I could not stop thinking about the words that had appeared beneath the map.
The seal is already breaking.
The message had followed me through breakfast, through my bath and even while I stood before the mirror brushing my hair that morning. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the glowing map spread across the ancient chamber floor and I could still feel the warmth of Ashwing's presence through our strange connection.
The Silver Gate was no longer some distant mystery from my mother's hidden message.
It was real. It was breaking. And whatever had been sealed behind it was waiting.
I finished dressing and slipped my mother's necklace beneath my gown before leaving my chambers. The pendant felt strangely warm against my skin and I found myself touching it every few minutes as though chec
