Masuk“I think I’ve heard enough.” But Garrick didn’t stop. “When you turned eighteen… and you were still wolfless,” he said, the confession weighing in his voice, “I’ll admit… I used that.” He dragged a hand over his face. “For my own benefit. And for yours.” He shifted slightly, like the words them
Her gaze flicked back to him. “Couldn’t use all that money of yours to get something a little more… upscale?” Garrick let out a faint breath, his attention following hers as he looked around the cell. “My family cut me off,” he said. “Completely.” His jaw tightened slightly. “They’re my only ti
The cell held the kind of darkness that never fully lifted, even when the lights came on. It smelled old—damp stone, rust, something faintly sour like mildew that had settled deep into the walls over time. The air felt stale, unmoving, as if it had been trapped there too long. Somewhere beyond the
Her grip tightened slightly. “And that was before you came to me in my dream.” Tessa’s eyes searched hers, steady, certain. “Kae… believe it or not, I always knew you were… different.” A faint smile touched her lips. “I mean, I didn’t think supernatural different—but this?” she huffed a quiet b
“After a while, they just… closed it down.” She let the silence sit for a second before finishing. “I tried to get a loan to save it,” she added, quieter now. “But I was denied… didn’t make enough.” A small, apologetic breath. Her eyes softened, guilt threading through her voice. “I’m sorry.”
Kaelani reappeared in the entryway of her home. It was night. Quiet. Still. But the darkness didn’t feel unfamiliar anymore. It didn’t press in. Didn’t suffocate. It settled around her—familiar, almost comforting. The shadows seemed to embrace her, welcoming her back as if she had never left—
Jace stirred with a low groan, shifting against the damp grass at the lake’s edge. For a moment, he didn’t know what had woken him—only that the air felt different. Cooler. Lighter. The brutal heat of the desert had loosened its grip, replaced by a fragile calm that felt almost unreal after everyth
Seelie guards lined the corridor. Dozens of them. They were frozen mid-motion—caught in a single heartbeat of chaos. Some leaned forward as if running. Others had weapons half-drawn, expressions twisted in alarm or fury. Cloaks flared behind them, hair lifted as though by a wind that would never f
Watching. Julian swallowed. Slowly, he folded the map and stood, walking back toward Jace. “This is it,” he said, his voice low but certain. Jace squinted at the treeline, then back at Julian. “This is thee forest?” Julian nodded once. He took a step toward the shadows, eyes never leaving the
A shape shifted behind the leaves. Tall. Too tall. Its outline warped as it moved, stretching unnaturally, as if the shadows themselves were trying to stand upright. The whispers spiked, overlapping into something almost gleeful. Julian took a step forward. “Jace—wait—” The shape lunged. Jace







