LOGINGILDEON
His eyes dropped to the folder, his mind racing through the possibilities of what it held. It had to be evidence—something Durante believed would nail him. The agent flipped the folder horizontally, keeping the cover facing Gildeon, the contents hidden from view. The rustle of paper filled the room. Then, with a calculated movement, Durante spread photos across the table—images of the four captives.
Gildeon’s gaze remained steady. No fl
ARAHEENShe woke alone in bed, though she dimly remembered Zephyr pressing a kiss to her forehead before slipping into a robe and leaving the room.The first thing she checked when she sat up was her belly. The power of the Containment Sigil pulsed faintly beneath her skin, proof that it had done what it was meant to do. It had activated the moment Zephyr was inside her last night. For a second, she had feared he might notice, but he had been too lost in pleasure, too deep in that mindless rush, for his guard to stay fully up.Now that the deed was done, all she had to do was wait. And that depended entirely on her allies outside the citadel.Her mother had said the sigil’s full function would only unravel if Zephyr was engaged in battle. Only then would they have any real chance of bringing him down.She climbed out of bed, pulled on her dress, and opened the door, only to start at the sight of Hedda standing outside.
ARAHEENThe dining hall was quiet, save for the soft clink of her utensils and the occasional scrape of steel against porcelain. She sat alone at the table, eating her dinner, while Zephyr stood on the balcony, watching the citadel below.She hadn’t realized how famished she was until the servants laid a spread of food before her. After her long rest, and the power drained by her visit to her mother’s mausoleum, she needed to restore enough strength to sustain the Containment Sigil she had etched into her belly, concealed beneath a powerful masking sigil.Not even Zephyr would detect it… unless he knew exactly what to look for.“You’re not going to eat?” she asked casually, lifting her wine glass for a generous sip.“I have no longer use for food,” Zephyr replied without turning. “You’ll understand when you reach my state.”“What if I don’t want t
ARAHEENCatheria and Zephyr moved through the same narrow tunnel. Shadowy arms reached from the walls, grasping for them, but they avoided the touch—just as Araheen had during her own passage through the Dark Plane.They emerged into a white room, which dissolved in an instant into a vast cosmic expanse surrounding them.Golden streaks threaded through the fabric of the universe, interwoven with drifting stars, gas, and dust suspended in the void.Catheria approached a silvery structure resembling a vast spider’s web. She pressed her hand to its center, only to recoil moments later, tears streaming down her face.She then stumbled back, finding Zephyr still standing before his own web, his hand pressed firmly at its core. His eyes had turned white. His body was completely still.Catheria approached him slowly and, without a word, placed her hand over his.Her head snapped back. Her eyes turned white as wel
ARAHEENThe memory shifted again, this time to the dining hall.Oracle Guards stood by the doors, overseeing the Broken Ones—as sylphs like Catheria and Zephyr were called.Even here, strict rules were enforced, though they were permitted to speak with one another.After whatever rigorous “rehabilitation” the Oracles subjected them to—something her mother had clearly spared her from witnessing—Araheen could see how drained the others were. Most were too exhausted to even attempt conversation during meals.But her young mother did not seem as broken.Catheria obeyed without protest, and perhaps because of that, the Oracles had grown more lenient with her movements. No one questioned it when she took a seat beside Zephyr, who sat alone at his table.Zephyr paused mid-bite, turning to her with a look of open irritation.“What do you want?” he asked dismissively.&ld
ARAHEENHer mother rose and walked toward her, a proud smile gracing her beautiful face.Tears spilled down Araheen’s cheeks. Emotion swelled in her chest, overwhelming and unrestrained, and she found herself meeting her mother halfway, throwing herself into her arms.She felt warm. Solid. Alive.Impossible, she knew that. But for a few fleeting moments, she allowed herself to believe it was real. And so she cried even harder.“I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered against her mother’s chest, breathing in her familiar, sweet scent. “Are you real?”“No,” her mother said gently. “I’m an Echo.”Araheen pulled back just enough to look up at her. “Echo?”“A remnant of consciousness that was sustained after death.” Her mother brushed a hand through her hair, and Araheen leaned into the warmth of the gesture. “But u
ARAHEENShe wasted no time flying to Lothair’s estate.On the grounds, she encountered Lady Vaelina and Isalee. They did not seem surprised to see her, but instead of the usual reflexive snobbery they had often greeted her with, they simply lowered their gazes and stepped aside.Araheen already knew that being Zephyr’s marked bride came with its privileges, but she didn’t know how to feel seeing her stepmother and stepsister under these circumstances.She moved past them, intent on ignoring them, until a thought brought her to a halt.Turning, she asked bluntly, “Have you both been Fractured as well?”These were the last two women she would have suspected of being swayed by a Fractured. But after everything she had learned, she could no longer be certain.“How dare you insinuate that?” Lady Vaelina snapped, her offense restrained in the measured way of the Non-Fractured. It fl
ARAHShe had every reason to keep hating Lexi, but right now, she didn’t. All she saw was a mother terrified for her unborn child, looking heartbreakingly alone in a world she no longer seemed to trust.“I won’t let anything happen to that child,&r
ARAHShe didn’t get a good night’s sleep. She couldn’t even remember if she’d gotten a single moment of shut-eye. Even in her dreams, she felt restless, haunted by the thought of Gildeon sleeping next to Lexi in his room. The least they’d done to ease her mind was leave th
ARAHHer mouth fell open. She couldn’t believe Gildeon’s reaction. For a moment, she was so stunned it felt like a complete stranger was staring back at her.A stranger who saw her not as a lover, but as a threat. An enemy.Had she really gone that far? Was Gildeon now willing to stand against her—
ARAHHer eyes fluttered open, and she grimaced as a throbbing pain pulsed behind her temples. Her fingers instinctively rose to press against her forehead. Every muscle in her body ached, like she’d been tossed into a blender and spun on high. Fortunately, she could alread







