Zade's Pov

The fortress was quiet. I sat in my office, Liam asleep in my arms. His small chest rose and fell, soft breaths brushing against my hand. He looked so much like Nyx when he slept, and for a second, the thought struck me deep.

Was she dead already?

The guards would have dragged her into the Forest of the dead by now. The curse of that place never spared anyone. Even if the creatures didn’t tear her apart, the poison in the air would eat her alive. She wouldn’t last ...