Page 22 of The Panther's Price

She took it reluctantly. A hard biscuit, slightly warm. Stale but not inedible.

Her stomach growled before she could decide if it was gratitude or suspicion she felt more of.

He hadn’t said good morning. Of course he hadn’t. Lucien Umbraclaw didn’t seem to dosoft.

“You bake this yourself?” she muttered, dry.

“Stole it from a Wyrdling trader two valleys back,” he replied. “She was too busy trying to sell me a dream-worm.”

Evryn raised a brow as she chewed. “Awhat?”

“Exactly.”

She snorted under her breath. “Charming place, the Veil.”

Lucien didn’t smile, but something in his shoulders eased—fractionally.

Evryn noticed the way the shadows curled around him even in the broken daylight. They weren’t justshadowsthe way most people saw them. Theymoved.Theywatched.

They whispered in the edges of her Sight.

And they were always near him.

Like pets. Or sentries. Or maybe something darker.

She swallowed the last bite of the biscuit and nodded toward the tendrils curling near his boots.

“They follow you.”

Lucien’s silver gaze flicked to the shadows. “Yes.”

She waited, but he didn’t elaborate.

She leaned forward slightly. “So... are you going to tell me why you’re trailed by creeping night-mist, or is that another one of your royal secrets?”

He exhaled through his nose. “It’s calledshadowmancy.”

“Sounds made up.”

“It’s not.”

His voice was calm, but clipped. Like explaining this wasn’t something helikeddoing.

“They’re not just illusions. I can manipulate shadow—shape it, move through it, cloak myself in it. And if I want... I can use it to silence people. Permanently.”

Evryn froze. “So you’re a walking execution order.”

Lucien looked at her, face unreadable. “I was.”

Something in thatwasmade her pause.

The shadows seemed to settle closer to him, like they were listening too.

“So they’re alive?” she asked quietly.

“They respond to emotion. Intent. Bloodline.” He hesitated. “Pain, mostly.”

Evryn’s eyes narrowed. “And they follow you because of how much you’vefelt... or how much you’vedone?”

---