By nightfall, the story the Shadow Claws carried had spread faster than wildfire through every corner of Silverfang territory. No one spoke of me as a traitor anymore—not aloud. They spoke of the silver light that shattered arrows, of the earth that bent to my will, of the woman who had once tended to them with gentle hands and now commanded the very magic that had guarded this land for centuries.
Inside the great hall, the air was thick with tension and unspoken fear. Mara paced the dais like a caged predator, her fine silk dress swishing sharply with every turn, her voice rising higher and sharper as she tried to drown out the quiet murmurs of doubt.
“They lie!” she shrieked, slamming a fist against the arm of Kael’s throne. “She tricked them with cheap illusions! She uses dark magic t
