Ariane:
The moon had barely begun its descent when Varek pulled me from the steaming water, his movements careful but swift, as if he already felt the pull of fate threading its fingers through the veil. He dressed me in shadows—soft black silks and smoke—and kissed my temple like he feared it might be the last time he could do so without blood on his lips.
Cassian waited for us by the threshold, eyes flicking between us. He noted the fresh wound on my neck with a knowing smile, inhaling the changed scent in the air where my and Varek's magic mingled briefly but offered no comment.
What a wise male.
The magic at the border between both realms had begun to stir, restless and sharp-edged.
Apparently, Varek's Court had already sent word of a rupture—an unstable seam where Kaelen's realm
