(Nyx POV)
The palace lights were still burning when the alert came through.
We hadn't even left the grand hall. The orchestra's last notes still hung in the air, Liana's arrest just moments ago, echoing in everyone's minds, when Cassian's comm clicked sharply.
"North Tower," he said, voice like cut glass. "Body found. Royal ID—pending confirmation."
Dorian and I didn't need to hear the rest.
We moved.
Our procession swept through the gilded corridors—Dorian, the King, the Queen, Cassian, Tamsin, and me—still dressed for celebration. The Queen's train whispered against the marble; the King's medals glinted beneath the chandeliers. My gown shimmered under the corridor light, heavy with jewels and ceremony. Everything looked too perfect for what we were about to face. Every footfall echoed the same unspoken thought—please, don't let this be true.
But we knew it was.
Why her?
Liora may have been vain, calculating, even cruel at times, but she was still the chosen face of peace—the people's princess, the kingdom's promise. Her marriage was to unite the fractured bloodlines, to bridge the human, wolf, and Lycan councils after decades of quiet tension. Now her death would do the opposite.
There would be fallout—immediate, merciless, and far-reaching. Old enemies would seize her death as proof that the palace couldn't protect its own. The Council of Elders would demand retribution. And if Shadow Fang was behind this, they hadn't just killed a royal wolf—they'd lit the fuse for war.
Dorian's silence beside me spoke volumes. He was already calculating the damage—border loyalties, troop morale, press containment. Cassian's jaw was tight enough to break teeth. The Queen's steps never faltered, but I could feel the fury rolling off her like static before a storm.
When we stepped onto the north terrace, the night air hit like ice. Looking down upon the gruesome sight. Cassian through the coms, "Ok, let's get down there and secure the scene.".
For a moment, no one moved, frozen and in shock. "Move!" Cassian commanded.
Floodlights cast a stark white glow across the courtyard below.
Liora lay at the base of the tower—her ceremonial gown pristine, her gold-threaded veil tangled in her hair, her jewels untouched. Blood had pooled around her body, thin and shining in the cold light. A single wound marred her back—the one Liana claimed had already been there when she "found" her.
Aunt Serecei's sobs carried on the wind, raw and breaking. The Queen stood still as marble. Dorian's hand brushed mine, grounding me even as my pulse thundered.
There had never been love between Liora and me, but she was still my sister—a sister I had been raised to guard and protect with my life. That kind of duty doesn't fade; it's carved into your bones. Guilt burned through me like acid. I had failed her. Liora was only twenty-three—barely more than a child, as the King had said.
I wiped my eyes before the tears could fall again. My crew gave me space—they knew what this meant. We'd all trained together under the same command: protect the crown at all costs. In a way, we had all failed her.
Tamsin stood near me, her hands clenched behind her back, wanting to comfort but knowing the protocols forbade it. Affection wasn't allowed in uniform—especially not at a royal death scene.
Through the bond, Dorian's voice found me.
You did nothing wrong, mate, he said quietly. We'll find who did this. She didn't fall alone.
Kelly was silent inside me. No snarl, no warning—just stillness. That silence frightened me more than rage ever could.
Cassian's voice cut through the silence, snapping everyone to attention."All right, listen up. This is an active crime scene. No one touches the body until forensics arrive."He turned toward the guards. "Secure the area and lock down the tower. Every corridor, every balcony."
Guards obeyed instantly, their movements precise and subdued. Drones rose on soft hums, mapping the scene. The King knelt beside Liora's body, his expression carved from grief and duty.
"See to it she's treated with honor," he said quietly. "Find me the truth."
Cassian nodded once. "Yes, Your Majesty."
There were no signs of struggle.
No broken railing. No torn fabric.
She had fallen—or been pushed—from one of the highest balconies in the palace.
The council whispered of omens. The guards murmured of betrayal.
But deep down, I knew better. It was too clean. Too deliberate.
Shadow Fang works.
And then I caught it, a sound, a rustle that didn't match the pattern of the leaves moving with the wind. Something, someone's still out there.
Go! Kelly yelled in my mind.