Dravina POV

Malrik moved in a rush, his arms enveloping me, anchoring me against the storm tearing through my chest. His embrace was firm, unyielding, his warmth pressing into my trembling frame, his heartbeat a steady drum trying to tether me to the earth.

“Your father loved your mother with everything he had,” he murmured, his voice heavy, carrying the kind of weight that could only come from a truth too long buried.

My breath faltered, snagging in my throat. My fingers fisted in the ...