Chapter 48. A Setup

Ally's POV

I slip through the shadowed corridors, the weight of guilt clinging to my skin like a shroud. Dawn's restless energy pulses within me, urging me to move faster, to finish what we started. But every step I take is haunted by Elliot's face, his trust in me now a fragile thing I'm terrified to break. The truth will come out, I promise myself, just as soon as this mission ends.

"Ally," a voice hisses from behind a tapestry, and I freeze.

My heart clenches as Poppy Hale steps into the dim light, her eyes gleaming with a dangerous spark. Niamh, her wolf, lurks beneath her surface, mirroring Poppy's predatory grace. I should've sensed her return; I should've known she'd slink back to the palace like a thief in the night.

"James wants to see you," Poppy says, her tone smooth as silk and twice as suffocating.

I hesitate, the warning bells loud in my mind. James, my brother, should be miles aw