POV: Mason
I didn’t sleep.
There was no point pretending I could.
The moment Elara confirmed the Shadow King had touched the bloodline, something inside me snapped into cold, lethal clarity. I stood on the highest balcony of the east tower, staring out over the forest where darkness pressed thick against the wards.
He touched our child.
My fists clenched so hard they trembled.
Behind me, the doors opened softly. I didn’t turn—I already knew who it was.
“Alex is resting,” Riley said quietly. “Elara has triple-sealed the room.”
“Seals won’t stop a god,” I replied.
Riley stepped beside me, the moonlight painting her silver. “No. But you might.”
I finally looked at her. “That’s not how this works.”
“It is now,” she said firmly. “You felt it too. The shift. The war just changed.”
Sh
