LOGINFor a beat, no one spoke. Then, he lowered Kaelani gently until her feet touched the ground, but he didn’t let go—his fingers slipping into hers, holding on like it was the most natural thing in the world. Kaelani’s gaze dropped to their hands. The contact stilled something inside her. No one ha
“You do.” He let his gaze drop—just for a second—to the space between them, the inches that still separated them. Then back to her. “But I meant it when I said I’d never leave you again… that was real.” A brief pause—not for effect, but because he meant it. “Not when it’s hard. Not when it’s me
Kaelani’s smile hit him harder than anything else had. For the first time, it was meant for him. Julian stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him and shutting out everything beyond it—the chaos, the noise, all of it. In here— was his peace. His heart. His whole world. He move
The room. The light. The faces. A breath caught in his chest. “Kaelani…?” His focus sharpened. His room. His packhouse. Familiar walls and scent. But something was wrong. His gaze moved quickly—his mother at his side, Jace by the window. No Kaelani. Julian pushed himself upright, pain tear
She didn’t look at him. “Julian Hale… fugitive status removed.” Another keystroke. “Jace Romano… fugitive status removed.” Her fingers paused for a fraction of a second before continuing. “Garrick Blake… charges dropped.” A quiet tap followed. “Release scheduled for… tomorrow morning.” Then—
A brief pause. “Am I wrong?” Councilor Voss didn’t answer. He simply watched her for a moment longer before speaking. “What is it that you want?” Kaelani held the room for a moment. “What I wanted the day I stood before you in the Chamber of Elders,” she said. “What I asked for then.” “To liv
Only then did he seem to notice her. For a moment he simply looked at Lyressa through the narrow crack in the doorway, his expression unreadable beneath the dim light. Not surprised. Not panicked. Almost… Disappointed. Lyressa’s breath trembled in her chest as their eyes met. The golde
The lanternlight flickered across Draevyn’s face. And Lyressa felt something inside her begin to fracture. She remained perfectly still in the doorway, the narrow crack of the door the only thing keeping her hidden as the reality of the moment settled slowly, painfully into place. The man she
It made sense. The court was already tense with fear and suspicion. News of their union—Seelie queen and Unseelie commander—would ripple through both courts like a thunderclap. So Lyressa agreed. But keeping their love hidden did nothing to temper the way her heart opened to him. If anything, it
Something in Lyressa’s chest shifted at the look on his face. “I had trouble sleeping,” she said stiffly. “Of course you did.” Draevyn handed her a goblet of dark wine. She accepted it before she could second-guess herself. And the night unfolded from there. They played games Lyressa had never







