Page 34 of Savage Crown

No name. No signature.

But I don’t need one.

I know exactly who sent this.

Nhilian.

My pulse remains steady. My breathing, even. But something coils inside me, cold and lethal.

I fold the parchment once, twice, tucking it between my fingers.

I throw it into the fire.

The flames devour it instantly. The black parchment curls, twisting into smoke, and yet the words linger, burned into my mind.

I know what he’s saying.

I know exactly what he means.

The past isn’t buried.

It’s been waiting for me.

And now? It’s coming.

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I pour myself a drink.

The glass trembles slightly against the surface of the desk. I grip it tighter, lifting it to my lips, letting the burn of the wine anchor me.

I should have known this was coming.

Nhilian has always been patient, playing the long game, shifting pieces before his opponent even realizes the board has changed.

And now, he’s made his first move.

A warning. A taunt.

An invitation.

I let out a slow, measured breath, pressing my fingers against my temple.

The past is not as buried as you think.

What does he know?

What has he found?

I stare into the fire, watching the last traces of the parchment turn to ash.

If Nhilian wants to dig up old bones, then fine.

I’ll show him a graveyard.

The door creaks open behind me.

Seraphina lingers in the doorway, but I feel her gaze, sharp and cautious, scanning the space before settling on me.

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