Killian’s POV

The moment I sense it, my gut tightens.

It’s subtle, a tremor beneath the air, a vibration through the stone floor, a pressure in my chest like the shadows themselves are pressing closer. I can’t tell if it’s curiosity, aggression, or hunger—just that it’s wrong. And it’s coming for the stone.

I’m already moving.

“Sacred grounds!” I bark, voice carrying through the hallways of the keep. Guards snap to attention instantly, their eyes trained, alert. My voice ...