Prologue
In the age when stars forget to shine,
And kingdoms fall to silent flame,
A child of dusk shall draw first breath,
Her soul a shroud, her name unclaimed.
Born of shadow, not of sin,
She walks the line where dark begins,
Yet in her chest a spark shall sleep,
A flame the night could never keep.
Marked by storms and whispered screams,
She’ll dream the world in fractured dreams.
The gates shall break, the dragons shall wake,
And death itself will scent the air.
But from her hands, both cursed and blessed,
Shall rise the light that none guessed.
Not sword, nor crown, nor fire bright—
But shadow’s child shall birth the light.
And when the end is drawing near,
The world will bow, in hope or fear.
Chapter 1
Elira
The rubbish bin lid clanged as it hit the damp alley floor—a sharp sound that sliced through the early morning fog like a warning bell.
“Shit,” I muttered, ducking low beside the crumbling wall of the old bakery, my heart hammering. The last thing I needed was to draw the attention of the Shades.
I peeked toward the mouth of the alley. Two sentinels paused as they passed, their shapes stalling, peering into the gloom of my hiding place. In the early morning, their heavy, horned masks looked stark against the darkness.
I held my breath and sank deeper into the darkness, willing the shadows to close around me and hide me from view.
After a moment, one of them shrugged and moved on.
I exhaled slowly.That was too close.
The frigid slime of the concrete seeped through my threadbare canvas pants, soaking the fabric until it clung cold and sticky to my skin. A spider skittered through the knot of my black curls. I squeezed my eyes shut, willing it to move away, counting each heartbeat in silence.
Rookie mistake. I cursed myself again.
But gods, I washungry.
