Duskwind and Fenric had spent weeks laying the groundwork for this moment.

  They had whispered in the right ears.

  They had sowed doubt where they could.

  They had made sure that when the time came, Selene’s empire would not simply bend—

  It would break.

  And now, it was time to pull the strings.

  ---

  The Verdant Nexus remained as imposing as ever, its walls untouched, its power undiminished.

  Selene’s empire had only grown stronger in the past weeks.

  Ironveil had fallen into her hands without resistance.

  Vargis had surrendered, his lands claimed with ease.

  She was expanding faster than any of them had anticipated.

  Which meant they had to act now.

  Before she became too strong to touch.

  ---

  Their plan was simple.

  They would strike at her foundation.

  Not with open war.

  Not with direct confrontation.

  But by cutting away her base of power.

  Her Fae.

  Her Lords.

  Her control.

  If they could break even a single thread, the rest of the web might unravel.

  ---

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  Their first target was Foxes.

  The trickster had been too close to their plans, too engaged, too much of a wildcard.

  They needed to either turn him completely…

  Or ensure that he was removed.

  Fenric had arranged a meeting in private, a location carefully chosen—far from Selene’s ever-watchful gaze, tucked within the twisting forests just beyond the edges of the Nexus.

  Foxes was waiting for them, lounging against the roots of an ancient tree, his golden eyes unreadable.

  “So,” he murmured, “this is it, then?”

  Fenric exhaled, forcing himself to remain calm.

  “We’ve been careful,” he said. “We’ve been patient. But it’s time.”

  Foxes smiled faintly.

  “And you still believe you can win?”

  Duskwind’s jaw tightened.

  “We know we can.”

  Foxes tilted his head, one of his many tails flicking.

  “You’ve seen what happens to those who stand against her.”

  “And you’ve seen what happens when people become too complacent,” Fenric countered.

  Foxes let out a low chuckle.

  “I suppose I have.”

  Duskwind leaned forward slightly.

  “Join us,” he said.

  There it was.

  The moment of truth.

  The final offer.

  Foxes was already a wild card.

  If they could turn him, if they could bring him to their side—

  Then Selene’s empire would have its first real crack.

  Silence stretched.

  Then, Foxes sighed.

  “You know,” he said, “I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

  Fenric’s heart pounded.

  Duskwind’s breath hitched.

  Then Foxes grinned.

  And it was a terrible grin.

  ---

  The shadows around them shifted.

  The air grew thick.

  Duskwind took an instinctive step back.

  And then he realized—

  They were not alone.

  All around them, hidden in the trees, figures moved.

  Not just any figures.

  Fae.

  Watching.

  Listening.

  Waiting.

  Foxes sighed dramatically.

  “You really thought I’d betray her?” he said, shaking his head. “I mean, I was playing along, but this is just sad.”

  Fenric’s stomach dropped.

  This wasn’t a meeting.

  It was a trap.

  ---

  Duskwind reacted first.

  He spun, trying to break away, to run—

  But the shadows moved faster.

  Dusk stepped forward from the gloom, their flickering form appearing at the edge of sight before fully solidifying.

  “You should not have spoken so openly,” they murmured.

  Fenric drew his weapon.

  It was a futile effort.

  Because a moment later, the weight of an entire empire crashed down on them.

  ---

  Selene’s voice was calm when it finally came.

  “You really thought you could undo what I have built?”

  Duskwind froze.

  She was here.

  Of course she was.

  Of course she had known.

  Of course she had been watching.

  Fenric gritted his teeth.

  “She’s not invincible,” he spat. “No one is.”

  Selene tilted her head slightly.

  “That is true.”

  She took a slow step forward.

  “But I don’t need to be invincible.”

  Her golden eyes burned.

  “I only need to be inevitable.”

  ---

  Duskwind and Fenric had one last chance.

  One final moment to turn this in their favor.

  To say the right words.

  To salvage what little control they had left.

  But there were no right words.

  There was no salvation.

  There was only what came next.

  Selene lifted a hand.

  “Take them.”

  And the shadows closed in.