Jaxon’s POV

The sun was beginning to dip low over the palace gardens when my mother found me.

I sat under the old oak tree near the eastern wing of the castle. Across from me, sitting on a marble bench was my mother. There was a teacup in her hand, though she had long stopped drinking from it. Her attention was completely on me.

“I need you to help Raven prepare for the Luna coronation,” I told her, folding my arms across my chest. “The presentation is only a few days away, and I trust you to get her ready.”

My mother’s lips pressed together thoughtfully. She set the teacup...