The wind carried the scent of rain, heavy and metallic, as though the sky itself had caught the taste of blood. Selene stood by the balcony, the stone railing cool beneath her palms, her eyes scanning the horizon where dark clouds brewed like a gathering army. The castle’s torches flickered behind her, their glow casting long shadows that seemed to whisper of war.

It had been days since Kael’s declaration, his words echoing still in her chest like a curse. Prepare for war. She couldn’t ...