LOGIN"Margaret," Wren said quietly, and the name hung in the cold night air between them like something physical, something Gianna could reach out and touch. "Pietra's older sister. The one who once ran the dress shop in Valemont." Gianna's mind reeled backward through months of memory, back to the humiliation of that terrible fitting room, the rags Margaret had handed her disguised as wedding dresses, the vicious slap that had followed her cruel words. She remembered the woman's fury after Gianna had ruined her business, the way she'd knelt begging at the palace gates, the punishment Gianna had delivered without mercy in that moment of righteous anger. "That's impossible," Gianna said, though even as she spoke the words, some instinct told her they weren't true at all. "She lost everything. Her shop, her reputation, her livelihood. How could a woman like that possibly build a network dangerous enough to be trading in cursed artifacts and stolen fae blood?" "Desperation and spite are
Cyrus managed a few more details as Fenna finished bandaging his ribs, his swollen lips making every word a visible effort. "They left hours before you arrived," he said. "I heard them talking while they thought I was unconscious. They intend to sell the vial at auction, to whoever offers the highest price. They said something so rare would attract buyers from every corner of the kingdom, even beyond it.""Did they mention any names?" Nolan asked, crouching beside him despite the lingering anger still simmering beneath his concern. "Any location where this auction might take place?"Cyrus shook his head slowly, wincing at the movement. "No names. Only that word traveled fast among certain circles once something this valuable became available. They seemed confident buyers would find them, rather than the other way around."Nolan straightened, frustration evident in the tight set of his jaw. He glanced toward Gianna, and something in his expression made clear the thought crossing his mi
The letter was short, the handwriting cramped and hurried, as though Cyrus had written it in secret, with little time and even less certainty that it would ever reach its destination.I'm sorry. Truly, I am. I know nothing I say can excuse what I've done, but please understand, I had no choice. The men I spoke with in the border town weren't simple traders. They found out about Pietra somehow, about where she lives now with her farmer, and they threatened to kill her unless I brought them something valuable enough to satisfy their demands. I didn't know what else to do. Luna's blood was the only thing I could think of, the only thing rare enough to convince them to leave Pietra alone. I know this makes me a coward and a traitor both. I only ask that you understand I did it out of desperation, not malice. Please, protect Luna. Whatever they intend to do with what I've given them, I fear it isn't good. — Cyrus.Gianna read the note twice, three times, her emotions warring violently with
Three days passed with no word from Cyrus, and the palace settled into a cautious assumption that he had simply needed distance, time to process the complicated tangle of emotions his confrontation with Nolan had clearly stirred within him. Gianna checked in with Pietra periodically, finding the woman withdrawn and quiet, her earlier tears replaced now by a careful, guarded stillness that suggested she too was avoiding whatever conversation might arise from Cyrus's sudden absence.It was on the third morning that a messenger arrived at the palace gates, bearing a sealed letter addressed formally to Nolan, its wax stamp bearing an unfamiliar crest that neither he nor Gianna immediately recognized.Nolan broke the seal in the privacy of his study, Gianna standing beside him as he unfolded the parchment and began reading aloud."To His Majesty King Nolan," he read, his voice carrying growing confusion as the words continued, "this letter comes from the Council of Alphas representing the
Nolan felt something cold and sharp settle in his chest the moment he heard Cyrus speak Gianna's name with such unguarded intensity, the weight of it hanging in the air long after the word itself had faded. Pietra's face crumpled at the sound, her hand slipping slowly from Cyrus's, though she said nothing, simply staring at him with an expression caught somewhere between hurt and resignation.Fenna moved quickly to fill the awkward silence, checking Cyrus's pulse and asking careful questions about how he felt, giving everyone in the room something practical to focus on other than the uncomfortable truth that had just been laid bare. Gianna, for her part, stepped forward with brisk efficiency, offering Cyrus water and asking Fenna about his recovery timeline, deliberately steering the conversation away from anything personal.But Nolan noticed everything. He noticed the way Cyrus's eyes tracked Gianna's every movement around the room. He noticed the small, involuntary softening in his
They argued late into the night, the disagreement stretching far beyond the healing room into their private chambers, both of them too exhausted and raw from everything they'd already survived to find the gentle patience that usually characterized their conversations. Luna slept peacefully in her crib nearby, entirely unaware of the tension building around her small, sleeping form."You keep acting as though I'm asking you to hand her over to another enemy," Gianna said, pacing the length of their room, her frustration finally breaking through the exhaustion that had settled deep into her bones. "This isn't the same, Nolan. Fenna will supervise every single moment of it. One drop of blood. That's all it requires.""One drop turned into an entire ritual last time," Nolan said, though the fight in his voice had noticeably softened compared to earlier in the day. "I watched her body light up so brightly it knocked grown men off their feet. I don't know what small amounts of her blood mig
Gianna turned around slowly.Nolan was still standing by the window, his expression unreadable in the firelight."You found him," she said."I did.""Who was it?""A council member named Broderick. He holds a seat in the lower chamber and oversees trade regulations for the outer markets."Gianna fr
Chapter FiveThe King didn't look at her again.He moved to the head of the table, sat, and the entire banquet resumed around him, everyone pretending the last five minutes had been completely normal.Gianna walked back to their seats with Cyrus's hand clamped around her elbow the entire way.He l
Chapter TwoShe was having the best dream of her life.She didn't know what it was about – just that it was warm, and she was laughing, and nothing hurt.Then she felt eyes on her.Gianna's eyes snapped open.A man was sitting in the chair right beside her bed, close enough that she could see the i
Chapter OneThe gates swung open at dusk. Gianna heard the patrol return before she saw it – boots on gravel, wolves shifting back to skin, the familiar chaos of Valemont's warriors coming home.She was standing on the upper terrace with a glass of wine when she saw Cyrus walk through the main ga







