Kaelen's POV.
Fenrir did not move. He looked at my hand, still clasped in Varro's.
"I will meet you at the border," Fenrir said.
His voice was flat.
"Fenrir, wait," I said.
He turned his back on me, and walked toward his horse, his mangled shoulder rigid. He didn't look back to see if I was following.
He simply left.
"He is hurt," Varro said quietly. "But he is an Emperor. He understands that the board has changed."
"He thinks I've replaced him," I whispered.
"You haven't replaced him, you've outgrown him," Varro countered. "We must go. The Blue Moon does not wait for heartaches to heal."
Varro led the way. We moved through the jagged mountains, my body pulsing with a new, terrifying strength. Every step I took felt like I was reclaiming power that was always mine.
By the time we reached the border of the Black Ridge, the air had changed.
