The palace shook.
Not once.
Not twice.
It trembled continuously, as though the very foundations beneath it had suddenly become unstable.
Dust drifted from the ceiling of the ancient archive.
The shelves groaned beneath the weight of centuries old books, their bindings creaking as if they were being crushed by an invisible force.
Then came another sound.
A deep, distant rumble.
It travelled through the stone floor.
Through the walls.
Through the bones of everyone standing inside the room.
Aliena could feel it in her chest.
Her heart was beating too quickly.
She couldn't tell whether it was fear or the strange force awakening beneath them.
Sebastian stood directly in front of her.
His wings had spread completely.
Large black feathers filled the space behind him, blocking the darkness that had erupted from the crack in the floor.
His posture was rigid.
His jaw clenched.
His golden red eyes were fixed on the figure sitting upon the throne below.
