LOGINDrogo’s POVThe wind howling through the upper crags carried the sharp bite of impending winter. As we climbed higher along the narrow ledge, the pine trees thinned out, leaving only jagged black rock and patches of frozen mud along the trail.“The atmosphere up here feels different,” Liana said, reining her mare closer to the mountain wall as loose gravel skittered down the steep drop to our left. “The magic in the rock is erratic.”“Vanya said the third pillar was shattered during the purge,” I reminded her, keeping my broadsword unlatched in its scabbard so I could draw it instantly. “If the core crystal was ripped out, the ley line has been bleeding raw energy into these rocks for twenty-three years.”“Which explains why nothing grows up here,” Liana noted, looking at the twisted, leafless roots clinging to the granite cliffs above us.The golden bond between us remained steady, but as we approached the throat of the pass, a persistent static buzz began to hum against the back of
Liana’s POVI stared at the woman standing on the rocky ridge, my fingers instinctively tightening around the hilt of the small iron knife tucked into my belt.“My mother’s midwife?” I asked, keeping my voice steady while Drogo remained half a pace in front of me, his hand resting firmly on his broadsword. “The records in the high hall said everyone in the inner circle was executed during the purge.”“The council wrote those records to satisfy their own guilt,” Vanya replied, her dry voice carrying easily over the mountain wind. She leaned her weight onto her wooden staff, her pale silver eyes scanning my face with quiet, intense scrutiny. “They wanted to believe they had wiped out every trace of the silver line so they could sleep at night.”“Why stay on this ridge for twenty-three years?” Drogo demanded, his gaze locked on the old woman as his wolf hummed defensively beneath his skin. “If you survived the purge, you could have fled south past the river.”“I stayed because the land r
Drogo’s POVThe council hall was quieter than I had ever seen it. Where dozens of arguing elders usually filled the stone benches, only Soren and Elder Orson remained, reviewing a map of the border passes spread across the central table.“The border patrols have reported no movement from Crescent Moon since yesterday,” Soren said, tapping a marked route near the river. “Cassian’s guard has pulled back entirely to protect the city gates.”“And the trade routes?” I asked, leaning over the table to inspect the mountain paths.“Merchant caravans are moving again,” Orson answered, adjusting his spectacles as he glanced up at me. “The merchants were hesitant at first, but with Commander Vane’s vanguard securing the road, confidence has returned quickly.”“That is good news,” Liana said, stepping into the hall from the side corridor.She carried her mother’s leather-bound journal in one hand, her fingers resting lightly over the silver clasp. The golden bond connecting us hummed with a calm,
Liana’s POVThe morning sun filtered through the high, arched windows of the alpha’s quarters, casting long strips of amber light across the wide wooden bed. I sat on the edge of the mattress, running my thumb over the polished wooden wolf Wynn had given me in the valley.“You are thinking about the council,” Drogo said, walking into the room with a silver tray bearing two mugs of hot tea.“I am thinking about how strange it feels not to be running,” I replied, setting the small carving on the bedside table before taking one of the mugs from his hand. “For three months, every time I woke up, someone was either trying to kill me, challenge my bloodline, or hand me a blade.”Drogo sat down beside me, the mattress shifting under his weight as he rested his arm along the headboard behind my shoulders.“Well, today the only thing on your schedule is listening to Elder Orson explain the winter grain storage.”“I might prefer the blade,” I teased, letting out a soft laugh as I leaned my head
Liana's POVThe morning sun broke over the eastern ridge, painting the valley in warm shades of gold and amber as our column crossed the physical border into Silvercrest territory. Behind us, the smoke rising from Crescent Moon's distant fortress had thinned to a faint gray ribbon against the sky.Commander Vane rode ten paces ahead, his black war banner lowered in a silent gesture of deference. The three hundred warriors of the vanguard maintained a slow, solemn pace.“How does your palm feel?” I asked, turning in my saddle to look at Baylor.He rode beside Sable, his right hand wrapped tightly in clean white linen. “The heat is gone,” Baylor answered, flexing his fingers carefully. “The mark is still there, but it feels dormant. Like a scar instead of an open wound.”“It will stay dormant as long as the throne remains empty,” Sable added, keeping her horse close to his. “Cassian will be too busy managing the panic in the capital to worry about hunting us down anytime soon.”“Let him
Liana’s POVBaylor’s scream tore through the silent valley, cutting off every word before it could form.He hit the dirt hard, writhing on the packed earth as the crescent mark on his bared palm blazed with a blinding, crimson light. The fire did not burn his skin, but it bled outward in thick, pulsing veins that crept up his forearm before disappearing beneath his leather sleeve.“Baylor!” Sable yelled, dropping from her saddle and throwing herself down beside him in the dirt.She grabbed his shoulders, trying to hold him steady, but his body convulsed as the ancient magic dragged him against the ground. The black smoke pouring from Crescent Moon’s distant keep twisted into a towering spiral against the night sky, darkening the stars above us.I swung down from my mare, clutching the silver casket against my ribs as I rushed to Baylor’s side. The silver strands woven into my hair buzzed furiously, reacting to the violent surge of power rolling down the trade road.“It is Corwin!” Bay







