A Cage of Vel

At night, the wind howled through the rafters like ghosts mourning what had once been warm. But nothing inside those wall

inly not

leeves of the gowns they forced her to wear. She felt like a doll-dressed, posed, paraded, but never seen. Her room was spaciou

splendor, it w

then, he'd only barked orders. No good mornings. No shared meals. Not even a glance in her

In how the servants dropped their voices to whispers. In the eyes of the

a weight that was not her

d her, Aria would stand at the window and stare into the wild fore

ld herself. One

ng had been

s along a long, blackwood table. Kael stood at the head, as imp

stioned her. P

ts do you b

u even

s strength, not

aid no

they mo

he fumbled

ed her goblet and spill

presence were a shadow that would

o her room and locked the

idn't

ng inside h

ame in

in-training would sneak through the servant tunne

ed one night, brushing Aria's tangled h

nk he'

d. "You sh

ed. "You kn

Listening. Finding allies. You

ror, studied the girl with

p," she said.

s returned wi

ring through the trees. And always, a

heart pounding, the silence in her

he had one-re

r of power beneath her skin. That was part of

ms... they f

was waking

rned to

ping through the estate like a s

ng. Her laugh echoed like a blade drawn in delight. She k

e let

let

ak in low tones beside the hearth. Selene's hand on his

d and wal

dn't s

n't

ote it

ok that Lila h

. He didn't stop her ey

kness came

in the garden. Then a sharp cramp that had he

physician w

e whispered cha

e with

nished benea

no one

la whispered fiercely. "H

ria said, hands over her belly. "How c

hey find out. Before Selen

the moon thro

has be

ade a

supplies beneath her bed. Learned gu

l watched her

st time... more close

e pale. The way she avoided meat

wolf

t act. Could no

ed the

d disappear-and take h

ch cold glance, each night spent staring at the ceiling wondering if her child would grow up in chains, too. She had no illusions of Kael's affection. He hadn't even not

contin