Luna Everleigh's POV
***
I didn't tell Rhydian.
Not yet.
He had enough to worry about—the kingdom, the council, his own wounds that hadn't fully healed. The weight of leadership pressed down on him, and the last thing I wanted was to add my own fears to the burden.
So instead, I stood by his side as the celebration began.
The grand hall was alight with candles, the scent of wine and roasted meat filling the air. Laughter echoed off the stone walls. It was a rare moment of peace, a chance to breathe after the chaos of war.
But beneath the music and revelry, I could sense it—an unease lingering beneath the surface. Rhydian felt it too.
His hand found mine, fingers lacing together in a silent question.
Are you okay?
I forced a smile and squeezed his hand.
Before he could press further, the doors burst open.
A gust of wind rushed through the hall, snuffing out half the candles in an instant. The music faltered. A hush fell over the crowd.
And then, they stepped inside.
Figures cloaked in shadow, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light.
Not rogues.
Not lost souls.
Something worse.
Dark energy pulsed around them, thick and suffocating.
The remnants of Morganna's followers.
The Silver Fang Society.
My blood ran cold. We had crushed them in the war. We had won. But here they stood, stronger than before.
Rhydian was already moving, his body tensing beside me. His voice was steel when he spoke. "You should not be here."
The leader of the intruders stepped forward, pulling back his hood.
And my breath stopped.
Because I knew that face.
So did Rhydian.
The entire room felt frozen as Rhydian whispered a name that should have stayed buried in the past.
"…Ezra."
The man who had once been Rhydian's closest friend.
The man who had died years ago.
Or so we thought.
***
To be continued...