ANMELDENELISE’S POVYEARS LATER.The sun was warm that morning. The golden light filled the gardens. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could just sit and breathe without fear sitting heavy in my chest. The air smelled sweet, full of roses, and the world felt gentle again.I sat under the will
Elise’s POVThe world stopped spinning the moment I saw it.The devourer.The thing Gina had called forth twisted behind her in a storm of shadows. Its form shifted into many forms. It was almost too terrible for the eyes to follow. It looked like smoke given flesh, like nightmares sculpted into bei
I swallowed hard. My tears blurred my vision.“Gina,” I whispered “This ends tonight. You and me.”The fight exploded in an instant.The courtyard shook beneath my feet as Gina and I circled each other.Gina tilted her head. Lyra whimpered in her arms. Every time my daughter screamed, the earth spli
ELISE’S POVJackson’s body was warm in my arms, but the life had already drained from his eyes. His lips were parted slightly, as if he still wanted to say something—something he hadn’t gotten the chance to tell me. My throat burned as I swallowed hard. Tears rolled down my eyes.Gina laughed loudly
ELISE’S POVI ran out of the battle field. I let my wolf guide me to Gina’s location. I could already perceive her scent in the air. But then I heard it.The scream.“Help! Someone—please!”My blood ran cold. That voice… it was my mother’s.I didn’t even think. My feet carried me , tracing her voice
ELISE’S POVThe sky darkened, swallowing every trace of sunlight. The eclipse had come.I stood at the window, staring at the darkness in the heavens. My heart was pounding so loud it drowned out the silence. The shadows crawled across the walls of the castle. The air was heavy with dread, and deep
And Jackson...That name tasted like ash now. I used to want him. Gods, I loved him, even though I was using him. I gave him my best years… and he… he wanted me dead.And now, now he wanted to find me? What for? To finish the job?No. He wanted revenge, maybe even a second chance with Elise. I saw i
I had just gained their trust. I wasn’t in the high ranks yet but I was climbing, slowly but surely. And when I got high enough, I’d make sure none of them could breathe without asking my permission.But that night… that night wasn’t about power. It was about revenge.I returned to my chamber in the
GINA’S POV The ruins creaked as I stepped on them, but they were mine. It didn’t matter that I had once lived in palaces. Here, there was power. And that was what I had always wanted. This place… it had once belonged to exiled royals. Where I was now was an outpost carved into the edge of the Blac
FERRIS’ POVThe moment Raven stepped into the space, the atmosphere shifted.She walked in silently, wearing a black cloak that moved like shadows themselves. When she got to where I stood, she bowed her head in respect. The guards instinctively stepped away from her. She didn’t need authority. She







