[Phreya]

The room at the edge of the sanctuary territory was silent, save for the faint hum of the city beyond the glass.

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wiping the cool water from my face and letting the steam clear. The night had been an absolute storm. Between my father’s quiet panic, my mother laying bare the ancient truth of our bloodline to the high council, and the suffocating heat of Damian’s mismatched gaze locking onto mine... my head was spinning.

And then there was ...