I carry my name as a brand on my soul. A traitor, a coward, an unworthy Murray heir…

Once, I believed in the power of a silent sword. Once, the shadows of the Keep kept me hidden from Campbell’s gaze. But shadows fade at every dawn, and with them, my childish illusions of safety.

Killing Campbell is my destiny, my father’s penance, and my only hope. If a life is all it takes to win this war, mine will make the difference. I will play this deadly game, wagering all I hold dear—my honor, my dignity, and Flora. Should fate be kind, and she one day bestows upon me the honor of becoming my wife, I will see her carry my name like a crown.

I am ready to be lost again in the Keep’s shadows. I am ready to assume my role, become a ghost, in this play of pretense and menace. Flora will hate me, but I will cherish her memory forever. She is the only anchor to my truest self, the flickering light in my darkest hour. If that anchor breaks, then I have no reason to live, for without her, I am lost.

I am Seamus, and I will gamble my life. Let my death be honorable, instead.