Page 17 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

‘Come back to the castle with me. We will find another way, a better one. I promise.’

Mal exhaled, the weight of his words pressing against her ribs. There was a part of her—a part still fragile, still yearning—that wanted to be saved. That wanted to collapse into her brother’s arms and let him bear the burden, let him make it all disappear.

But then there was the other part.

The part of her that had been born wrong, that had grown up haunted by the whispers of her own existence. The part of her that ached to prove she was something more than a mistake, something more than the cursed child.

Because if she—a princess with cursed eyes, a girl who should have never been—could be the one to save them all…

Then maybe—just maybe—she would not be the monster she had always feared she was.

With slow, deliberate movements, Mal turnedto her brother.

She bowed.

And then, without another word, she stepped into the waiting shadows of the temple.

I see the way they look at me when Hadrian makes me laugh as I read in the Dark Library. I have spent over a fortnight in the castle, discussing with the wyverians the alliance among kingdoms. Hadrian has kept me company, and I cannot help but tremble at the sight of him. His voice is a deep whisper against my skin but I fear the others around us are starting to notice what we ourselves have not even admitted out loud. I am to return home in a few days, and the mere thought of departing—of leaving without him is excruciating. I have never felt this way before.

Tabitha Wysteria

The Dark Library was a sanctuary of splendor and wisdom, a vast chamber where the echoes of history were carefully preserved, each archive a thread in the tapestry of their world’s past. Yet, for all its wealth of knowledge, it seemed that Kage alone still valued such things.

Kai sank into one of the many vacant chairs, weary fingers pressing against his tired eyes. Across from him, his younger brother sat hunched over a collection of maps, utterly absorbed in details that held no meaning for Kai. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and ink, the silence broken only by the occasional rustle of turning pages.

The room itself was steeped in shadow, its grandeur dimmedby the perpetual gloom. Only the eerie glow of blue flames kept the darkness at bay, their light casting ghostly shapes upon the ancient walls. Scholars moved soundlessly through the aisles, their hands brushing against the spines of forgotten tomes, retrieving secrets Kai had no desire to uncover.

‘What do you want?’ Kage’s tone was clipped, void of warmth.

‘What are you reading?’

‘I am not reading. I am staring.’

Kai smirked. ‘And what, pray tell, are you staring at?’

‘A map, brother.’

‘A map of what?’

Kage exhaled, patience waning. ‘Nothing.’ With deliberate slowness, he rolled up the parchment and leaned back into his chair, his dark gaze narrowing at his elder sibling. ‘What do you want?’

Kai feigned offense, placing a hand over his chest. ‘You wound me, little brother. Must I always have an ulterior motive to spend time with you?’

Kage arched a brow. ‘I once offered to teach you about the ceremonial traditions of House of Sand, and your response was—’ he paused, pretending to recall the words. ‘Ah, yes. You would rather gouge your very own eyes out than endure my history lessons.’

Kai waved a dismissive hand. ‘Irrelevant to the matter at hand.’

‘Which is?’

The elder brother hesitated, his gaze drifting towards the high shelf where Spirox, Kage’s shadow crow, perched like a harbinger of death. The creature cocked its head, obsidian eyes gleaming, as though listening intently.

‘Mal is to marry the Fire Prick,’ Kai finally muttered.

‘So I’ve heard.’

‘We cannotallow our sister to be thrown into a den of fire-breathing dragons. They will devour her alive.’

Kage gazed in silence at the black ring encircling his pinkie finger, its onyx surface gleaming faintly in the dim light. Each of them bore one—a legacy passed down through generations, a symbol of the lineage bound to shadow and sovereignty. Three rings for the three children who were always born to the king and queen of darkness. One day, Haven would have heirs of her own, and when that time came, Kai and Kage would bestow their rings upon their nephews and nieces, offering them a future graced with fortune.

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