Chapter 98

• Kael’s Pov
• Sleep had become a luxury I could no longer afford. The study room had turned into my second skin, the walls and shelves filled with maps, parchments, and blood-stained reports that told a story I did not want to hear. The candles had melted into puddles of wax, their weak flames flickering against the darkness of my thoughts. Alera had gone about tending to the people, moving from place to place like she carried their burdens in her own hands, while Lira assisted Maya with rearrangements within the clans. I could see how their efforts gave the people a false sense of calm, but beneath it, I knew the kingdom trembled.
• Everywhere, a new safety caution had been passed around. Suspicion ran like wildfire; neighbors questioning neighbors, strangers being followed with wary eyes, and every corner held the possibility of betrayal. We had urged everyone to report any strange movement, any unfamiliar scent or shadow. But deep inside, I wondered if caution was enough when the storm was already inside our gates.