Chapter 35 

~Valeria ~ Everyone wears black. A soft cello melody drifts through the ballroom, arranged for a wake. The air is heavy with grief. In one corner, Emmet’s mate silently cries, and the sight is heartbreaking. Surprisingly, Jade hasn’t turned the moment toward herself. She stands apart, gazing out the window at the garden, where Emmet’s body lies covered upon a pyre, waiting to be burned before the night ends. Making my way through the crowd, I listen in to people’s conversations. “They say a hundred ravens came down on him like a hammer.” “I heard he went up against the Raven Wolf King himself.” “Do you really believe he’s back?” “Oh yes, the signs are everywhere.” “Did you hear about that girl in the training grounds getting attacked by ravens, too?” “The Raven Wolf King is back, and he’s coming for all of us true-blooded.” “True-blooded? What does that even mean?” This is absurd. The gathering is meant to honor Emmet, yet all they do is chatter about things they barely understand. I s