The warning came at dawn.
Isabella was in the war room, one hand braced on the table, the other resting unconsciously on her stomach as she reviewed maps and coded reports. Her eyes were tired but sharp the eyes of a queen who had learned to bleed power.
The door burst open.
Luca raised his gun before he even recognized the intruder.
Seraphina.
She looked different almost broken. Her hair was tangled from running, her clothes dusty from the road, and for the first time since Isabella had met her… she looked afraid.
Not cunning.
Not mocking.
Not serpentine.
Afraid.
"Alessandro has mobilized," Seraphina said, breathless. "He's coming for you. For all of you."
Damian reacted instantly, stepping in front of Isabella like it was instinct. "How did you get through my security?"
Seraphina's lips curved in the faintest, exhausted smirk. "I helped build your father's network, Damian. I know how to walk through its shadows."
