The morning didn’t arrive with the singing of birds or the gentle touch of golden rays in the Demon realm. Instead, the sky merely shifted from a suffocating dark to a sickly violet, signaling that the "day" had begun. I hadn’t slept. I had spent the entire night watching the rise and fall of my children’s chests and mourning the life we had left behind.
The heavy doors to the suite creaked open without a knock. It wasn't a servant who entered, but Theon. He looked far too comfortable in the dim light, his tunic shimmering as he leaned against the doorframe. He looked like a predator who had finally brought his kill home.
"It’s time," he said, his voice a low, smooth vibration that made the hair on my arms stand up. "The High Lords and the Council are restless. They’ve heard the towers a
