LILA'S POV
The words sank into me like ice-cold daggers: “The king is the Devourer’s first son.” My stomach churned, my legs threatened to give out, and the world felt heavier than it ever had. Every heartbeat pounded with the knowledge that the father I had longed to know, the man who should have been my protector, was tied to the very evil we had been fighting our whole lives.
Marcus tightened his grip on my arm, grounding me in the chaos. “Lila… we need to stay focused,” he said, his voice tense but steady. His eyes, usually so sharp and calculating, were now wide with fear and disbelief. I could feel his power thrumming against mine, pulling, tethering me, and yet I was barely aware. All I could think about was my father my bloodline and the fact that the Devourer’s child had been ru
