LOGINALIYA’S POVI didn’t like the way Nicklaus looked at me as we left the watchtower.He hadn’t said much since the voice came from the box, but I could tell he was thinking about it. Every now and then, his golden eyes moved toward me as if he expected something strange to happen again. I was beginning to find it annoying, especially because I had no answers to give him.The box had stopped glowing, the prisoners were safe with his guards, and we had taken the paper containing the instructions. There was nothing more we could do at the watchtower that night without risking another encounter with whatever was inside that thing.I wanted to go home.Not because I was frightened, although I certainly wasn’t eager to hear that voice again, but because I needed my family. If the coalition was using dark magic to target both kingdoms, then I couldn’t keep relying on Nicklaus and his wolves to find answers. My people had their own magic, their own history, and their own ways of protecting our
Chapter 31ALIYA’S POV“Aliya.”The voice came from inside the watchtower again, and I stopped walking. It sounded like someone I knew, but I couldn’t place it. There was something strange about the way it called my name, almost as if the person speaking was struggling to reach me from a great distance.Nicklaus moved in front of me, his shoulders tense as he studied the broken windows.“Stay behind me until we know who’s inside.”“I can take care of myself.”“I know you can. That doesn’t mean I’m going to let you walk straight into a trap.”I wanted to argue, but the black glow coming from the tower made me reconsider. It wasn’t ordinary darkness. It moved along the stone walls like smoke, disappearing into cracks before returning to the surface. I could feel my magic responding to it, growing restless beneath my skin.The voice called my name a third time.Then someone screamed.I rushed toward the entrance, but Nicklaus caught my hand. His grip was firm without hurting me, and when
ALIYA’S POV “Close every exit.” My father’s voice cut through the room, and the guards immediately moved to obey him. Two hurried toward the main doors while another ran to inform the soldiers stationed outside the council chamber. I was still holding the piece of blackened metal in my hand. The symbol engraved on it looked simple enough, but I couldn’t stop thinking about where I had seen it before. Lord Cedric wore a ring with the same symbol. He had served my father for years and was one of the loudest voices against involving the werewolves in our investigation. He had also been the man who suggested that Nicklaus’s soldiers might be preparing an attack, even after my father warned everyone not to jump to conclusions. It was suspicious, but suspicion wasn’t proof. “Father, we need to find Lord Cedric,” I said. “I have already sent guards to look for him.” “Don’t let anyone tell him why you’re looking. If he’s involved, he’ll try to destroy whatever evidence he has
ALIYAI should have known my mother would not let me enjoy a single peaceful morning.I had barely finished breakfast when a servant informed me that Queen Diana wanted to see me in the royal sitting room. Judging by the careful way he avoided my eyes, I suspected she had already spent the morning discussing me with half the palace.I considered pretending I had somewhere important to be, but I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that would work.When I entered the sitting room, Mother was standing beside the window with a stack of papers in her hands. She looked up, and I immediately wished I had brought someone with me.“Sit down, Aliya.”I obeyed, keeping my expression neutral.“I have spent the entire morning speaking to representatives from Cyria,” she began. “They are understandably upset about the postponement. Some believe we are insulting their family, while others suspect we are hiding something.”“We are hiding something,” I muttered.Her eyes narrowed. “What was that?”“Nothin
ALIYABy the time we returned to the palace, I was exhausted, but there was no time to rest.News of Elijah’s kidnapping had spread through the royal household, and everyone seemed to be waiting for us. Guards stood near the entrance, servants hurried between rooms, and several members of the royal council had gathered in the main hall.The moment Elijah stepped out of the carriage, King Charles rushed toward him.“Elijah!”He grabbed his son’s shoulders, examining the bruises on his face before pulling him into a tight embrace. “What happened to you? Who did this?”“I’m fine, Father.”“You are clearly not fine!”Charles’s voice echoed through the hall, but his anger quickly gave way to concern when Elijah winced. He immediately loosened his grip and called for the royal healer.I stepped down from the carriage, barely having time to straighten my clothes before my mother rushed toward me.“Aliya!”She pulled me into her arms, holding me so tightly that I struggled to breathe. “Where
I had barely slept.Every time I closed my eyes, I thought about the wedding waiting for me in the morning. The dress my mother had chosen was hanging in my room, and the servants had spent most of the evening making sure everything was ready. Flowers had been delivered, guests were arriving, and the palace was busier than I had ever seen it.Everyone was excited about the union.Everyone except me.I stood in front of the mirror while Laura fixed the last few pins in my hair. She had been talking about the ceremony for nearly twenty minutes, but I had barely heard a word. My attention kept drifting to the door, and I could not stop checking the time.“Aliya, are you listening to me?” Laura asked, turning me toward her.“Of course.”“What did I just say?”“That my hair looks beautiful?”She gave me an unimpressed look. “I said you should stop looking as if you are about to be executed. You are getting married, not going to war.”I almost laughed. If only she knew how close those two th







