LOGIN"They'll never get tired of that story," she murmured. "Good. They should know what we went through to get here. What we survived." She pulled me to a stop, looking up at me with those eyes that still made my heart skip. "I'm glad you came for me. Even though I would have been okay eventually. I'm
"That's how you killed him?" This from Marcus, practical as always. "With the bond?" "With the bond and with magic and with determination to protect what we loved." I touched Hope's hair, then Marcus's. "To protect our future. Our chance at the family we'd been trying to build for seven lifetimes."
Chapter 159 Epilogue **Ronan's POV** "Tell us again, Papa." Hope tugged on my sleeve, her golden eyes bright in the firelight. "Tell us about the Shadow Realm." "You've heard that story a hundred times," I said, but I was already settling into the big chair by the fire. Marcus climbed into my ot
"I can't do this," I gasped as another wave of pain hit. "It's too much. I can't." "Yes, you can." Ronan's voice was steady even though I could feel his terror through the bond. "You fought Silas. You survived the Shadow Realm. You can do this." "That was easier," I groaned. He actually laughed.
The bond blazed so bright I could barely breathe. His emotions crashed into mine. Love and regret and hope and determination all tangled together. Helena turned to me. "Your vows, Lunara." My birth name. My true name. It still felt strange to hear it. I looked at Ronan and suddenly all my prepare
Chapter 158 **Evangeline's POV** The moon hung full and silver above us, so bright it hurt to look at directly. I stood at the edge of the clearing, barefoot in the grass, and tried to remember how to breathe. My dress was simple. White silk that moved like water. No train. No veil. Just me and t
Celeste standing over her father's body, her face cold and satisfied. The moment the blood bond snapped into place, linking us across realms. Silas watching it all unfold from his throne room, calculating how to use the chaos. "All of you," I said through gritted teeth as blood streamed from my wr
"Celeste..." "Drink your tea, Father," I said calmly. "It's getting cold." He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes searching my face for something familiar. Whatever he saw there made him set the cup back down with trembling hands. "What did you do?" he whispered. I pulled the empty vial
Ronan with Celeste. Not fighting her, not pushing her away, but holding her hand. Accepting her comfort. Moving on while I suffered in this realm of shadows. The pendant's whispers became a roar. *He left you. He forgot you. He replaced you.* "He left me," I whispered, the words torn from my t
"You knew," I whispered. "You knew I couldn't break it without dying." *Of course I knew,* Celeste said, her satisfaction rolling through our connection like poison. *I'm not stupid, unlike some people. I researched the spell before I used it.* I stared at the broken mirror, seeing my fractured







