Chapter 2

Back in the study of my manor, my fingers trembled as I unrolled the transfer scroll. The ink smudged as a tear hit the parchment.

If it were just a friend's betrayal, maybe I could have laughed it off. But our bond, once a burning fire in my chest, now felt like a thousand silver needles piercing my heart.

I remembered the night we decided to transfer.

Moonlight flooded the conservatory, bathing us in a silver glow that felt like a blessing. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the man I had loved for nearly a century. My heart was pounding, wild and out of control.

When he leaned down to kiss me, his hot breath on my skin, I didn't push him away.

He untied the ribbons of my dress, his cool fingers trailing down my spine, sending a shiver through me. Then, his fangs grazed my neck, my blood mixing with his. It was the first step of our bonding ritual—sacred, and irreversible. All that remained was the final vow in the chapel.

"This is the beginning of forever," I whispered in his arms.

"Yes," he said, kissing my forehead. "We'll have a blood-pact wedding in the old Gothic chapel. You'll wear white, and I'll place the family's ancestral blood-jade tiara on your head."

I thought that was our future.

Two days later, it was all ash.

Now I understood. He was lying from the very beginning. For him, the bond was just insurance, a guarantee I would never betray him. For me, it was a chain on my soul.

I am a pure-blood heir of the Thorne clan. He is just an unrecognized bastard of the Vances. This bond was never equal.

But he didn't know that a simple bond couldn't hold me. Not with my power.

I looked at the tear-stained scroll in my hand. It didn't matter. I would write a new one.

A Thorne always has a backup plan.

I filled out a new scroll, pausing at the destination academy. Then I sent a psychic message to my mother. "Mother, what was the name of that top-tier academy you mentioned? Yes. I'll be going alone."

A wind chime rang, its clear, sweet sound like a cheer.

I closed my eyes, and for the first time in a century, Liam's face wasn't the first thing I saw.

In his place was another man, one who looked vaguely like him. But this man was more handsome, his features sharper, with a cocky smirk on his face, just as he'd had two years ago. "Mark my words, Isabella. Sooner or later, you'll sever that blood bond for me."

Back then, I thought he was joking. I'd laughed at his arrogance.

Now, Liam and I were over. And that felt less like a joke and more like a prophecy.

I finished the scroll and let out a long breath. My heart was finally calm.

Just as I was collecting my thoughts, the manor's bell rang. The sound made me jump. I lived here alone. Besides me, only one other person knew the blood-ward incantation to enter.

I opened the door. Liam was standing there, his voice as warm as ever. "You didn't come to say goodbye to everyone. I was worried."

"I was tired," I said flatly. "Decided to stay in."

As I moved to close the door, I saw a figure behind him. The small, fragile form of Chloe, who flinched when our eyes met.

Suddenly, Chloe stumbled back, one hand clutching her chest, the other grabbing Liam's sleeve. "I… I feel like I can't breathe."

Her voice was frail, her eyes welling with tears.

Liam immediately steadied her, his expression turning tense.

"Isabella, can you tone it down?" He looked at me, his eyes full of blame. "Chloe is delicate. You're scaring her. You should be more considerate. Not everyone has a bloodline like yours."

Considerate?

I had been considerate for an entire month. I protected him, fought for him, and was ready to leave my entire world behind for him. Now he wanted me to be considerate of another woman? A woman faking weakness, who claimed my very presence was suffocating her?

My expression turned to ice. "I told you. I don't want strangers on my land."

Liam frowned. "Chloe is a friend. She was worried about you, that's all."

Before I could answer, Chloe's eyes filled with tears. "Isabella, I'm sorry. I know you've always looked down on me for my mixed blood, but I swear I purify myself with Moon-blessed Water every day."

She sobbed, looking utterly pitiful. "I won't dirty your manor."

Liam glared at me. "She can't help where she came from. You're being cruel. I'm so disappointed in you."

Chloe tugged his sleeve, playing the part of the bigger person. "It's okay, Liam. Don't fight with her because of me." She forced a watery smile. "She told me you two are fated mates," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "A bond not seen in a millennium. How could someone like me ever hope to compare?"

"Don't say that," Liam murmured, gently cupping her face. "You're one of a kind."

Then he turned back to me, his face a cold mask. "Chloe is upset. I'm taking her home. You need to think about what you've done. And don't forget to get your seal at the council."

He was right about one thing. I did need to think. About how blind I had been.

I strode to the blood pool in the heart of the manor. Without a moment's hesitation, I rewrote the blood-ward.

From now on, no unwelcome creature would ever step foot in here again without my express permission.

The weight on my chest lifted, as if I’d finally exhaled a breath I’d been holding for a hundred years.