POV EMMA BELLE
The war room of the Black Crag was a cavernous space filled with the flickering orange light of torches and the heavy scent of old parchment. Nathaniel was hunched over a map of the southern territories, his silver eyes scanning the logistics of the Council's stronghold. Damon was at the far end of the hall, roaring orders to the battalion commanders.
But my mind was elsewhere. It was still anchored to the children of the Eclipse Pack—the small, innocent hands that used to reach for the extra scraps of bread I hid in my apron. The Council had taken them. And they had done it because of me.
"You're overthinking the pieces on the board, Little Queen," a voice whispered from the darkness behind me.
I jumped, spinning around. Vincent was leaning against a black stone pillar, his dark eyes almost invisible in the gloom. He moved with such silence that it felt like he was made of the very shadows he commanded.
"They have the children, Vincent," I said, my voice tight. "I can't just sit here and plan. Every hour we wait, they're terrified."
Vincent stepped into the light. He looked different tonight—less like a lethal shadow and more like a man burdened by centuries of secrets. "They are leverage, Emma. The Council doesn't kill leverage until it's used. You have time, though not much."
He walked toward the balcony that overlooked the training courtyard. Below, in the moonlight, I could see a blonde blur moving with impossible speed. Félix was training, his bow singing as he released arrow after arrow into moving targets. Even from this distance, I could see the sweat glistening on his freckled skin and the sheer, raw joy he found in the movement.
"He hasn't stopped since the sun went down," Vincent remarked, his gaze fixed on Félix.
"He's worried," I murmured, leaning against the cold stone railing. "He hides it behind the jokes and the nickname, but he's terrified for the kids. He knows what it's like to be the one nobody wants."
Vincent turned to look at me. His stare was intense, almost intrusive. "He's not just worried about the children, Emma. He's worried about you. He's seen the way Damon looks at you. He's seen the way Nathaniel is beginning to map out your soul. And Félix… Félix is afraid that in a world of kings and strategists, there's no room for a rebel."
I looked back down at Félix. He had just hit three bullseyes in a row and was laughing to himself, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "There's always room for him. He was the first one who saw me, Vincent. Not the Queen. Just Emma."
Vincent moved closer, his presence like a cool breeze on a summer night. He placed a hand on the railing next to mine. "I see things, Emma. I see the threads of the moon that connect us all. Nathaniel is your mind. Damon is your shield. I am your shadow."
He paused, his voice dropping to a low, melodic rasp. "But Félix? Félix is your heart. I've watched the way your scents entwine when you think no one is looking. The way your pulse evens out when he's in the room."
I felt my cheeks flush. "We've just met, Vincent. The world is ending. It's the bond, it's—"
"It's more than the bond," Vincent interrupted softly. He turned fully toward me, his dark eyes searching mine. "I've lived in the dark for a long time, Emma Belle. I know the difference between a fated tether and a choice. And I believe that despite the war, despite the other three of us... Félix and you will end up truly, deeply in love."
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. I looked back at Félix. As if he sensed my gaze, he stopped. He looked up at the balcony, saw me, and flashed a wide, hoyuelo-filled grin. He waved his bow in the air before leaping into a backflip and continuing his run.
"You say that like it's a prophecy," I said, my heart fluttering.
"In this world, love is the only thing the Council can't predict," Vincent replied. "Damon will demand your loyalty. Nathaniel will demand your excellence. I will demand your secrets. But Félix? He only demands your happiness. And that makes him the most dangerous of us all."
I looked at Vincent, seeing the loneliness in his eyes. I reached out and touched his arm. "And what about you, Vincent? Where do you fit in this love you predict?"
Vincent gave me a small, sad smile. He took my hand and pressed a cold, ghostly kiss to my knuckles. "I am the shadow that ensures the light can shine, Emma. My love is silent. But don't doubt for a second that I wouldn't burn the heavens to keep you safe."
He stepped back, retreating into the darkness before I could answer. "Go to him," he whispered from the void. "He's waiting for a reason to keep fighting. Be that reason."
I didn't wait. I practically ran down the stone stairs, my white cloak billowing behind me. I burst into the training courtyard just as Félix was retrieving his arrows from a target.
"Whoa! Easy there, Little Bird!" he laughed, spinning around as I skidded to a halt in the dirt. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Was it Vincent? He really needs to work on his entrance."
I didn't say anything. I just walked straight up to him. The scent of pine, sweat, and pure adrenaline was overwhelming. I reached up, grabbed the front of his training tunic, and pulled him down.
I didn't kiss him. Not yet. I just buried my face in his chest, breathing him in.
Félix froze for a second, his bow clattering to the ground. Then, his arms wrapped around me, pulling me so tight I could feel every muscle in his agressive, athletic frame. He rested his chin on the top of my head, his breath hitching.
"Emma?" he whispered, the playfulness gone. "What happened? Did the Council—"
"I'm just tired of the kings and the wars, Lixie," I murmured into his skin. "I just wanted to find you."
He let out a long, shaky breath, his grip tightening. "You found me. I'm right here. I'm always right here."
He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. His green gaze was soft, filled with a raw vulnerability that I hadn't seen in the others. He reached out, his thumb brushing a stray hair from my forehead, his fingers lingering on my freckles.
"You're glowing, Little Bird," he whispered. "The light... it's beautiful on you."
"Lixie..." I started, but he shook his head.
"I know what Vincent told you," he said, his voice dropping. "I saw him talking to you on the balcony. He's a shadow-walker, Emma. He hears the whispers of the soul. And he's right."
Félix leaned in, his lips inches from mine. "I don't care about the throne. I don't care about the lineage. I just want to be the one who makes you laugh when the world is screaming. Is that okay?"
"It's more than okay," I breathed.
He leaned in, and for a second, I thought he was finally going to kiss me. I wanted him to. I needed the fire of his soul to drown out the cold of the Council's threat.
But then, a heavy, rhythmic thud echoed through the courtyard.
Damon.
He stood at the edge of the training grounds, his golden eyes burning with a mixture of authority and jealousy. Beside him stood Nathaniel, looking calm but with his silver eyes fixed on the way Félix was holding me.
"The scouts are back," Damon growled, his voice a low rumble of warning. "The Council isn't waiting for us to attack. They've moved the children to the Obsidian Spire. It's a death trap."
Félix let go of me, though his hand lingered on my waist for a second too long, a silent act of defiance. He turned to face Damon, his expression hardening. "Then we move tonight."
"We move now," Nathaniel corrected, stepping forward. "But we don't go as an army. We go as a strike team. The Four Kings and their Queen."
Damon walked over, stopping in front of me. He looked at Félix, then at me. He reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You ready for this, Emma? This isn't a skirmish in the snow. This is the heart of the enemy."
I looked at Damon's intensity, then at Nathaniel's brilliance, and finally at Félix, who gave me a small, encouraging wink. I felt the shadow of Vincent watching us from the walls.
"I was born for this," I said, my voice resonating with the power of the White Queen.
But as we turned to head toward the armory, I looked back at the spot where I'd stood with Félix. Vincent's words echoed in my mind. Félix and you will end up truly, deeply in love.
The war was coming, and I had four kings to lead. But as I strapped on my daggers, I realized that I wasn't just fighting for a throne. I was fighting for the heart that finally made me feel alive.
"Let's go, boys," I said, my violet light flaring. "We have a pack to save."