Luna Everleigh's POV
***
The darkness spilled from her fingertips, slithering across the stone floors like living creatures. Shapes twisted and took form—wolves.
No. Not wolves.
Their bodies were fluid, shifting masses of black smoke, but their eyes—glowing, red and unnatural—locked onto us with deadly intent.
Shadow wolves.
Seraphine had raised an army.
A sick sense of dread coiled in my stomach.
The warriors around us tensed, their weapons drawn, but the air was wrong. These creatures weren't flesh and bone. They couldn't be killed like ordinary enemies.
Rhydian's grip on my wrist tightened.
"We have to go," he murmured, voice low.
I turned to him, pulse hammering. "We can't just run—"
"We're not running." His eyes locked onto mine, fierce and unyielding. "We're regrouping."
It was the logical choice. A reckless fight against Seraphine, against this—it would get us all killed.
But something in me hated it.
Hated the idea of leaving her here, unchallenged. Hated the way she smirked, like she had already won.
As if sensing my hesitation, Seraphine tilted her head. "Oh, no, little Luna." Her voice was mockingly sweet. "You don't get to leave."
The shadows moved again.
Faster than I could react, they lunged—toward me.
Pain erupted as something cold and sharp wrapped around me, yanking me backward.
The last thing I saw was Rhydian's expression—eyes wide, mouth forming my name—before darkness swallowed me whole.
***
To be continued...