The First Dance
The hall of the Eclipse Court shimmered with living shadows tonight—ones that curled playfully around wine glasses and draped themselves over guests like affectionate cats.
Eira stood at the balcony, her crown lighter now that it had settled into her bones. Below, Forgotten and former Luminarchs toasted together, their golden masks discarded.
"They're learning," Kaelan murmured behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder. His own crown—once a thing of jagged darkness—now held delicate points of starlight.
She turned in his arms. "Dance with me."
And when their hands clasped, the floor moved, tiles shifting to form their eclipsed sigil beneath their feet.
Nyx, perched on the throne with a stolen bottle of wine, cackled. "Showoffs."
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The Unfinished Business
Mid-dance, Kaelan stiffened.
A missive had appeared in his pocket—unsigned, written in Luminarch blood-script:
"The Shadow King's prison has a back door. He left you a parting gift."
Eira felt the tremor in his hands. "We killed him."
"Did we?" Kaelan's shadows slithered toward the vault where they'd sealed the hollow throne.
It was laughing.
VOLUME 2 TEASER: THE SILVER PRISON
Title: The Shadow and the Starlight: A Crown of Echoes
"The first time Eira heard the throne sing, she almost cut off her own hand to make it stop."