Ash drifted past my window again this morning. Not the poetic kind, like the gentle aftermath of a hearth fire, but the choking, bitter kind that gets in your throat and tells you someone, somewhere, had a really bad night.

  I watched it swirl past the glass, danced by wind like a lazy spirit. Funny how in the kingdom of Eldros, everything beautiful is just one disaster away from being deadly. Kind of like my siblings.

  Someone knocked once. Not Brynn. She always tapped three times, soft like she was afraid the door might bite her. This knock was short, sharp, and full of self-importance.

  "Lady Avenya," came the clipped voice of a guard. "Prince Caleris summons you to the throne hall."

  Of course he does. Nothing like a casual summoning by your least favorite brother to spice up an already suspicious morning.

  I dressed quickly, choosing a forest green tunic over black trousers. Not traditional court attire, but traditional never quite suited me. I laced my boots tight, tucked a slim dagger into each, and wrapped a simple sash around my waist. One that conveniently hid a third blade.

  Just in case.

  The walk to the throne hall took me through three echoing corridors and past five armed guards. None met my eyes. They never did anymore.

  The door was already open when I reached it. Typical Caleris, always ready for the performance.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  He stood beneath the stained-glass mural of Father’s coronation, soaking in the colored light like it made him divine. I leaned against the nearest pillar, crossing my arms.

  “Let me guess,” I said. “You’ve finally decided to gift me the crown out of sheer admiration for my charm.”

  Caleris smiled, a shark’s kind of smile. “If charm were coin, dear sister, you’d still be in debt.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I deal in sharper currencies.”

  He waved a hand toward the gathered nobles—three of them, two from the outer isles and one from the southern border. They looked bored. Probably because they didn’t yet realize being in the same room as Caleris was a life risk.

  “Our brother Raen is missing,” he said, turning back to me.

  I raised a brow. “Lost his way to dinner?”

  “Lost his way at the Iron Border. His men returned without him. Saddle empty. Standard burned.”

  My smirk faded. Raen might be a brute, but he wasn’t stupid. If he vanished, it meant something serious.

  “So what do you want from me?” I asked.

  “Your presence. Your wit. Your particular flavor of expendability.”

  “Well,” I said, “when you put it that sweetly—”

  “I’m sending you to investigate.”

  I stared at him. “You’re sending me. Alone.”

  “Hardly. You’ll have an escort of twenty guards. And possibly a hound, if you ask nicely.”

  “Why me?”

  He stepped closer, voice dropping. “Because you’re invisible, Avenya. The forgotten girl. The one no one watches.”

  I smiled. “Keep underestimating me, brother. It’s delightful.”

  He smiled wider. “Good. You leave at dawn.”

  ---

  Back in my chambers, I didn’t sit. I didn’t drink tea. I didn’t cry.

  Instead, I opened the false panel behind my wardrobe and pulled out a leather satchel. Inside were maps, notes, and a name I hadn’t spoken in years: Sorren.

  No one remembered him but me.

  As I began packing, Brynn returned with my travel cloak and three meat rolls wrapped in cloth. Practical girl.

  “You’re going?” she asked softly.

  “Apparently I’m invisible enough to be useful.”

  Her eyes watered. “Will you come back?”

  “I always do.”

  It was a lie. But she needed it.

  ---

  That night, I sat on the roof tiles above my window, watching the stars claw their way through the ash-clouded sky. Somewhere out there, something was shifting. Power. Fate. Or maybe just the weight of too many secrets pressing down on all of us.

  They thought I was a shadow.

  They forgot shadows see everything.

  Let the game begin.

  -