CHAPTER 24: Beneath the Crown
They called me “heroine” in the capital.
But the palace walls whispered a different word.
Weapon.
The carriage rolled through the gilded gates of the vampire stronghold just past sunset. The sky hung low, painted in bruised hues of indigo and wine. I watched the towers rise spires like spears, windows like eyes.
Once, I had dreamed of this place.
Now, I couldn’t stop watching my back.
Lucien sat beside me in silence. His fingers were locked around mine, but I could feel the tension in his pulse.
We were not returning as lovers or royals.
We were returning as a threat.
The guards at the courtyard stiffened as we stepped down. A few saluted. Most just watched their expressions tight, unreadable. Behind us, Zara led the Nightroot prisoners with cold e
