Chapter 50 Beneath the Ashes, the Fire Waits

The moon had not been full in weeks, and the palace of Akun had begun to forget what warmth felt like. Shadows lived longer than light, stretching down the carved hallways like serpents. In the court of elders, silence lingered, though it was not peace. It was fear.

Queen Morounkeji stood before her chamber mirror, brushing her silver hair with rh