Page 154 of Crowned In Venom

And I intend to savor every second of it.

I kiss her forehead, inhaling her scent, letting it ground me.

Everything presses against my skull like a hammer. The truth of what has been lost, of what has been revealed.

My father.

The dark elf I spent my life believing had abandoned me.

Twisted, destroyed, left to rot beneath the Matriarch’s feet.

A rage so deep it burns inside me coils in my gut, but I push it down.

Because right now, I have her.

And right now, that is enough.

Until—

A presence.

Cold.

Unseen.

It slithers through the air, an unnatural disturbance.

My body goes rigid.

I do not hesitate.

I snatch the dagger beside me, flipping onto my feet, stance wide, weapon ready.

Did she find us?

Did the Matriarch catch up to us?

I brace myself, scanning the shadows.

My heart pounds, my blood still weak from my wounds, but I will not fall here.

I will not let her touch Anya.

A whisper of movement?—

Then, the Ghost appears.

I exhale sharply, shoulders still tense, but my grip on the dagger loosens slightly.

I know this presence.

It is the only thing more elusive than death itself.

The Ghost steps forward, its hooded form barely visible against the dim firelight. Silent. Unreadable.

"You know now, don’t you?"

The words slither into my skull, cutting into my already unsteady foundation.

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