This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice.

The mist clung to the cobblestone streets of Ravenspire like a living thing, tendrils of fog weaving between the ancient lampposts that cast their amber glow into the perpetual twilight. Seraphina Thorne pulled her dark cloak tighter around her shoulders as she hurried through the winding alleys, her leather boots clicking against the wet stones with each determined step. The weight of the silver amulet beneath her bodice felt heavier tonight, as if it sensed the approaching danger that had been stalking her for weeks.

She had always known this day would come. The day when her bloodline would call her to fulfill an ancient duty that had been passed down through generations of Thorne women. Her grandmother's words echoed in her mind like a haunting melody: "When the crimson moon rises over Ravenspire, the veil between worlds grows thin, and you must stand as guardian between the light and the shadow."

The crimson moon hung low in the sky tonight, casting everything in an eerie red glow that made the shadows dance with unnatural life. Seraphina quickened her pace, knowing she was being watched. She could feel eyes upon her from every darkened doorway, every shuttered window. The creatures of the night were stirring, drawn by the same ancient magic that pulsed through her veins.

As she turned the corner onto Shadowmere Lane, a figure stepped out from the darkness ahead. Tall and imposing, draped in a midnight-black coat that seemed to absorb the very light around him, he stood motionless in the center of the narrow street. His pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and when he raised his head, Seraphina gasped at the sight of his eyes—deep crimson orbs that held centuries of pain and longing.