Malrik POV
“I need to know your past,” I said, my voice edged with firmness that allowed no hesitation. “Every detail, Ysolde. The Twelve won’t let this go. If I’m going to protect you, I have to find a way to prove you’re not a threat at least, not to them.”
The words settled between us, heavy and inescapable. I studied her closely, watching the flickers of emotion cross her face. Nervousness sharpened her features, but beneath it, I caught something else resolve. She was ready to speak.
The truth would be brutal; I didn’t pretend otherwise. Zenovia had shattered Ysolde’s fragile world, dragging her secret into the light and handing it to those who would see it as nothing less than a death sentence. Whether I cared about her bloodline or not was irrelevant. What mattered was that the r
