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
Jace didn’t answer immediately. He turned a few more fragile pages, reading over a paragraph in silence before nodding. “All Fae can teleport—but only within their own realm. Traveling between realms… that’s different. That’s called realm-walking. And according to this, it’s only possible for those
She took a breath. “It began with whispers. Maidens found lifeless in their beds. Whole villages cloaked in mourning and terror. Lyressa launched a public investigation, claiming it to be some kind of plague. But that was quickly dismissed since it was only targeting young women. So, Lyressa appoin
Kaelani stirred. For a moment, she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming. The bed beneath her was too soft, the sheets too smooth. The scent in the air—wild jasmine and something unfamiliar. It wasn’t her bakery. It wasn’t her home. It wasn’t anywhere she knew. Her eyes blinked open slowly. The room wa
“Endless night,” she said softly. “Some of us, like myself, have only ever known it to be this way. But those whose years in this world far exceed mine…” Her voice grew wistful, “They remember a time when there was light.” Kaelani slowly turned, her brow creasing. “You mean… daylight?” she asked.







