Chapter 88

Chapter 88 Seraphina's POV Two weeks after the tribunal, peace had settled over Blackthorne like a cautious snowfall—gentle, but never fully trusted. The halls of the keep were quieter now, not from fear, but from recovery. Soldiers had returned to their homes. Council meetings had become shorter. The scent of blood and fire no longer lingered in the air. But peace, I was learning, brought its own kind of unrest. I stood before the Great Archive, the ancient library that had once been locked to anyone outside the High Council. Now, the doors were open. A symbol of the new Blackthorne. Transparent. United. I ran my hand along the edge of the old iron handle before pushing the door open. Dust greeted me like an old friend. Inside, the scent of aged parchment and ink wrapped around me. Dozens of scrolls and ancient tomes filled every wall. This was knowledge Cassian had hoarded. Secrets he buried. Kaelos entered behind me, carrying a small lantern. "You really think the answers are in her