Mag-log inThe curse is gone. Not just broken, not just lifted—but dissolved so completely that the land feels as if it never bore its weight.The air is softer, sweeter, touched by a warmth that runs deeper than the sun. It thrums beneath my bare feet with each step I take across the moss-laced path.The Holl
Elunara trembles in my arms, her skin slick with sweat. Her breath still comes fast, but the magic has begun to settle.The earth is quiet again. Not empty—sated.She leans into my chest, exhausted and radiant. I press a kiss to her temple, tasting the salt of her skin. My lips linger there longer t
“Perfect,” he breathes. “Made for us. Made for me.”The words unravel me.There is no fear. No doubt. Only the sound of skin against skin, the heat of him inside me, the pull of his mouth at my breast, and the wild, holy thing rising in my chest that screams yes as I shatter around him.Yes to this
I lower myself onto him slowly, deliberately. Every inch of contact is heat and friction and desperate need. His hands grip my hips like he’s anchoring himself to the world through me.As I take him fully, a gasp breaks from my lips—and a low growl rumbles from his throat.“Khael…” I whisper, overwh
The people on the other side of the veil stand silent from where I am, their mouths parted in cheers I cannot yet receive. But I feel them. In my ribs. In my throat. In the hollow of my chest.It’s not just their joy. It’s their welcome.I’ve never known these people. And still, I know them. Not by
We move as one toward the edge of the Hollow, toward the field where the veil thinned under the last full moon. Where we showed her what remained of our world beyond.The stars blaze above, casting a bright light against the obsidian sky. The Milk Moon hasn’t reached its peak yet, but it’s close. Hi
I bolt off the bed, my feet hitting the floor harder than I mean to as adrenaline surges through me. My body moves before my mind can catch up. It doesn’t matter. I know instinctively what has to be done.The room is a mess of papers and open books, but I know what I’m looking for.It’s there—half-b
“No,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “You don’t get to carry this alone anymore. I won’t let you.”I reach for him again.The force flares stronger this time. I’m shoved back hard enough that I skid across the ground, dirt catching beneath my nails.When I lift my gaze again, Khael has shi
Just before I close my eyes, I reach for Khael’s hand. My fingers find his with ease, but the temperature of his skin startles me. He’s colder than he was even this morning. The change is subtle, but it cuts straight through my chest like a jagged blade. I curl my fingers tighter around his. My puls
One by one, she threads the clay beads onto the braid, their uneven shapes catching against each other. Then she opens a thick book I know immediately—it’s Khael’s. A botanical record. I’d seen him flipping through it on quiet nights when he thought no one noticed.She turns the pages as if they’re







