DARIAN
The corridors of the palace were quiet when I noticed Lyra slip away. She moved like smoke, swift and deliberate, her cloak pulled low though the night was calm. It wasn’t unusual for her to wander, to scheme in silence, but this was different. Her steps were urgent and sharp against the stone. Something in my gut told me to follow.
I motioned to three of my guards, my voice low. “Keep your distance, not a sound.”
We shadowed her through the palace gates, beyond the outer courtyards, and down the winding road that led toward the edge of the forest. The moon hung pale above us, bathing everything in a silvery wash that made her silhouette look like a black flame. She didn’t turn back once.
I had long stopped believing that Lyra was capable of anything but deceit. My heart had lef
