Eris POV

The salty air cut through the stillness of the night as Eris stood at the edge of the ship, watching the dark sea stretch endlessly before her. The stars above seemed far too bright, as if mocking her. She had spent years hiding from the truth of who she was, but out here, on this ship, she couldn’t avoid it any longer.

She wasn’t the frightened orphan she used to be. She wasn’t just the wife of a vampire king, kept in a gilded cage, either. Out here, she was just Eris, no titles, no expectations. But in truth, that terrified her just as much.

The ship creaked...