Chapter 37 Whispers Of The Betrayer

• The night after the ritual, the palace felt… different. The air itself seemed to pulse with a new energy, as though thewalls had been infused with the soulbrand’s strength. The Crescent Flame banners hung heavier, their deep crimson seeming to drink in the moonlight.
• Lucia woke before dawn, her senses sharper than they had ever been. She could hear the faint scurry of mice in the cellar below, the quiet shuffle of the guards patrolling two courtyards away, even the whisper of the wind carrying scents from beyond the outer walls.
• Kelvin was still asleep beside her, his arm resting protectively over her waist. She studied his face for a moment—the strong jawline, the faint scar near his temple from a battle he never spoke of, the faintest trace of a smile even in sleep.