ISABEL POV

As I hurried home that evening, my heart raced with the possibility that they might still be there. I was careful to avoid being seen, my thoughts consumed with the revelation that had upended my world. The Castle of Serenity had always felt like a haven, a place where I belonged. But now, I knew that appearances could be deceiving.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I entered the castle gates, the weight of my discovery bearing down on me. So much was at play, and I didn't know how to make sense of it all. I had always believed that Wolfshade and the residents of the...