LOGINDominic’s POVPain has a rhythm.Down here in the dungeon, I’ve learned it the way one learns breathing. The pull of the suppression chains around my wrists. The constant pressure on my chest, like invisible hands pressing me into the stone. The ache that never quite fades, only changes shape.But tonight something is different.I’m lying on the cold floor, my cheek pressed against damp stone, when it hits me.The call of a blood.It surges through my veins like a sudden current, sharp enough to rip a groan from my throat. My fingers curl instinctively, claws threatening to break through skin as heat flares in my chest.“Aurelia,” I rasp.The bond snaps tight, brighter than it’s been since the night they dragged me down here. It burns, alive, frantic. I can feel her fear like a blade between my ribs. Her pain. Her confusion.And something else. Something old. Something that should not have been touched.I force myself upright, muscles screaming in protest as the chains clink softly. T
Aurelia’s POVI knew something was off the moment I opened my eyes.The world felt louder. Like I could literally hear everything in a more intense way.Not just sound, everything. The scrape of stone beneath distant footsteps, the drip of water somewhere deep in the palace walls, the low murmur of voices far above me. Each noise understandingly sharp, like my senses had been flayed open and left raw.I pressed my fingers to my nose before I even sat up, and I felt blood.It had crusted slightly during the night, but the moment I touched it, fresh warmth bloomed against my skin. I sucked in a slow breath and tilted my head back, swallowing hard, forcing myself not to panic.Lyra was already watching me.She stood near the doorway of the basement room, her expression tight, eyes flicking between my face and my shaking hands. She signed something quickly.You’re still bleeding.“I’m fine,” I whispered automatically, even though my voice sounded strange to my own ears. Too thin. Too tigh
Aurelia’s POVThat night, I didn’t even remember walking back to the basement.My body moved on instinct alone, one foot in front of the other, down the narrow steps, through the familiar damp corridor that smelled of mold, sweat, and quiet despair. My muscles screamed in protest with every step, my bones aching like they were filled with lead. The day had drained everything from me.By the time I reached the small room that passed for mine, my hands were trembling.I didn’t eat. I didn’t even think about food.I dropped onto the thin mattress, the rough fabric scratching against my skin, and before my head fully touched the pillow, darkness swallowed me whole.And then I was standing in the palace courtyard.But not the palace I knew now.This one was alive.Torches burned bright along the marble walls, their flames dancing like they were celebrating too. Wolves filled the courtyard faces lit with joy, relief, disbelief. Laughter rang through the air, loud and unrestrained, the kind
Aurelia’s POVPain throbbed through my face in hot, blinding waves.I groaned before I could stop myself, the sound ripping out of my chest as I curled inward, my fingers digging into the cold stone floor. My cheek burned like it had been branded, my ears ringing so loudly it drowned out the world for a moment.I tasted blood.Slowly I pushed myself up on shaking arms. My vision swam, then cleared enough for me to see the hem of an expensive gown, the kind only royalty wore. My stomach dropped before my eyes even traveled upward.Shannon.She stood over me, her back straight, her chin lifted, her expression twisted in pure disgust, as if I were something foul she’d stepped on by accident.“So,” she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut skin, “what exactly do you think you’re doing here?”I swallowed hard and forced myself to my knees, my head bowed automatically. My body had learned this posture too well these past days.“I’m sorry,” I stuttered, my voice hoarse. “I was just… cleanin
Aurelia’s POVI yanked the door open, my heart already bracing for pain.In my mind, I had seen it clearly, Selena’s cruel smile, her sharp tongue ready to tear me apart. Or worse, guards with iron grips, ready to drag me away for daring to breathe without permission. My muscles were already tensed for impact, my mouth prepared to beg or scream or fight.But it wasn’t Selena.It was Lyra.She stood there silently, her hands clasped together, her eyes wide and shining with something that looked dangerously like fear. In her hands was a small piece of folded parchment. She lifted it slightly, as if asking a question.Can I come in?For a heartbeat, I just stared at her.Then relief slammed into me so hard my knees nearly buckled.I grabbed her wrist and dragged her inside, slamming the door shut behind us and pressing my back against it as if the walls themselves might be listening.“What took you so long?” I whispered fiercely, gripping her shoulders. My voice shook. “Lyra, everything
Aurelia’s POVMy hands fumbled over the keys, fumbling, shaking, trembling so violently that I dropped one onto the floor. It clinked against the wall like a harsh alarm, and I froze as my heart hammered so loudly it felt like Dominic would hear it from inside the cell.“Please, please, please,” I whispered, voice trembling, “Be alive.”Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I found the right key. My fingers were slick with sweat, my knuckles white, but I turned it. The lock clicked, and my chest heaved with relief.The door creaked as I pushed it open, the shadows of the dungeon swallowing me. And there he was. Dominic. My heart broke all over again.He was slumped against the far wall, chains cutting into his wrists, his body exhausted, hair matted and smelling of damp stone and other things I didn’t want to think about. His normally sharp, alert eyes were dull with pain, though the moment they landed on me, I saw how happy he was.“Dominic…” I whispered, rushing forward. I drop







