POV: Riley
Sleep would not come.
The palace was sealed tighter than it had been since Arken’s fall, yet my mind refused to rest. Every protective ward hummed beneath my skin like a distant second pulse. Magic moved constantly now—watchful, alert, afraid.
And beneath it all…
That warmth again.
Not touching me.
Not speaking.
Just present.
I lay on my back staring at the carved moon in the ceiling of my chamber, one hand pressed over my chest as if I could still the sensation there. It wasn’t invasive like Arken had been. It didn’t claw or burn or command.
It waited.
A soft knock whispered across my door.
“Mason,” I said before he even spoke.
He entered quietly, shutting the door behind him with deliberate care. The light from the hall traced silver lines across his face—older now
