The rain outside the reinforced, tinted glass of the executive SUV fell in heavy, rhythmic sheets, hammering against the dark vehicle as it tore down the secluded mountain bypass Inside the leather-lined cabin, the quiet was absolute, broken only by the low rumble of the twin-turbo engine and the sound of heavy, ragged breathing.
Lyra stirred on the leather passenger seat, a sharp gasp tearing from her throat as consciousness flooded back into her veins.
Her head throbbed with a terrifying, white-hot pressure—the violent chemical backlash of her royal magic tearing through the wolfsbane still lingering in her bloodstream. Her body trembled under the cold sweat, coating her skin. She blinked through blurred vision, her hand instinctively reaching toward her neck to adjust her high colla
