The moon hung high over the royal residence, its pale light pouring out over the stone walls like a whispered promise. I stood in the corner of the council library, encompassed by racks that possessed a scent like old material and failed to remember mysteries. My fingers shuddered as they drifted past the brink of an old book Edric had put before me.
"You're saying this is about me?" I asked, my voice low but sharp. "My loved ones?"
Edric, at any point cool headed, reclined in his seat. The faint light from the lamp above cast long shadows over his face, making his features look sharper, more severe "I'm saying that your family is attached to something a lot more seasoned than you understand. Something that Verauno has required — and neglected — for a really long time."
My heartbeat an
