The magic came first whispers from the trees, a tremble in the marble, stars aligning without warning.
Then Aurelia felt it.
In the middle of the night, as she stood barefoot in the courtyard, silver moonlight pooled around her like liquid light.
Lucien came to her without words, wrapping his arms around her waist. He felt it too.
She was with child.
But the moment was not without consequence. The spirit guardians awakened. The protective sigil on her wrist glowed hot. Somewhere deep in the archives, the Book of Unmaking turned a page on its own.
And in the Roman shadows, the High Priestess smiled. "The Age of Equilibrium begins."