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Chapter 12 – In Her Blood
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2025-04-23 15:16:00I used to think my family had no legacy. That we were the footnotes in someone else’s story—the offshoots, the accidents. But now I’m starting to think we were erased on purpose.
After that night in the cellar, I don’t sleep. I don’t eat much, either. Elias gives me space—probably out of guilt. Or fear. Maybe both. We barely speak, and when we do, it’s clipped, cold, transactional. Good.
But I can’t sit still.
I’ve been staring at the letters for hours, scattered across the bed like puzzle pieces made of ghosts. Elara Maddox. Ellis Maddox. The Watcher. The line between madness and legacy feels paper-thin.
And then there’s the word from that dream—or whatever it was:
You’re a return.
Not just a bride. Not just a stand-in.
A return.
I don’t know what that means, but I can’t find the answer in
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THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 12 – In Her Blood
I used to think my family had no legacy. That we were the footnotes in someone else’s story—the offshoots, the accidents. But now I’m starting to think we were erased on purpose.After that night in the cellar, I don’t sleep. I don’t eat much, either. Elias gives me space—probably out of guilt. Or fear. Maybe both. We barely speak, and when we do, it’s clipped, cold, transactional. Good.But I can’t sit still.I’ve been staring at the letters for hours, scattered across the bed like puzzle pieces made of ghosts. Elara Maddox. Ellis Maddox. The Watcher. The line between madness and legacy feels paper-thin.And then there’s the word from that dream—or whatever it was:You’re a return.Not just a bride. Not just a stand-in.A return.I don’t know what that means, but I can’t find the answer in
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