Se connecterKade POV — the Moonstone PalaceThe flowers were slightly crooked.Little Piper had been walking down the aisle for forty seconds and had already made three stops to show people her basket, redistribute petals, and wave at the elder council with enough enthusiasm that Elder Maro had looked genuinely alarmed.Kade watched her from the altar and kept his face very neutral.Damon, beside him, was trying not to smile.Failing."The elder with the long coat looks like he's reconsidering attendance." Damon said, not moving his mouth much."He's been reconsidering this wedding since it was announced. Piper has nothing to do with it." Kade said.Piper arrived at the front, looked at her basket, looked at the floor where she'd apparently decided petals were supposed to go, and dumped the remaining half of them in one concentrated area directly in front of the altar.Then she looked up at Kade with the satisfied expression of a job completed."I did the flowers," she said."You did the flowers
Remi POVRemi’s fingers trembled slightly as she accepted the sealed letter from the guard at the bustling market stall. The man nodded once, his expression guarded, before melting back into the crowd. Gemma and Bram waited a few paces away, haggling over dried herbs, but Remi stepped aside, heart already pounding. The wax seal bore Kade’s mark—two wolves intertwined beneath a crescent moon. It was addressed to Nero."Good news or bad," Bram said."Both," I said. "Kade's letter. Addressed to Nero.""Will you read it?""He's chained in a field." I looked at Bram. "I think he'd allow it."She broke the seal anyway. Reality snapped back like a bowstring the moment her eyes scanned the familiar handwriting.Brother,I hope this finds you breathing and still swinging that stubborn temper of yours. Things here are holding, but the weight grows heavier each day. The palace corridors feel longer without your roar echoing through them. Abel sends his regards—along with his usual filthy jok
At first light“Down here—fresh tracks,” Nero said, his voice low and steady as he held the lantern high. The flame flickered against the damp stone walls of the condemned shaft, casting long shadows that danced like specters. The air was thick with coal dust and the faint, metallic tang of fear. “They dragged someone this way not long ago. Look at the scuff marks. Smaller feet. Could be the girl.”Drift grunted from behind him, axe gripped tight. “Keep moving, then. We’ve been crawling through these rat holes for hours. If Voss’s daughter is still breathing, she won’t be for long if we dawdle.”Caya scanned the side passage they had forced open earlier. “The silk scrap matches what Voss described.. We’re close. Rook, watch the rear. No surprises.”Rook muttered, “This place feels wrong. Too quiet. Like the mines swallowed the screams already.”Nero led the way deeper, muscles coiled beneath his loose chains. He had studied Rook’s technique when the man had unlocked him back at camp—
Nero POV“Move out!” Drift barked as Nero and Caya emerged from the tree line. The Rabid Saints were already breaking camp , packing tents and loading gear onto sturdy mules. Dust hung in the air from their hurried movements. “We’ve wasted enough time. Caya, you said this job pays heavy. Start talking details while we ride.”Nero rolled his shoulders, still savoring the freedom from the chains. The refreshing bath had done more than clean his body; it had sharpened his mind. Remi’s memory lingered like a warm ember, and the secret he now held over Caya felt like a blade hidden in his boot. He kept his face neutral, but the satisfaction simmered beneath the surface.Caya shot him a quick, warning glance before addressing the group. “Rich lord in a mining town called Blackvein, His daughter, Elara, was taken three weeks ago. Kidnapped from their estate. He’s offering a fat purse—gold, gems, and a bonus if we bring her back breathing. Smugglers took her. People have been vanishing from
Nero POVWe walked in tense silence at first, the forest floor soft with damp moss and fallen leaves crunching under our boots. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy in scattered golden shafts, birds calling overhead. The air smelled of pine and earth. After several minutes, Caya finally spoke without looking at me, her tone sharp.“So what’s so special about her, huh? That little night with her has you grinning like a lovesick fool even when you think no one’s watching. Can’t you see you’re doing good work with the Saints? The pay’s steady. The brotherhood’s real if you earn it. Why throw that away for some woman?” She continued . ". Drift's an idiot but he's a connected idiot — the operations we run get access to things most rogues never see." She looked at him sideways. "You could build something here. In these lands. With people who'd actually use you right."I kept my eyes fixed on the winding path ahead, low branches brushing against my broad shoulders. “Good work? I’m cha
Nero POVHe woke up thinking about her hair.He lay against the floor for a moment and looked at the sky going grey and let himself have her warmth.The clearing was quiet.“New mission,” Caya announced sharply, her voice slicing through the thick morning haze like a well-honed knife. She stood tall by the dying campfire, arms crossed tightly over her chest, her sharp eyes scanning the group of hungover Rabid Saints sprawled around the ashes “Farther out this time. Pays heavier than anything we’ve touched in months. But this camp’s getting too hot. We should pack up and move before someone comes sniffing around after last night’s mess.”Drift spat a thick glob into the smoldering ashes and grunted, rubbing the sleep from his bloodshot eyes. “This is still the safest spot until we lock down a new one. You know that as well as I do, Caya. We’ve got solid cover, fresh water nearby, and no one’s stumbled on us yet.” He shot a sideways glare at me, his lip curling in disgust. “Though







