Mag-log inLillia 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 fo
Memories surged through her mind as a sudden tightening gripped her throat and Lillia touched her neck. She could still vividly remember Amelia’s blood shot eyes that watched her with pure animosity. She remembered the unnatural voice that echoed from her lips, the words she hated to think about, but she couldn’t stop the invasion. Lillia stilled for a moment watching the peacefully sleeping figure on the bed and a cold shudder ran down her spine, the tightening at her throat hardened.But in that same light, Lillia lowered her gaze and forced the images and thoughts to the back of her mind. She drew in a deep breath and when she was ready, she looked at Amelia again. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. There was no tension in her body, no crease upon her brow, no sign of the struggle. It seemed so natural that it felt wrong. “The healers said she’s alright. They say there’s nothing wrong with her body,” Nefertiti sat on the bed and took Amelia’s hand in hers, and this tim
Regaleon is not another Pete. He will not let such happen. Fenris rose, her presence enveloping the coldness within Lillia’s chest in a warm embrace. Besides, having seen the kind of person he is, if he wanted to dispose of you, he wouldn't buy us an extra seven days without a plan.Fenris continued firmly, every word lifting Lillia’s spirit.Why buy us time if he doesn't want anything to do with us? Why buy us time if he doesn't trust in our abilities. He wouldn’t even bother to drop information of Damiel's ploy. Have you forgotten that we were the ones that told him to sit back and watch while we prove ourselves? He is waiting for us.How could I forget? Lillia gritted her teeth as she endured the suffocating pain swelling within her heart. Strength is not forged in comfort. It is shaped in difficulty. Especially when failure is apparent. That’s what he had said. Lillia thought back quickly, realisation slamming into her mind with painful clarity.It almost felt as though he knew.
No sooner had Maera, Kyla and Selene entered the bedroom, the heated air shifted. With the dark curtains now parted, rays of sunlight flooded the room, warm and bright, bringing with it the subtle sweetness of life, accompanied by the bustling voices of one who became a sister, one a friend and one a mother.And it was this environment that the elder healer walked into, when the doors opened again.“Elder healer.” Lillia’s expression was still pale, her ears flushing bright red as she managed a smile, but one look at Lillia’s face and the elder healer’s expression turned sour.“Your Majesty.” His steps quickened, hurrying to the side of the bed. “Are you alright?” He wasted no time in reaching for her palm to check her pulse, and only when he confirmed her condition did his expression ease up. “Your pulse is strong, and your body has fully recovered. But… I do not understand these symptoms...”He examined her face, a frown settling when he noticed her ears. “I have certainly never com
“My death-defying bride.” Regaleon’s eyes darkened. His gaze dragged over her slowly before returning to her eyes. “You return from the brink of death… only to ogle?”His lips curved, amusement crossing his expression lightly. “I wonder… was death truly so lacking that you return for a more satisfying view? Was it worth it?”Lillia swallowed hard, her face burning with shame, cursing at the reaction his low deep vibrating voice dealt her body as it rolled off smoothly with his warm breath splashing across her face. “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Memories from the banquet rushed through her mind in brutally painful fragments, but none of them helped her now, not with the way his gaze lingered on her like he could peel through every lie she tried to hold together.The intensity with which he watched her was so strong that the room around seemed to blur out of Lillia’s view until there was nothing but oblivion left. An oblivion with just one constant in it. And she could
Instant shock ran through the room. Lillia shivered from the cold, large goosebumps swelling immediately, as she remembered all the times she felt watched, the times she was chased from the garden, her dreams. Could it have been the cause?“But that would have been destroyed by now,” Selene’s voi
“Yes,” she finally spoke. “Along with the Millies.” So she knows them as Millies too, Lillia mused. “And how did you feel when Amelia fell ill?” Briar Rose lowered her gaze again to her cup, her delicate fingers twirling round the rim. “That was unfortunate, she seemed very hopeful.” “Mm—” Lilli
Wait—he’s attacking? Why isn’t he moving? Lillia watched the arena. She watched the way Regaleon stood without tension in his shoulders or weight in his stance, even as Garret rushed toward him like a ravenous beast. The announcer’s voice rose and fell somewhere in the background, riling the crowd
Now unarmed, they didn’t hesitate.They pushed to their feet and crashed into each other with claws and fists, grappling and striking, driving each other back with pure physical dominance as growls tore from their throats.Garrett caught Vladimir by the throat and slammed him backward, and Vladimir







