Ashley barely slept that night.

  Her mind kept replaying Marion’s words.

  "There are rumors… about a rogue wolf hiding in Astravel. Some believe it's the last survivor of Crescent Moon."

  Marion suspected her.

  And if Marion suspected her, then it was only a matter of time before someone else did too.

  The palace was no longer safe.

  Ashley lay on her small cot in the servants’ quarters, staring at the cracked ceiling. She needed answers.

  Coleen had mentioned a traitor—someone inside Astravel was helping the hunters. But who? And why?

  A soft knock at her door made her jolt upright.

  Heart pounding, she crept across the room and pressed her ear against the wood.

  "Ashley?"

  She exhaled in relief. Lena.

  Ashley unbolted the door and let her in. The young maid slipped inside, glancing nervously down the hall before shutting the door.

  "You look like you’ve seen a ghost," Ashley whispered.

  Lena’s hands trembled as she held up a folded piece of parchment.

  "I found this in the laundry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was inside one of the guards’ uniforms."

  Ashley took the parchment and unfolded it.

  Her blood turned to ice.

  The note read:

  "The girl is in the palace. The prince is watching her. We must move soon."

  Ashley’s hands shook.

  The hunters were already here.

  Ashley burned the note in the fireplace, watching as the flames devoured the message.

  Lena paced beside her. "Ashley, what does this mean?"

  "It means I’m running out of time," Ashley muttered.

  She needed to get out of the palace—tonight.

  But where would she go? The world outside Astravel was just as dangerous. If the hunters were watching her here, they would have spies everywhere.

  Lena bit her lip. "Maybe you should talk to Prince Coleen."

  Ashley snorted. "Oh, sure. I’ll just walk up to the prince and say, ‘Hey, can you help me escape your own palace?’ That’ll go well."

  Lena frowned. "You don’t trust him?"

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  Ashley hesitated.

  No. She didn’t.

  Coleen was too unpredictable, too cold, too ruthless. He had let her go last night, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn her in if it benefitted him.

  Still… he had warned her about the traitor.

  And he hadn’t told Marion what he knew.

  Ashley sighed. "I don’t know."

  Lena sat beside her. "Then what’s the plan?"

  Ashley exhaled slowly. "I’ll go to the royal archives. If the hunters are looking for me, then I need to know why. I need to find out what they want."

  Lena’s eyes widened. "The royal archives? Ashley, that’s—"

  "Forbidden?" Ashley smirked. "That didn’t stop me last night."

  Lena groaned. "You’re going to get yourself killed."

  Ashley stood, already forming a plan in her mind. "Then I better make it worth it."

  Slipping into the forbidden library had been easy.

  Getting into the royal archives? Not so much.

  Ashley pressed herself against a stone pillar, her breath steady as she watched the guards patrolling the entrance.

  Unlike the library, the archives were heavily guarded. Only royal scholars and high-ranking officials were allowed inside.

  Ashley clenched her fists. How was she supposed to sneak in?

  Then, an idea struck.

  She turned to Lena. "How much do you like causing distractions?"

  Lena groaned. "I knew you were going to say that."

  Ashley grinned.

  A few minutes later, chaos erupted.

  A stack of silver plates crashed to the floor as Lena ran through the hall, screaming about a rat.

  The guards turned immediately, rushing to calm the commotion.

  Ashley didn’t hesitate.

  She darted through the entrance and into the darkness of the archives.

  The archives were massive, rows of ancient texts stretching into the shadows.

  Ashley’s fingers skimmed the shelves as she searched. There had to be something here—some record of Crescent Moon.

  Finally, she found it.

  A dusty, leather-bound book with the title: "The Fall of Crescent Moon."

  Ashley’s heart pounded as she flipped through the pages.

  Then, she saw her parents’ names.

  King Alaric. Queen Seraphina.

  And beneath their portraits, a single chilling sentence:

  "The royal bloodline was wiped out. No survivors."

  Ashley’s breath hitched.

  That was a lie.

  She was standing right here.

  Her hands shook as she turned another page. And then, she found something even worse.

  A list of names.

  The people who had helped betray Crescent Moon.

  Her eyes scanned the list until she saw a name she never expected.

  Ashley felt the world tilt around her.

  She whispered the name, barely able to believe it.

  "Marion.

  "Ashley stumbled back, her mind racing.

  Marion’s family had helped destroy Crescent Moon.

  That’s why Marion hated her. That’s why she was trying to turn Coleen against her.

  She wasn’t just jealous—she was part of the enemy’s bloodline.

  A sudden creak behind her made Ashley freeze.

  She whipped around, her pulse spiking.

  Coleen stood in the doorway.

  Ashley snapped the book shut, holding it close to her chest.

  "What are you doing here?" she demanded.

  Coleen’s gaze flickered to the book. "I could ask you the same thing."

  Ashley’s grip tightened. "You already know, don’t you?"

  Coleen’s silver eyes darkened. "Yes."

  Silence stretched between them. Ashley’s thoughts spun wildly.

  If Coleen knew about Marion… why hadn’t he done anything?

  Ashley took a step forward, her voice low. "Are you protecting her?"

  Coleen’s expression hardened. "This is bigger than you think, Ashley."

  She let out a bitter laugh. "Then tell me. Tell me why the girl who’s been making my life hell is from the same bloodline that helped slaughter my people."

  Coleen didn’t flinch, but Ashley saw the faint flicker of guilt in his eyes.

  "Because Marion isn’t just an enemy’s daughter," he finally said. "She’s… my cousin."

  Ashley stilled.

  She stared at him, the weight of his words crashing down like thunder.

  Marion was his family.

  Everything suddenly made sense.

  Ashley felt the fire inside her burn brighter.

  "Then I guess you’ll have to choose, won’t you?" she whispered. "Your kingdom… or your blood."

  Coleen’s expression remained unreadable.

  But Ashley already knew the truth.

  Marion would never stop hunting her.

  And if Coleen couldn’t stand against his own family, then Ashley was truly on her own