Kael´s POV
The throne hall smelled of expensive perfume, worked leather... and power.
But also of danger.
A trap dressed as ceremony.
We were kneeling before King Aedrian, our arms behind our backs, shackled in thick manacles of dark silver that burned into our skin like live embers. It wasn't just humiliation. It was a warning. A demonstration that even the heirs of House Lupen could be dragged and broken.
Two sentinels flanked us, their eyes sharp, tracking every micro-movement. I could hear Lean's heartbeat. Slow. Controlled. But I knew what that meant. My brother was counting down, just like me.
“Wait for my signal.”
Selene's voice, muffled but clear, had reached us moments earlier through the bond... a bond that burned stronger now that Nox had taken root inside her like a nece
