Ethan's POV
The night had been too quiet.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet—the kind that presses against your chest and makes your instincts itch. I stood on the balcony overlooking the inner courtyard, arms folded behind my back, watching the guards change shifts below. Laughter drifted faintly from the west wing where my daughter, Nora, was with her grandmother and Asha's sister. Asha had just joined them an hour ago.
Lila stood beside me, her hand resting lightly on my arm. "You're tense," she murmured. "Even the stars can feel it."
I gave a faint smile. "Just being cautious."
The first scream shattered the night.
It came from the west wing.
Lila stiffened. "What was that?"
Before she finished, the alarm horn blared.
"Attack!" a guard shouted from below.
All chaos broke loose in seconds.
