Kael’s POV
The forged letter stayed in my pocket like a living thing — a weight, a whisper, a reminder that trust wasn’t a certainty but a gamble.
And tonight, I wasn’t sure who I was betting against.
The fortress was quieter than usual. Not peaceful — peace had no place here now — but tense, coiled, waiting.
Even the torches seemed to burn lower, their light twisting strangely across the frost that crept up the stones.
I walked the length of the war corridor with Jarek at my side, his boots striking the floor with force he didn’t bother to hide.
“You’re certain the scribe had no chance to access your seal?” he asked.
“Yes.”
My voice was clipped, sharper than I intended.
“And Selene—”
“She didn’t write it.”
The denial came too quickly. Too fiercely.
Jarek stopped walking. “My l
