Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The moon was high when I found myself at the outskirts of the kingdom. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and something else—something foreign.
And then I saw him.
A lone figure standing just beyond the treeline, his silhouette half-shrouded in darkness.
My pulse quickened.
I should have turned back.
But instead, I stepped forward.
"You shouldn't be here."
His voice was smooth, edged with something almost amused.
I swallowed. "Neither should you."
A low chuckle. "Fair point."
As he moved into the light, my breath caught.
He was tall, lean but strong, his hair a wild mess of dark waves, his golden eyes piercing beneath the night sky. But it wasn't his appearance that sent unease trickling down my spine—
It was the feeling that radiated from him.
Like he knew something I didn't.
"You're Riven," I said, more a statement than a question.
His lips quirked. "Ah. So you've heard of me."
"An exiled prince is hard to ignore."
Riven chuckled, crossing his arms as he studied me. "And yet, it seems I'm not the only curiosity in this kingdom."
I tensed. "What do you want?"
His expression darkened slightly. "To warn you."
A chill ran through me. "Warn me?"
Riven took a step closer, his voice dropping lower.
"You're not just some lost human who stumbled into our world, Luna," he murmured. "You don't belong here—but not for the reasons they think."
The words felt like a knife twisting in my gut.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," I shot back.
His eyes gleamed. "Don't I?"
Riven leaned in, just enough that I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin.
"There are forces at play that you can't begin to understand," he whispered. "And if you stay here, you'll be the one who burns when it all falls apart."
A cold dread coiled in my stomach.
And in that moment, I realized—
I believed him.
***
(To be continued…)