LOGINRaven The heavy oak doors to the council chamber loomed ahead, and despite the many months of relentless preparation leading to this moment, my palms were still damp against Neil’s. I squeezed his hand tighter, grounding myself in the warmth of his touch. Six months ago, I wouldn’t have imagined
“Not today,” Neil said, the faintest hint of a smirk touching his lips. Serena was the last to approach, her steps slow and deliberate. Her eyes locked onto Neil, flicking between the knife in his hand and Edrick’s body sprawled lifeless behind us. I felt my stomach twist painfully. I moved to p
Raven When I had killed Hannah, I thought that there was too much blood. But now, as I watched Neil fall to the stone floor, as that guttural scream ripped from my throat, I knew that that was nothing compared to the blood pooling around him now. He was losing too much blood to survive. Befo
He raised his sword and easily parried an attack with one hand. “And what’s that?” “I may not be the full-blood prince, but I was chosen to take that place. Perhaps that is worth more than your blood ties to the crown.” I pressed forward, hammering him with a series of strikes, but Edrick met me
Neil The blade in my hand felt heavier than it usually did. Maybe it was just my exhaustion, or maybe it was the weight of the crown that I wasn’t wearing yet that was dragging me down. Or maybe it was the feeling of everyone’s eyes on me. The warmth of my father’s blood still coating my hands.
Castor exhaled, dragging his free hand through his hair. “Raven… I know you think you can help, but if they see you here, it’ll only make things worse. Edrick’s been feeding the court lies for weeks. They’ll kill you on sight.” Shaking my head, I reached into my cloak and pulled out the pendant th
Neil The stone floor was unforgiving as I hit it for the second time, the rough surface scraping against my cheek. I spat a wad of blood out onto the ground, my arms twisting violently against the iron grips of the warriors holding me down. I fought like hell—had been fighting like hell since th
Raven My footsteps echoed faintly against the hardwood floors as I quickly moved from room to room, hastily stuffing what few clothes and essentials I might need for a quick journey into a travel bag. The pendant from my mother’s letter glinted faintly in the afternoon light, hanging around my nec
Raven The box was heavier than I expected. The ashes inside seemed to weigh more than my father ever did in life, and the idea of him reduced to this—just powder and bone fragments—made my throat tighten. I swallowed hard as I held the urn against my chest, my hands trembling. The nurse who ha
A note. My fingers shook as I picked it up, instantly recognizing Neil’s handwriting—he always wrote in all capital letters, like he was shouting. I swallowed hard and began to read. “Raven, There was an attack on the village last night—they breached the castle walls. During the attack, Serena







