LOGINDamien"Yes."The word left my mouth quietly, but Kiva stared at me like it was an explosion. She was still pale, still recovering, and yet sitting upright, glaring like I'd handed her another disaster."You know Alexander?""Yes.""How?"I took a moment before answering. "I have met him before."The priestess, standing near the foot of the bed, looked between us. "You have?""Yes.""And you didn't think to mention that immediately?""I said yes.""That isn't mentioning anything.""Kiva.""No. You don't get to do that. I am very angry at you now." The priestess turned away, hiding a smile, and the door opened. Knox stepped in, and his face told me he had nothing good."The search teams returned from the eastern section," he said. "Nothing."Kiva's expression collapsed. "No sign of Tamara?""No.""Western border? South? North?""Nothing, all three.""Then search again.""Damien—""Again." Knox didn't argue. Kiva shook her head slowly. "She isn't there. I know Tamara. She wouldn't just
KIVAI looked down at my own hands. They were still pale, still weak — my body hadn't fully recovered from the Shadow World yet. Every muscle ached, and even sitting upright felt like I'd somehow survived being crushed beneath an entire building.None of that mattered right now. Tamara was missing, and suddenly I couldn't stop thinking about her."I don't know much about him," I admitted.Damien's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean you don't know much?"I laughed, hollow and short. "Tamara doesn't exactly sit me down and give me detailed explanations about every terrible decision she's made."The priestess almost smiled at that. Almost. I didn't."She has enemies," Damien said, leaning against the side of the bed."I'm aware.""No," I said. "You don't understand." I shook my head. "Tamara has always had enemies." I looked toward the window, where the light was soft, too peaceful for what was happening. The whole world outside looked completely normal, and somewhere out there my
TAMARA. His mouth twitched again, almost a smile.I glared at him."If I had my powers—""But you don't."I shut my mouth. Asshole. He reached toward my chin then, and I immediately tried moving away. But there was nowhere left to go, the cuff holding me exactly where I was. His fingers caught my face, not painfully, but firmly enough that I couldn't pull free. He tilted my head upward to face him fully. My heart began beating faster. I hated that. I hated how close he was. I hated that stupid, familiar scent surrounding both of us. I hated the way his eyes were looking at me right now.His gaze dropped, briefly, to my lips.I stopped breathing entirely.His thumb brushed against my lower lip, slowly, deliberately. My body went completely still under the touch."Xander." My voice came out barely above a whisper.His eyes returned to mine."I would do anything you want."He didn't move, didn't respond.I swallowed."Just let me go."His fingers remained against my face, unmoving."I'l
TAMARA When I opened them again, he was still standing there. Of course he was, because apparently the universe had decided it hated me personally. Xander stepped inside. Alexander. He shut the door behind himself, the sound echoing louder than it should have in the small room.I immediately tried to move, my free hand lifting instinctively, reaching for my power again.Nothing. Again, nothing.I tried harder, straining for any flicker of it. Still fucking nothing. Xander watched me the entire time. He didn't move. Didn't speak. He simply stood there, looking at me like he had all the time in the world to spare. I hated that. I hated the way he looked at me, like he knew something I didn't, like this was exactly where he'd expected me to end up all along.I slowly lowered my hand, giving up for the moment."Don't."He raised an eyebrow at that."Don't what?"His voice. God, I fucking hated his voice.I swallowed hard."Whatever you're thinking."His mouth curved slightly, that same s
Tamara. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as pain shot through my skull in one sharp, unforgiving wave. For a few seconds I genuinely didn't remember where I was. There was only darkness, the smell of dust thick in my nose, the taste of blood on my tongue, something cold pressing against my body from beneath.Then everything came rushing back all at once.The Shadow World. Catherine. Kiva. The shadow that had taken hold inside me and worn my own skin like a costume. My sister.My eyes flew open."Kiva—"I stopped myself mid-word. My breathing turned uneven, ragged. This wasn't the Shadow World. The ceiling above me was solid, grey, and completely real in a way that place had never quite felt. The walls were stone, actual stone, cold and unmoving.I tried to push myself up, and pain immediately exploded through my entire body in response."Fuck."I fell back against whatever I was lying on. My hand flew to my forehead on instinct, and when I pulled it away, there was dried blood smear
KIVA.The priestess didn't answer that one.I felt something twist inside me then, something cold, something purely instinctive that I couldn't reason my way out of.My sister wasn't missing. She was taken. And whoever had taken her had done something no ordinary enemy could manage. They had made Tamara disappear without giving her a single chance to come back on her own. The priestess placed a hand on my shoulder, gentle but firm."It is best that you and Tamara remain apart for now."I looked at her sharply, certain I'd misheard."What?""You heard what I said.""No.""The closer you are together, the easier it becomes for the evil eyes to find you."I frowned, the phrase landing strangely."The evil eyes?""The forces watching you."I shook my head, disbelief creeping into my voice."You're telling me to stay away from my sister while she's missing?""I am telling you that your connection may be part of what makes you vulnerable.""That doesn't make sense.""It does.""No, it doesn'
“THE DREAMS WE CANNOT CONTROL ALREADY OWNS US”DAMIEN (HADES) POVI am in the dream again, and I always know I'm dreaming the moment it starts, but that never gives me control over it because it just means I'm aware enough to suffer through it properly.It begins in silence, not a peaceful silence
“ ALLOW YOURSELF TO SHINE WITHOUT BEING SEEN” KIVA POV.He looked at me for a moment like he was deciding how much to say."The Decaulion," he said.I went still.The name alone did that. Even to someone like me, someone who had spent most of her life looking down rather than up at the structures
"The thing about being loved by the right person is that it doesn't feel like anything you were warned about. It feels like finally exhaling."KIVA POV.For a second I could only stare at him. Fabian stood near the library doors holding a bouquet of white lilies and dark red roses in one hand while
KIVA POV. "Some people are handed a life. Others are handed a mop and told to be grateful for the floor."I had learned a long time ago that the trick to surviving dinner in this house was to become invisible.Not invisible in the way people mean when they say they just want to blend in, not that







