LOGINARAHEENShe went on to explain how, after the two of them had descended to Earthland, Feviel had temporarily taken control of the operation and made several adjustments. The sylphs had been unable to intervene directly without alerting the hunters—or tipping Gildeon off in any way.Instead, Feviel had sent one of his owls to act as his eyes, quietly watching over her from a distance.“Why didn’t he appear sooner?” Gildeon asked. “You were in danger plenty of times.”“You were protecting me, remember?” she replied. “And when you weren’t around, I was capable of defending myself. I also had contingencies in place for situations where the other me came close to dying.”Gildeon considered this. “Like the time you fought Drusden and Zylas?”She nodded. “I awakened inside Arah’s mind. I had to take control to survive.”He picked up another small stone and flicked it toward the Mad End’s Wall. It disintegrated instantly as u
GILDEON“I don’t know what happened.”She glared at him. “Liar.”The dagger’s tip pressed deeper beneath his chin, drawing a thin line of blood.“Believe me,” he said, “I’ve no fucking idea why I shadow-walked us here.”Araheen studied him for a long moment, then she pulled the dagger away and released his jaw.He exhaled, lifting a hand to his throat to wipe the blood away. Pushing himself to his feet, he retraced his thoughts to the moment before the void had appeared.Memories of Eitan and Yadira’s torture had flooded him. Thinking about the Shining Keeper had made his emotions flare out of control.Just like the first time he had shadow-walked through Roselia’s fog—Was that the trigger? His anger. His guilt. His regret.“No—no, no!” Araheen’s alarmed voice yanked him back.She hu
GILDEONIt took him a moment to claim his balance on the damned bird. In full dragon form, the air obeyed him. Here, he was forced to trust feathers and leather instead of scale and instinct.The saddle creaked under his weight as the eagle banked. The massive body beneath him flexed with every beat of its wings, dragging his center of gravity half a breath off where it should’ve been.He sat close behind Araheen, thighs locked around the curve of the saddle, boots braced against the straps, fingers wrapped around the leather grips at his sides—at least those were solid and steady beneath his hands.“Do you need me to land first so you can take a break… Dragon?” Araheen asked, a thread of quiet mockery woven through her voice.He huffed a low laugh. “I’m fine,” he said. “Though I’d be far more comfortable if you lifted the Prisoner Sigil and let me shift. Then you could r
ARAHEENA servant directed her to the Relic Chamber of the Grand Castle.It was her first time entering it. Only the general—and those he personally permitted—were allowed inside. She remembered how much she had once resented Theobald for boasting about being brought here before her.She had always dreamed of seeing this place.Heavy curtains of blue and gold velvet draped the silver walls. Across those walls were sigils etched by the sigilmakers of past generations—her mother among them.Araheen recognized several of her mother’s designs carved into the crystal columns that lined the chamber.Her gaze moved slowly across the relics displayed throughout the room.Some rested upon ornate pedestals, others were preserved beneath glass covers or arranged neatly on crystal shelves. Ancient swords, calcified feathers from great birds, enchanted devices, and petrified remains of creatures shaped by s
ARAHEENThe High Council erupted into a mix of reactions.“I am not opposed to that arrangement,” one of the female High Council members said. “Lady Araheen has proven herself one of our finest tacticians. It would be logical for the Dragon to be placed under her supervision.”“But we require someone with greater battlefield experience,” Lord Harius countered. “A true warrior. Commander Reinhardt remains the most practical choice.”“Lady Araheen is both a formidable combatant and our most skilled sigilmaker,” another High Council member argued.“Which is precisely a concern,” Lady Deenia interjected. “Why risk our most valuable sigilmaker on the front lines?”“She has already taken greater risks than most of us in this room,” another replied. “She baited the Dragon herself and executed a plan that required immense personal d
ARAHEENShe had not been informed of this.The High Council intended to keep some of the salamanders alive? For what purpose? Enslaving them would bring the sylphs no real advantage, and she could not imagine the Shining Keeper altering the parameters of the Divine Command.The entire purpose of the sylphs’ existence was to eradicate the barbarian race and become the sole guardians of the lower mortals.She leaned toward Feviel. “Did you know about this?”He inclined his head closer. “This is news to me as well, Araheen.”She figured the High Council must have agreed upon it shortly before this assembly. Still, she found herself sharing Gildeon’s question.Had this truly come from the Shining Keeper?“Let us return to the important matter at hand,” Lord Erminius said as he clasped his hands upon the table. “Now that we have presented our end of the bargain,
ARAH“You haven’t broken the lock yet?” Tonio's curious eyes bore into her after she admitted she couldn't get into Gildeon’s study. Of course, she left out the steamy details that now distracted her, making her heart race. Her tattoo machine hung idle as she fought to drown out the memory of her hus
ARAHWhatever qualms she had about Gildeon were out the window for now.He slung his arm around her from behind, pulling her close. She gasped as his hardness pressed into her back. They shared a brief moment of silent understanding. Sex was too soon, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do other things t
GILDEONHis eyes flicked to the chamber as Ghulik started retching. The goblin was on his knees, saliva dripping from his jagged teeth, hands bracing himself on the floor. Gildeon had expected the process to take longer, but here it was already.The sooner, the better anyway.He set the grimoire back o
Six Months Ago (Part 1.2)GILDEONHe sprang to his feet, slipping into his trousers before joining Kohina outside. They stood together, looking down at their camp in the ravine below. Captive sylphs lay scattered around like cattle awaiting slaughter. Compared to their state, the cattle would’ve been







