Malrik POV

Dravina’s words cut into me with the precision of a blade, leaving no space for defense. There was nothing I could say no excuse or comfort that could soften the truth she had laid bare.

And she meant every syllable.

I saw it in her eyes the same unbending resolve I’d only ever heard described in old whispers, the kind that turned stories into legends. It was the same look Orielle must have worn in those final moments, when she realized Rhydian had fallen and believed her ...