During these months, Evendur painstakingly made sure his wife never found out anything in relation to the ring and the eerie effects it had on those he invited to the safe it was placed in.
Thankfully, his impenetrable expression made it relatively easy to hide the truth. Considering most of her attention was focused on their children—Aden, Kaelen, and the young Daren—there was little room for doubt.
But even he knew the illusion of peace wouldn't last. The effects had become so noticeable that even the maids, butlers, and warriors who worked closely with him had begun to whisper. Naturally, they had all been disposed of silently, but there was only so much he could do to keep the unnatural string of disappearances from his wife.
"Evendur," she had called out one day with her head placed against his. "What have you been up to these past months?"
