Pearl’s POV
The corridors were empty, shadows clinging to the walls like secrets no one dared to speak. My steps were light, hesitant, but inside, my heart thrashed against my ribs.
Killian.
The name pressed against my thoughts again and again. He had known. He had looked at me with a kind of certainty that made my skin crawl, not cruel, not mocking, just… aware. And that terrified me more than Rowan’s bold declaration or even Demyan’s endless hunger.
I wrapped my cloak tighter around myself as I descended the stairwell, ignoring the soreness in my thighs, the heat that still lingered low in my belly, remnants of Demyan’s unrelenting claim. I couldn’t think about that now. Not when the secret that could destroy me might already be slipping through my fingers.
The training yard was emp
