Mag-log in“Do you remember what he looked like?”“It’s all a blur. Sorry.”I nodded slowly, looking around again. I spotted Max on the other side of the yard, returning to his work with a group of other males.“What’s the labor for?” I asked. “Are we building something?”“We think it’s for an army. The stone
Natalia’s POVBy the end of the first hour, my shoulders were burning and my palms had gone from sore to numb. The rock I’d been assigned to break with a heavy pickaxe was dense and black, and I was expected to break it into small pieces, then place them on a large wagon. One of those awful gray thi
A pair of figures crossed our path as we walked across the roadway. We fell into step behind them naturally, matching their pace. Neither of them looked back.The water trough was near the center of the settlement. I spotted a short line of people standing in front of it. It wasn’t running water, bu
Natalia’s POVI jerked awake with a gasp.The red sky was the same as it always was. Max was curled on his side a few feet away, still asleep, his chest rising and falling slowly. Nothing had moved. Nothing had changed.I pressed my hand flat against the ground and steadied my breathing.The vision
Natalia’s POVThe report came back the following morning. I’d hardly slept that night, which was strange for me; usually, sleep came quickly and efficiently, serving purely as a means to regain my energy for another day of hard work.But last night, I kept tossing and turning. That pull in my chest
“It’s no use!” I heard her voice call after me. “He’s already gone, you stupid bitch! He’s not who you think he is anymore! You’ll all die here!”Her words struck me somewhere deep and painful, but I kept running. We didn’t stop until the hovel was well out of sight. Only then, once we were certain
Natalia“We need to send them away,” I finally said.Damon’s face crumpled. “I know.”The words felt like a knife twisting in my chest. We’d been dancing around this conversation all night, ever since we’d returned from the meeting with Andrei.With the Moonshadow warriors arriving in the morning, i
I could see it now, plain as day. This wasn’t just about anger or fear. It was about jealousy. Hurt. Rejection.“I care about you, Natalia,” Damon said, his voice cracking slightly. “More than I should. I know our marriage is just for show, but I’ve always hoped that maybe, someday, you might see me
“One spoonful, mixed with water, as needed,” she instructed, handing me the vial. “No more than once a week, and never for more than a month at a time.”“I understand,” I said, taking the vial. It was surprisingly warm in my palm, and the liquid inside was swirling with flecks of gold. “What do I ow
“It always is.” Emily’s eyes softened slightly. “Look, I don’t claim to understand what happened between you two. But these past five years, you’ve been good to us. Good to my mother. So I won’t hold it against you more than I have to.”“Thanks, Emily. That means a lot.”She simply shrugged, drying







