Darcel:
The castle was quiet, save for the occasional creak of the wooden beams settling into the night. The fire in the hearth cast flickering shadows across the walls, its warmth a fragile barrier against the cold reality outside.
Rowan sat at the table, a map of Diathorne spread before her, her sharp eyes scanning every line and marking. Kane and Kaos were on either side of her, their postures tense. Even in the dim light, their wolves simmered beneath the surface, ready to strike at the first sign of danger.
I leaned against the wall, my crow stirring uneasily within me. The weight of the night pressed down on us all, the enormity of what lay ahead impossible to ignore.
Frankie sat by the fire, her face pale but resolute. She was stronger now—her fire burned brighter and steadier—b
