Page 15 of Song of the Heart Scale
“You don’t know that, Damien.” His tone was carefully neutral, but he began to pace. “Let’s not worry about this right now. Let’s worry about figuring out how the emperor died.”
“And how to stop Cat’s marriage to Thorne.”
Uncle Bai shook his head. “No worries there. It will be postponed.”
“What? Why?”
He sighed as he sat on one of the stone chairs that dotted the living room. “There hasn’t been a royal death since your mother passed, so you probably don’t know the protocols, but when a royal family member passes, we mourn for a full year. That means we cannot have any celebrations within that time frame. By law, Thorne cannot marry for a full year. The only celebration that will be allowed – and I saycelebrationin the mild sense, because it’ll hardly be considered a celebration – will be the passing of power, if he’s officially named emperor.”
When I heard those words, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest. The Immortals had heard my prayers and were blessing us from above.
“This is great!” I shouted.
“Is it?” Uncle Bai deadpanned. “If Thorne becomes emperor, who knows what laws he may change and bend to his will? It would go against the Immortals’ wills, but Thorne may be desperate to marry Cat in hopes of convincing the public that they’re twin flames.”
“I went to see Lysandra today at The Gilded Serpent and asked her to have her people suppress theSong of the Dragon Rider. If it doesn’t spread, then maybe he won’t be in such a rush to marry.” I paced, my boots scuffing along the stone floor.
Uncle Bai raised a brow. “Can you trust that woman after she betrayed you all these years?”
I shrugged. “I think she’s trying to make amends. The only way to know for sure is by giving her a chance.”
“I hope you don’t live to regret it.”
The wind screamedpast my wings as I cut through the night sky as nothing but a silent silhouette cloaked in darkness. Thick clouds rolled along the horizon and swallowed the moonlight, but it didn’t matter—I was the Shadow Prince and the dark was mine to command. My scales, as black as volcanic glass, faintly gleamed with the fire burning just beneath them, but even that light was devoured by the obsidian air. I flew low and fast, the urgency in my chest matching the furious rhythm of my wingbeats.
The Ryder residence came into view like a pale blemish in the trees—too quiet, too still. The scent of iron and ash from the smithy at the back still lingered, but it was fading. The place felt vulnerable tonight, like the brittle silence before a storm.
I swiftly descended, banking hard and circling once above the northern tower before landing on the rooftop balcony withbarely a sound. Shadows clung to me like old friends as I shifted in a blink of smoke and heat, bones rearranging and wings folding inward until I stood upright—fully clothed in black from neck to boot, a long coat wrapped around me like a second skin. My boots whispered against the stone. I pricked my ears and listened.
I moved soundlessly through the outdoor walkways and courtyards until I reached the familiar door to Cat’s chamber. My hand was halfway to the handle when I heard voices inside.
“I can’t believe she knows!” Cat said, her voice low and fraught with tension.
“Lady Gianna?” Maeve asked.
“Yeah,” Cat muttered. “I should have fuckin’ punched her in that fuckin’ perfect little face of hers.”
Maeve’s voice was barely above a whisper. “If you did that, Lord Zacharia would have had another reason to punish you, especially since she already told him the truth.”
“Yeah, well snitches get stitches.” Cat let out a bitter breath. “You could see it in his eyes during breakfast. I should have realized then that he knew I wasn’t Arya. It all makes sense now.” A pause. Then: “Gianna loves Damien too much to have kept this little secret to herself.”
I stood completely still outside her door as the pieces clicked into place, one by one. Gianna’s veiled threats, the sudden shift in Zacharia’s demeanor, his blatant willingness to use Cat as a pawn… Now I knew why.
Zachariaknew. Gianna must have told him that Cat wasn’t who she claimed to be, and instead of revealing her as a fraud, he was going to let her take the fall.
I took a step back and cleared my throat once, sharply.
Their voices cut off mid-sentence.
A second later, the door opened and Cat’s face appeared in the dim candlelight. Her eyes widened and a flash of surprise crossed her expression. “Damien?”
I didn’t answer at first. I stepped forward into the room, shadows coiling around my boots before dispersing. I glanced once at Maeve, who looked like she might faint.
“Maeve,” I said quietly, “would you mind giving us the room?”
“Of course, Your Highness.” She nodded, dipped into a hasty curtsey, and slipped past me like a ghost, her eyes full of unspoken worry.
I waited until the door clicked shut behind her.
