Mag-log inI knew….of course I knew this was probably the dumbest thing I was ever going to do. The elevator ride back to the royal levels felt like an ascent toward a gallows. Every floor the numbers climbed, the heavier the cloak felt on my shoulders, as if the damp, cold air of the dungeons had seeped into the fabric and turned to sharp nails. “I am betraying him,” The thought circled my mind like a vulture around a carcass. “By doing this I am breaking the law that keeps us safe. How is he even going to trust me again when he finds out?” I battled with myself. When the doors slid open, Axel was standing there. His arms were crossed, and his face full of concern, but his eyes scanned me and as they narrowed, it made me want to shrink away.“You look like you’ve done something wrong,” he said, his voice quiet but echoing in the empty hall. “Why are you sweating so much?”“I told you, the air was just… thin and I was feeling hot,” I said, pulling my cloak tighter. I brushed past him, my foot
Zara's green eyes were flecked with a predatory amusement that made my skin crawl."You said you were expecting me," I said, my voice echoing off the stone walls. I stepped closer, my knuckles white as I gripped the cold bars. "How? How do you know what I am? What did the True Bloods do to me?"Zara tilted her head, a stray lock of dark hair falling over her shoulder. She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she began to pace the small, cramped space of her cell like a caged leopard. "You have no idea of the value of the blood in your veins, do you? You think you’re just a girl who got lucky…” she turned her head to me slowly, a grin forming on her lips. “Or unlucky ….if you think about it.” She giggled. “But the True Bloods have been tracking the resonance of the Speaker for decades. We knew the line hadn't ended and we certainly knew the Goddess was just waiting for a vessel weak enough to inhabit.""Tell me what you know," I demanded, the headache behind my eyes pulsing in time wit
~ Risa's POV ~The palace had changed in ways that I couldn't explain with words.It wasn’t in the architecture or the lighting, but in the very vibration of the air. As I sat propped up against a mountain of pillows, the simple act of existing felt like a chore. Every time a servant entered the room to change the water or bring fresh linens, I felt the sharp spike of their hostility.It wasn't a loud sound, but a psychic pressure. a suffocating cloud of witch, freak, and curse that followed them like a foul scent. They kept their heads bowed, their movements frantic and jerky, as if they expected me to turn them into pillars of salt if they clattered a tray.And then there were the headaches.They weren't ordinary pains, it felt as though someone were hammering nails into my temples, timed to the rhythm of my heartbeat. Every time I tried to focus on the memory of the garden, the white light flared behind my eyes, making me gasp.A soft knock at the door startled me as Kael came int
For over twenty-four hours, these council men had been pounding on the gates of the palace, their demands for an audience with me echoing through the palace. I had ignored them all. It was all noise. The only thing that mattered to me was Risa opening her eyes. I had sat by her side, watching the silver glow beneath her skin, listening for a breath that wouldn't come. My heart was so heavy and even when the servants tried to serve me water, I couldn't stomach it. But now, she was awake. The fire in her eyes had cooled to a haunted brown, and she was safe for now.She seemed to be in a daze but I was happy she had her breath back and she could look at me even though those eyes held profound sadness like she had seen the end of the world and we weren't in it together. I adjusted the cuffs of my black dress shirt, the silk cool against my skin. I looked in the mirror one last time. My eyes were bloodshot, the dark circles beneath them a testament to the night I’d spent on my knees. I
~ Kael's POV ~I stood paralyzed for a heartbeat that felt like an eternity, watching Risa’s back. The air around her had fractured. When she turned to face me after what she did to Elara, the woman I saw wasn't my Risa. Her eyes held only pain."Risa," I whispered, stepping toward her.The moment my voice broke the silence, the light in her eyes shattered. The terrifying power vanished, leaving behind a girl who looked like she had been hollowed out from the inside. Her knees buckled. I moved faster than the eye could follow, catching her before she hit the gravel.She was trembling and it felt like her bones were vibrating at a frequency they weren't meant to endure."Kael," she gasped, her hands clutching at my lapels with a strength born of pure terror. "I didn't... I just wanted her to stop... I didn't know I could...""I've got you. Just breathe, Risa. Just breathe," I urged, pulling her against my chest. My own heart was beating so fast and I was genuinely scared…scared for her
The ceiling felt like it was pressing down on me, the intricate carvings of the rafters swirling in my vision. My body didn't feel like my own for a bit, it felt like a suit of armor made of lead, every muscle fiber singing with an agonizing thrum. I tried to lift my hand to wipe the sweat from my brow, but the simple movement sent a bolt of pain through my shoulder.“How long?” I managed to croak, my throat feeling as though I had swallowed shards of glass. “How long… have I been here?”A servant, whose hands were shaking so violently she almost dropped the damp cloth she was holding, leaned over me. “Please, My Lady, you must stay still. The healers said speaking would only drain you further. You are so weak.”“I’m fine,” I lied, though the room tilted dangerously to the left. I grabbed the servant’s wrist, my grip surprisingly tight despite my exhaustion. I could feel her fear, a prickling sensation against my palm. She thought I was going to curse her. She thought I was the monst







