LOGINShare
Chapter 10: THE EDGE OF BREATH
Last Updated:
2026-01-14 18:27:02
Latest chapter
The Blood Opera Chapter 10: THE EDGE OF BREATH
The whispers didn’t come back after Avel left, but their absence felt louder than the sound had. It felt like something had been scared away. Like it had been warned.I lay awake in bed until the pale light of morning crept through the window. Then I dragged myself to the wash basin and put on my rehearsal dress.My reflection in the cracked mirror looked both exhausted and somehow illuminated. Something restless glowed beneath my skin.---Rehearsal was chaos, as always. Dancers stretched like pale ribbons. Singers complained. Brenton paced. Marienne practiced a smile that could cut. But when I walked into the hall, the attention shifted. Whispers flickered between performers like candle smoke.“She’s the patron’s new favorite.”“No wonder he excuses her from ensemble.”“He doesn’t look at anyone else like that.”Heat crawled up my neck. I took my place in the back row, trying to ignore it until I felt him.Avel wasn’t in the room, yet the air changed. It was as if he had just passed
The Blood Opera Chapter 9: WHISPERS IN THE WALLS
Again, sleep escaped me. Not because of fear or anticipation, but because of him. Avel’s voice lingered in my mind, brushing my ear like a ghostly touch. He had stepped close enough that my breath shook. My dreams came in fragments. I saw a mask glimmering in candlelight, a gloved hand hovering near my throat, and a melody curling into my lungs like smoke. When I finally drifted off into a restless sleep, I awoke almost immediately. A sound had stirred me. It was soft and barely audible, like a whisper. At first, I convinced myself it was just the old wood settling or performers returning late. But then I heard it again—this time, it was different. Not words. Breath. It felt as if someone stood just outside my door, listening. I sat up slowly, my pulse quickening. Silence followed. Then, a knock startled me. I steadied my breath, smoothing my hair as I cracked open the door. Silas Thorn stood there, composed as ever, though tension pulled at the corners of his mouth. “May I come
The Blood Opera Chapter 8: BEFORE HE STOPS HIMSELF
Rehearsal after rehearsal blurred into breath, pitch, and quiet comments I pretended not to notice. But the day did not pass quietly.Not with Avel standing close enough that his presence felt heavy in the air. Not with Silas watching him watch me. Not with Marienne Roux sharpening her jealousy like a blade.By late afternoon, I felt stretched thin, like a violin string wound too tightly, ready to snap at the slightest touch.“Miss Wynn,” Avel said softly, “you will attend a second rehearsal tonight.”Every conversation in the hall stopped. Silas tensed. Marienne nearly choked on her breath. Brenton’s jaw dropped like a hinge set loose.“Tonight?” I echoed.“Yes.” Avel’s mask shifted, subtly assessing. "You will return to the private salon at nine.”Heat surged beneath my ribs, though my voice stayed steady.“As you wish, My Lord.”Avel nodded slightly. Then he walked away without another word.Silas stood rigid, his jaw clenched, a muscle twitching at the edge. Marienne caught my eye
The Blood Opera Chapter 7: UNDER HIS GAZE
The morning light was pale and uncertain as it seeped through my small window. It felt like even the sun was approaching the Blood Opera House with caution. I got up slowly, the fragments of dreams still clinging to me. I dreamt of Avel’s breath near my ear, of a hand at my ribs guiding me into breaths I didn't know how to take.As I washed and pinned my hair, I tried to calm my thoughts. I pretended my hands weren’t trembling as I fastened my dress. When I stepped into the hallway, I tried not to think about the man who had stood outside my door last night, making sure I slept. A possessive guardian or a predator who saw patience as a kind of courtesy. Either could be dangerous and made heat slide down my spine.The rehearsal hall buzzed with activity when I arrived. Sopranos lined one side, altos the other. Dancers twisted and arched their bodies. Costume girls pinned silk lengths to mannequins. A violinist tuned with quick, annoyed flicks of his bow.I felt the first wave of stares
The Blood Opera Chapter 6: AFTER THE RUIN HE PROMISED
The corridor outside felt colder than before. Maybe I was just overheated from what had just happened. The sound of his breath in the dark, the way he said "Your voice will ruin me," and the unsettling truth that I wanted to ruin him all lingered in my mind.I pressed my back to the door after it closed. I needed something solid to keep me upright.His voice had been low enough to feel against my skin. His hand had hovered close enough to spark every nerve in my body.He hadn’t kissed me. He hadn’t even touched me properly, but it felt like he had touched me everywhere.I forced myself to walk. I started slowly, then moved faster, hoping that distance might help steady my breath. My chest still rose too quickly, too shallowly, as if my body hadn’t caught up to what had happened or what almost did."Before I take more than your voice tonight."His warning came as a threat wrapped in velvet.A promise wrapped in danger.I reached the landing of the east stairwell when someone stepped fr
The Blood Opera Chapter 5: BEFORE HE TAKES MORE
Supper sat untouched on my tray. The gravy had thickened into dull swirls, and the roasted vegetables were cooling into limp shapes. I stared at them without really seeing. My stomach and my mind were locked in a quiet battle of hunger versus nerves.Nerves won.Twice I lifted the fork, and twice I set it down.As I walked back to my room to wait, the first bell chimed for evening rehearsal. Performers shuffled down the hall outside, their voices filled with laughter and gossip, but none of them spoke to me. None even glanced my wayway.I rose from the bed and paced once, then twice. My body felt restless, and my throat was tight. Every sound seemed magnified. The settling creak of the walls, the faint hum of gas lights, even my own heartbeat throbbed in my ears.Silas's words echoed in my mind: "Prepare yourself for whatever Lord Avel intends to take from you next."A knock broke the silence. It was measured and controlled.I opened the door to find Silas. His hands were clasped beh
You may also like
After The Night
Priyal Dessai50.2K viewsThe Immortal's Mate
JESSICA WHITE13.1K viewsLucifer's Redemption
Veronica Fox189.2K viewsBlood Bound To The Vampire King
J. Tarr96.4K viewsDeath's Day
Musing Musite2.5K viewsPregnant After One Night With The Lycan King
Zie1.0K viewsSecond Chance Revenge
Joy Lee7.1K viewsThe Human and the Vampire.
Ayanfelord3.1K views
