Chapter 16 Beneath The Fire

The world outside Isla’s window was a blur of motion—guards running, orders shouted, the clang of weapons echoing through the estate grounds. The enemy had arrived like a thunderstorm, fast and ruthless. But the greater storm was inside her. She stood still as stone before the mirror, fingers trembling as they brushed the edges of her reflection. Her eyes didn’t look like hers anymore—too bright, too wild. The magic inside her was awake now, pulsing like a second heartbeat, and she didn’t know how much longer she could contain it.