Across the field, two Crownwatch riders shifted uneasily… then stepped out of our line and moved toward Theron’s banner, their shoulders hunched as if eventheyweren’t sure why they were doing it.
Theron’s smile sharpened.
“My plan to win this war is simple,” he declared. “Unity. Strategy. Power.”
He paced a few steps, slow and deliberate. “We do not win by hesitating. We do not win by nostalgia. We win byleading.And that is what I will do—with precision, with strength, and with the full weight of the guild behind me.”
It was a good speech.
Too good.
I watched several riders shift, fidget, exchanging uncertain glances. And slowly—two more peeled from Dorian’s side and crossed to Theron’s.
My stomach twisted.
Theron turned slightly, watching the subtle momentum with satisfaction.
But when it was clear no more would come—when the tension wavered—he lifted one hand and pointed toward the castle entrance.
All eyes followed.
A woman stepped forward from the shadows of the archway.
Tall. Regal. Draped in violet and silver. Her pale-blue gown shimmered with thread-of-moonsteel embroidery.
Long blond braids coiled over her shoulders like ropes of night.
And her eyes, gray-blue, cold as steel, were locked on us. But she wasn’t alone. Inderia stepped out beside her.
Theron stepped forward with the elegance of a man who believed every word he spoke was prophecy, his voice rising like a banner unfurled to the wind.
“I have the ear of the noble houses,” he announced, gesturing toward the women beside the castle steps. “The houses of Kruisaan, Diria, Brosha, and Amdar havepledged their allegianceto me. Others will follow.”
Murmurs surged through the lines of riders, nervous and curious.
“In time,” Theron continued smoothly, “I hope you will as well.”
His gaze swept the crowd and then inevitably landed onme.
I felt it before I saw it.
Inderia, standing just behind the other nobles, caught my eye with a flick of her dark lashes. Her lips curved, slow and deliberate, into a smile that was all silk and venom.
She didn’t need to speak.
Her expression said it all.
He’s winning. And you’re alone.
But she was wrong.
Because while we stood outnumbered, we weren’t alone. Not yet.
Still—Zander’s absence carved a hollow in our ranks that no amount of loyalty could fill. He wasn’t beside Crownwatch, and the riders who remained loyal to Dorian kept glancing toward the castle steps, waiting.Needinghim.
He was supposed to be our anchor. I tried to reach out with our bond, but found he was blocking me. That meant he was on official business for the crown, but I didn’t like it.
His presence would stop the bleeding, keep the undecided from slipping into Theron’s grasp.
