“A memory,” her mother said, her voice echoing like music. “A fragment carried in your blood… awakened by the moon.”
River felt tears sting her eyes. “They told me you— they said you broke the rules. That you were punished for loving my father.”
The woman’s smile turned sad. “Love was my greatest rebellion, River. And my greatest truth. Your father was not one of our kind… but he had a soul that saw mine. For that, I defied the North. For that, I gave you life.”
River swallowed hard, her voice trembling. “Queen Victoria said you knew the outcome… that you were selfish.”
Her mother’s expression hardened — not in anger, but in sorrow.
“Victoria loved me, but she was always bound by duty. To her, everything must fit within the law. To me…” She paused, looking up at the blood-red moon. “T
