Chapter 189

CHAPTER 31… VALENTINA The palace felt impossibly quiet after the chaos of the Moonwell. Even the walls seemed to inhale, taking in the weight of what had happened outside and letting it rest just beyond the corridors. Luciano slept in a soft cradle by the window of our chamber, a silver glow faint beneath his skin. The soft rise and fall of his chest was almost hypnotic, a reminder of how small and real he was in comparison to the vast threads of destiny and power that had chased us to the Moonwell. Andres sat across the room on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, head bent, fingers steepled. Even in stillness, he radiated tension— golden heat curled just beneath his skin, the lingering trace of his War Form refusing to settle fully. I sank to the floor beside the cradle, careful not to disturb the fragile peace, and let my hands rest on my knees. My mind still felt scattered, stretched between memories that were mine and lives I hadn’t lived, each one pressed into me