"The darkness is spreading."
King Aldric's voice was grim as he studied the maps spread across the council table. It had been three days since Daemon's death, three days since Arianna's birth, and the magical darkness showed no signs of lifting.
"How far?" Kael asked, his arm around my waist to support me. I was still healing from the birth and the battle, still weak despite Elena's best efforts.
"Past our borders into Eldoria. The neighboring kingdoms are panicking. Some are closing their borders entirely. Others are demanding we fix what we've broken." King Aldric looked older than I'd ever seen him. "They're calling it the Shadow Blight. And they're blaming us for releasing it."
"They're not wrong," I said quietly. "This is our fault. Our kingdom. Our problem that's become everyone's problem."
"It was Daemon's fault," Kael corrected. "He's the one who cast the ritual. Who created this permanent night."
