Chapter 43

Jaxon POV

I sat at the far end of the balcony, the silence of the night resting heavily on my shoulders. The stars on the sky blinked against me, distant and different. The soft hum of people echoed below—laughter, music, footsteps of festival goers going with joy. But none of it reached me.

I stared at my watch. Deric was late. I had sent a message to him in Bloodmoon, asking him to come see me privately.

The longer I waited, the more the questions tangled in my head like thorny vines. I felt the shift in the air before I heard the footsteps. I turned to see Deric.

He emerged from the darkness, his long coat flaring behind him.

“You’re late,” I muttered, not looking at him.

“I had matters to attend to,” he replied, tone smooth, laced with a cold expre