The door shut behind me with a dull thud. A single lantern hung crooked on a post outside, its flame guttering against the wind.I moved beyond its reach and leaned against the dirty wall, pulling a thin cigarette from my pocket. I lit it with a flick of my thumb, inhaled deeply, and closed my eyes
AsherThe tavern smelled like old Rogues and fresh blood.It was the kind of place that never saw daylight, being wedged between crumbling stone deep in the less wealthy edge of the capital.No banners here. No royal colors. Just soot-stained wood, a haze of smoke from cheap cigars, and a bartender
I didn’t answer right away. I stood at the window, arms wrapped tight around my middle, as if holding myself would keep my emotions from spilling out.A pause. Then the door creaked open.“Lila?” Emma’s voice was gentle. She slipped inside and closed the door behind her without waiting for permissio
LilaThe first thing I felt was heat.Not warmth—heat. Stale and thick. It was so how I forgot how to breathe. My skin clung to the sheets with sweat, my limbs heavy as soaked wool.Every part of me pulsed with fatigue, even my bones. The taste in my mouth was bitter, metallic, as if I’d bitten down
I stood again and went to the basin, splashing cold water over my face, letting it drip from my jaw onto the front of my tunic. My reflection stared back from the darkened mirror—too tired, too pale, too uncertain.Then I sat at the desk, letter before me, unopened still. I rested both hands flat on
DamonThe council chamber was still humming with posturing and layered innuendo when the phrase drifted past me, though I was sure it wasn’t meant for my ears.“…illegitimate heirs are always the most dangerous,” one of the lesser lords muttered, lips half-concealed behind a goblet of mulled wine.I