Before sunrise on the day Liam left the hospital, I put a folded copy of Julian's order in my pocket and walked to the edge of the grounds.
The streetlights ended there. Darkness covered the road beyond them.
Julian was waiting on the other side.
I stopped under the last streetlight and threw the order onto the pavement between us. The line naming Victoria the absolute priority faced upward.
"This is the last thing you'll receive from me. Come near Laurel Point again, you or anyone under your command, and I'll turn every resource I have and every old-world secret I remember against your kingdom. Leave this town alone."
He said nothing.
I turned toward the hospital as the sky began to brighten.
One Year Later.
The new sign read "Laurel & Sun Medical Center."
Morning light filled th
