O: The Kin

he palace pressed in

her footsteps echoing behind his. No words. No introductions. Just the rhythmic

ed him as

ike smoke woven with secrets. His face was mostly obscured-half-hooded, half-turned away. But she

glance bac

be

of silent, brooding monster,

oating orbs-no torches, no flames. The light here fe

ped at the edg

ed it im

ce wasn'

watch

ed in a tongue she couldn't understand. A bree

a throne made of bone

he didn

touch of her temper show, "This

ilted, jus

my home, brought me across cursed borders, into a castle th

pa

his

gravel being pull

steal you

the way it echoed from the walls and whispered back to her

he added, turning sl

od fel

a forgot how

ly symmetrical. His skin was pale, like stone left beneath moonlight, and his eyes-re

hing

king. "A sword at your back i

of his mout

a sm

lic

ou would be..

ere told c

red at e

pped c

idn't

not even as the strange light flick

ant to be he

N

loria, dancing with mortal suit

N

pa

w lifte

now she wasn't afraid. "I would rather be anywhere but unde

r for a long,

m not what

ftly. "You never

er si

hem felt like it

ed away

mbers are

hesi

fol

se she tr

at. Even when the darkness feels