en's

heat of it thick and bitter. Three years of searching for a missing piece of my soul,

r, but the intent was loud because he wanted the title and the crown, leaving the

eaked before Cleme

They're

ree winters ago, making him the only man here who d

m aw

chin, turning as his boots re

a cold shroud against my shoulders. I buttoned it, the fabric stiff,

aused because voices drif

voice whispered, "that's

a mask, and I di

inward. The yellow glow of the chandeliers caught the crowd, silencing the roo

her sitting on the dais. Kael stood at my father's right

ing," a noble lady whispered as I

ing her to go c

the floor as she drifted toward me. She stopped, inva

e perfume sprayed over rot. I caught her wrist, feeling how fragile

"you feel that, don't yo

too hard," I sai

ed," she whispered, her

cold. I pulled her in with one hand at her waist for a performance for

is steps with the predatory gr

his tone a polished blade. "Finall

I said, releasing the noble lady as I stepped directly into

re about posture-they care about the line of

e room. "Father! Perhaps we should stop pretending,

up a glass of wine, which tasted of iron and black c

e terrifyingly calm. "The clock doe

reak under my weight as I dropped to one knee befor

hispered, touching the edge

etely unfocused. "She's bleeding, Damien

l me

an elder interrupted, "

as the elder's inner wolf paced, the smell

sentence,"

tory," the elder said,

to my mothe

forward. "You're chasing ghosts

the surface to drop on Kael like an avalanche of ic

e blood trickle from his lip. "I'm st

k, leaving the room silent

my mother

a physical blow, making my w

at