"Loyalty is only as strong as the fear that tests it. And tonight, fear ran deep."
The halls of the palace were too quiet. Too still.
I hated it.
The war had ended days ago, but peace never felt this hollow. The people of Verauno walked their streets with caution, watching the shadows as if expecting another attack. And maybe they were right to.
Because the real betrayal wasn’t coming from outside the walls.
It was already here. It had always been here.
I was in the war chamber when the first sign of it came.
The doors burst open, slamming against the stone walls, and Kieran stormed in, his expression harder than usual.
"Asher needs you," he said.
The urgency in his tone sent ice down my back.
"What happened?"
"Just come," was all he said before turning on his heel.
I didn’t wa
