Dawn came slowly over the vampire kingdom.
It did not arrive with warmth.
It did not bring comfort.
The sun was still a distant ruler beyond the mountains, its light too weak to pierce the heavy enchantments that cloaked the palace.
What filtered through the tall stained windows was a pale, colorless gray—enough to reveal shapes, enough to remind the world that time still moved forward.
Even for monsters.
The palace was quieter than it had been the night before, but not peaceful.
Quiet, Aria had learned, was often when the worst things happened.
Lady Selene had not slept.
She sat in a high-backed chair inside a chamber she did not recognize not a dungeon, not a guest room, but something in between.
A place meant for questions.
The walls were stone, bare except for a single iron sconce burning with blue flame. The air was cold, unnaturally so, as if the room itself disapproved of her presence.
Two guards stood at the door.
Silent.
Unmoving.
