First message
Rowan wiped his blade clean, the metallic scent still fresh. Kai leaned against the doorway, watching their mother stir her tea—calm, unreadable. Even in the heart of their empire, she was the one they feared most.
Kai ran a hand through his hair. “Everything’s handled.”
Rowan sat across from her, silent. She already knew.
Their mother glanced at them, and something in their chests tightened. They would kill for her. Die for her. But admitting why? Impossible.