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And Jace could feel the threads of magic stretching thinner every day.

The wards weren’t breaking, but they were fraying. At the corners. At the edges. Like someone was pushing against them. Testing.

“Alpha?”

He turned to seeLogan, his beta, approaching with a clipboard and two coffee charms swinging from his other hand. His expression was bland but alert—the way it always was when he had bad news he wasn’t sure how to phrase.

Jace took the coffee and raised a brow. “Nothing?”

“Same as yesterday,” Logan said, scanning his notes. “Wards still holding. Ezra’s pack hasn’t moved. No sign he’s even left his estate in the last forty-eight hours. Council enchantments say the same.”

“He’s up to something.”

“Probably,” Logan said, sipping his drink. “But unfortunately, he’s doing it quietly. And legally. For now.”

Jace scanned the grove. Children darted between booths, vendors tested sparkle spells over tables. The energy of the town pulsed—vibrant, alive, but just beneath it,nervous. Like everyone sensed the tension even if they couldn’t name it.

“Has he reached out again?” Jace asked.

Logan tilted his head. “To Lyra?”

Jace’s jaw ticked, but he nodded once.

“Not that we’ve heard. Though Petra said she saw them talking again outside the apothecary. Seemed casual. Friendly.”

The coffee in Jace’s hand cooled faster than it should’ve.

He stared straight ahead, watching the trees.

Logan hesitated. “You want me to pull back the tail?”

“No,” Jace said tightly. “Keep eyes on him. But keep it discreet.”

“Always.”

Jace turned, voice low. “And don’t bring Lyra into it. Not yet. Not unless she’s in actual danger.”

“You sure?”

“No,” Jace muttered. “But I’m not going to drive her away more than I already have.”

Logan clapped him on the shoulder once. “Then you better figure out your next move. Because Ezra’s smart. And Lyra’s not going to sit in silence forever waiting for you to grow a pair.”

“Thanks for that, very subtle wisdom.”

Logan smirked. “Just saying—if you don’t want to lose her, it might be time to stop pretending you already have. And I’m only saying this as your friend, not your beta.”

Later that day, Jace stood alone in the Keep’s observation room, gazing out across the valley. The town bustled below, strings of festival lights flickering to life. The wards shimmered faintly—still intact, but… strained.

He could feel it.

And the festival was still a few days off, and that worried him more. It gave Ezra time to plan… to strike. Get things just right.

And above it all, a name he didn’t want to speak kept circling his thoughts.

Lyra.

He could still smell her magic on his skin if he let himself breathe deep enough. Still hear her laughter tucked into the folds of his memory like a secret.