LOGINLillia stared into space. She could still vividly remember everything like it was yesterday. The night her father died, and the next day she was rejected by her mate who had married the woman that murdered her. It was like a nightmare she had woken up from, and revisited every night she slept. Only it wasn’t a nightmare. She could finally have the revenge that had haunted her ever since she took over this body. She could save her father. Lillia’s vision blurred and her eyes stung but she kept her tears at bay, glistening beneath the eerie blue light. “I can… I can see my father again?” Her voice wavered, uncertainty loudly evident in them.“Not just that, you will remember everything.” Anubis went on, her tone almost coaxing now, like a soothing whisper curling through the mind. “You will remember every face, every lie, betrayal, every plot and this time… you will not lose.”Silence followed pressing heavily between them. Lillia was in a daze. Had she heard wrongly? Had Anubis rea
Yes… Lillia thought, her gaze sweeping the space again, more carefully this time.“Maera. Selene. You need to see this.” Lillia called out expecting a response but there was nothing. Wait… hasn’t it been a moment since we entered? Why had Selene and Maera not entered? They were right behind us. Fenris was on high alert as she spoke, and Lillia could feel her senses primed to the peak. That’s right. Lillia thought back quickly, a frown settling on her face as she turned back, but the fabric she had brushed aside to enter the tent had not been rustled or shifted. She couldn’t even hear footsteps outside. “Maera? Selene?” Lillia called out again but silence answered. Just as she was about to reach for the fabric, her pulse faltered violently as suddenly, the entrance stretched away from her reach, farther than where she stood, despite knowing she had briefly stepped into the tent. She had entered knowing the entrance was right behind her, but now it was a distance away.The space wit
By the time the three women stepped into the carriage and shut the door, he was already gone, his presence swallowed entirely by the passage they had emerged from… now sealed behind them. The carriage lurched forward soon after, the wheels rolling over uneven earth as the soft creak of wood and the steady rhythm of movement gradually settled into quiet. Lillia leaned slightly toward the window, her gaze tracing the passing trees as light and shadow flickered across her face in slow intervals, her senses stretching outward instinctively as she took in the scent of the forest. It truly was refreshing. She remembered the days when she would venture into the forest to read her books, write, or simply to be alone when things got suffocating. Back then, her father had always found her secret spots, no matter how carefully she hid them, and even now, she still could not understand how he always managed it, even when she took great measures to mask her scent. A sad smile traced her lip
“I have to find a way.” Lillia’s smile remained true, almost apologetic as she continued. “Also, someone has to distract Caelum and Bastian. Caelum is still recovering; I cannot afford to place you all in danger.” Lillia paused with the smile still on her face, but her expression was serious, and her words were firm. “That is why I will be going alone.”“What—no.” Maera’s reply was immediate. So quick it almost overlapped Lillia’s last words. Her face tightened with disbelief as she stepped forward. “No.” She repeated, this time firmer. “Absolutely not.”Lillia opened her mouth to speak but Selene was quicker. She held Maera back and reached out to also hold Lillia. “Maera is right.” For the first time, Selene looked crossly at Lillia. Her gaze had sharpened with all traces of softness gone from her expression. “You just woke up today, and have barely recovered. We do not know what lies ahead, and after what just happened with Amelia…” Her voice faltered briefly before hardening
Lillia picked up the pendant as a low growl vibrated through her chest. She, however, did not let go. Something within her stirred in a whirlwind of pain, sadness and immense guilt as she stared at it, and still, instead of putting it away, her fingers tightened around it. “This pendant belongs to my family. That mark was seared into my mother’s body when we found her.” Seth broke the silence soon enough, but even as Lillia listened to him, his voice only sounded more distant as her entire attention was fully engrossed on the pendant and the mark.On the smooth polished black stone was a downward-facing crescent, wider and more open, almost like a cradle, and resting within it was a small spiral, delicate and tightly wound. Fine, almost invisible lines extended from the spiral’s edges toward the crescent, like threads connecting them, as though the spiral was being held, restrained from unleashing and expanding. A crescent moon… and spirals. Lillia thought deeply as Seth’s voice be
“Your Majesty, there is something you need to know about Amelia. Please follow me.”Seth did not wait for a response. He had already turned on his measured steps, but there was a stiffness to his shoulders, like a man bracing himself for something he could not avoid.Lillia followed Seth quietly out of Amelia’s bedroom. Her gaze lingered briefly on Amelia before she turned, her fingers curling slightly at her sides as though she was reluctant to leave. When they stepped out of the double doors, Seth led the way through a quieter wing of the manor with heavy silence pressing in as Lillia wondered what it was he had to say that required this much distance, and the further they walked, the quieter it became, until even their footsteps felt too loud, echoing faintly against the walls. Lillia’s brows drew slightly together, her gaze narrowing at Seth’s back, but she did not stop following him.Soon, Seth stopped before another set of double doors. “Come.” His hand hovered on the handle for
“Right.” Lillia nodded in agreement. “Then, we must find Sharee.” Her head turned to the door at once, her voice ringing out firmly.“Caelum!”“Yes, my Lady.” A voice answered almost instantly from outside her bedroom door. “Please come.”The moment she spoke, the door was pushed open, and Caelum
When Selene finally came, her expression alone tightened the air in the room. “Forgive me, Lillia. I have news.” She spoke breathlessly, still panting as she shut the door quickly behind her and hurried toward the sofa where the women sat waiting in tense silence. Lillia reached for her immediate
Since I sent word, I haven’t heard back. It has been silent, very silent. I also heard there was an increase in security.” Selene looked at Lillia seriously. “It is very suspicious.” “No doubt about that. Why would they suddenly increase security? What exactly are they guarding against?” “Lady M
By evening, Lillia’s waist and shoulders ached in ways she had not known possible. Selene had moved from posture, to walking drills, to balancing with a goblet filled to the brim, spilling more times than she could count. Then, they moved to turning without letting her hem drag, and finally to sit







