forcing myself to meet his stare. “Mara and I overheard something earlier. Two men were talking near the café. They mentioned the Shadow Court… and someone called ‘the Master.’ One of them said, ‘tonight.’ That’s all we caught.”
The air i
