POV: Riley
The ancient forest swallowed moonlight whole.
Riley stepped over a fallen log, her breath steady even as the air grew colder, thicker—charged with the kind of silence that felt wrong. Beside her, Alex moved like a shadow, dagger drawn, eyes sharp. Every branch, every rustle beneath their boots, felt like a warning.
“We have to find it before it finds us,” Alex murmured, voice low but unshakably firm.
Riley tightened her grip on her enchanted dagger, the metal humming faintly against her palm. “We will. Together.”
They had trained for this moment—endless hours under Queen Luna Beatrice’s watchful gaze and David’s relentless drills. Their bodies knew the motions. Their powers knew the rhythm. Their bond was stronger than ever.
But knowing all that didn’t erase the knot in Ri
