“And yet,” he said, shifting closer, “you’re still standing.”That undid something in me. I stood, slowly, and faced him fully. The moonlight painted him silver: his cheekbones, his lashes, the edge of his jaw. The faintest shadow of stubble framed his mouth.His expression wasn’t commanding. It was
LilaThe invitation said seven o’clock, sharp. The palace had been a maze of surprises lately; most of them political, few of them pleasant. But this… this felt different.The greenhouse doors stood open, a warm spill of candlelight flickering out across the frost-covered stone path. For a moment, I
DamonThe ballroom shimmered with gold and candlelight; every surface polished to gleam and reflect power. Crystal chandeliers swayed faintly with the movement of the crowd, their light bending off silk coats and jewel-studded collars.I hated these events.I stood near the dais, half-listening to a
DamonThe frost on my window caught the morning light, spidering silver veins across the glass. I stood motionless in front of it, hands clasped tight behind my back, watching the courtyard below like a man waiting for battle—or for something worse.My gaze locked onto her before I even knew I was l
DamonThe clearing was already alive by the time I arrived—drums low and steady, a heartbeat in the dark. The full moon loomed high above it all, massive and pale, soaking the forest in silver.Tradition.I’d hated this place for years. At thirteen, Asher’s father had made me spar with some minor no
LilaThe air smelled like pine needles and smoke.The ceremonial clearing at the edge of the royal forest pulsed with sound and shadow—soft drums in the distance, voices murmuring low, the occasional sharp crack of a torch being lit.Lanterns hung from curved iron hooks planted in the earth, casting