Page 19 of Fallen Nocturne

Shade lowers himself onto the other end of the bench. “You’ve been watching him for an hour.”

Has it been that long? The sun has indeed climbed higher, the morning shadows shortening.

“I’m observing a potential threat,” I say, folding my arms.

A sound that might be a laugh comes from beneath his demonic mask. “Is that what you call it?”

“He's a vampire in our city. Someone should keep an eye on him.” I keep my gaze fixed ahead.

“Someone is,” Shade agrees. “You. Very closely. Some might say longingly.”

Heat floods my face. My foot swings out to kick his shin. “How dare you—”

But he’s already stepping back. “Your uncle is looking for you. There’s a war council this afternoon. The Aldarelfs want to see you.”

“Shade, wait—”

He is gone before I can say anything else, melting into the crowd as though the market has swallowed him. His wolf companion rises from beneath the bench and follows at his heels, charcoal fur vanishing between the passing shoppers.

I gather the silk from my lap and stand.

Across the square, the vampire is watching me again.

Fear catches beneath my ribs. Arescaine takes one step toward the edge of the forge. For a moment, I think he means to follow me. Then he stops. His hands close into fists at his sides as though he is holding himself back.

He turns away first and disappears into the darkness of the forge.

I press a hand against my chest. My heart beats so hard beneath my palm that it hurts. I do not know why the sight of him frightens me more than any monster I faced in Astefar. I only know that I need to leave before he looks at me again.

Chapter 4 Rhianelle

The lullaby reaches me through layers of sleep, soft and distant. I do not recognize the melody, yet it feels familiar, like remembering a song from childhood.

I know I am dreaming the moment I open my eyes.

One moment I am lying beneath the silver canopy of my bed, listening to the distant cries of wyverns settling beyond the palace walls. The next, I am standing barefoot in a corridor I have never seen before. Cold marble presses against my soles.

Mist surrounds me, swirling in pale ribbons that are neither cold nor warm. This is not my bedroom. It is not anywhere real.

I look down at myself. I am still wearing my nightdress, though the thin fabric offers little protection from the chill lingering in the air. Moonlight pours through a row of arched windows and paints pale rectangles across the floor.

This is a dream.

It must be.

I have learned not to trust my dreams.

I should stay where I am. Better yet, I should find a way to wake myself. Instead, I begin walking.

The lullaby continues, drawing me forward. Its melody grows stronger and clearer with every step, a voice without words humming notes that make my chest ache with a longing I cannot name. Ahead of me, the mist begins to thin.

The corridor opens into an entrance hall so vast that I stop beneath the final archway. My breath catches despite knowing none of this is real.

Twin staircases curve upward along the walls before meeting on a gallery above. Slender columns of black marble rise toward a vaulted ceiling painted with constellations, their silver stars still gleaming beneath a thin veil of dust. Chandeliers hang overhead, each fashioned from dark metal and hundreds of clear crystals.

“Hello?”

My voice carries down the corridor and returns softer.