Melody

The battle was over, but my heart was still racing. The scent of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the charred smell of destruction, and even though the palace had been secured, I couldn’t rest.

Not yet. My family was my heartbeat, and until I saw each one of them with my own eyes once again to make sure that they were truly unharmed, I would not breathe in peace.

I started with Derek.

He had been badly wounded during the northern assault, and the image of him bleeding ...