The night sky bled silver as Jasmine stood on the balcony of the vampire queen’s fortress, her hands resting on the gentle swell of her stomach. The twins moved within her, restless, as though the world itself could not contain their energy. Every shift stirred the air, each ripple of power breaking the clouds above into spirals. Lightning flickered faintly without storm, as if the heavens themselves answered the pulse of her unborn children.

Her thoughts burned with Xavier. His absence was a wound that had not closed, a betrayal she could neither forgive nor escape. He had not fought when the Council exiled her. He had not lifted his...