LOGINVioletI sat on the bed with my eyes closed, trying to find my way to the Veil. Kylan’s plan was great, but connecting with the one place you’ve been told to avoid, not to even think about, was easier said than done.While I had connected with the Veil before, it had never been of my own will. This time it was supposed to be, and I felt the pressure.Even so, I knew I could do it properly this time because I could control my powers. I just didn’t know how.My hands rested on my knees as I forced myself to focus, but every time I thought I was getting somewhere, my mind drifted.It went to the trial, the dungeons, the missing box, the king…and we had been at it far too long that my legs were starting to tingle from sitting still.Beside me, I could sense Kylan’s presence. I didn’t need to open my eyes to know he was watching me closely, giving me all the time I needed without interrupting.What if I couldn’t reach them?What if the Veil was different now after everything that had happe
VioletMinutes had passed, but not a lot had changed, and with nowhere to go, I could already tell that this would be a long night. My eyes had been scanning the room for a while now, as if the box might just suddenly appear.This was bad news.Very bad.My eyes snapped to Kylan, who leaned against the wall. He was possibly thinking of our next move, but if the king would throw out these accusations with solid proof, would there even be a next move?King Elyx was out for blood.But I was a Hastings…I doubted he could actually send me to prison island for something as silly as magic, which isn’t even prohibited in most places. Still, he could push hard enough to ban me from ever visiting Lyperia or being with Kylan. Use the law to force an end to the mate bond so he could finally get what he wanted.No…If he wanted to do that, he would’ve done it a long time ago.Why was my mind already jumping to the worst possibility?“I-I don’t understand,” I stammered, finally finding my voice af
VioletI couldn’t think properly.My mind went completely numb as I watched the guards drag Nate away, pinning his arms behind his back. Kaelis ran after them, pushing at the guards and shouting for them to let him go.Meanwhile the words kept replaying in my head.Disloyalty to the crown…Illegal use of Lunaris…Brutal murder of Chrystal…Murder?This couldn’t be happening.My eyes widened slightly as I looked at the king. His mouth was moving, but I was so out of it that I couldn’t hear a single word he was saying. Fergus was speaking too, and so was Sonya. Even Dylan and Trinity were brave enough to nearly get into the king’s face.I did not.My body started shaking, though I wasn’t sure whether it was fear or anger. They had taken Nate away, accused him of murdering his own sister. He was set on ruining his life.No…Calm down, Violet.You need to calm down.I squeezed my eyes shut and forced myself to breathe. Slowly and controlled. When I opened them again, the world rushed back
VioletKylan’s brows lifted as he went into deep thought.“It’s not that simple,” he breathed. “I do acknowledge them as my siblings, but when you grow up spread across different mistresses, different halls, different rules…it’s harder to build real bonds.”There was not even a hint of a smile on his face as he said it, and it made my chest ache for him. It didn’t have to be that complicated, yet it was because of these Lyperian laws that didn’t make any sense.He nudged my shoulder gently. “And for the record,” he added, “I was just teasing you earlier.”“About?”“With your heart,” Kylan said, his lips curling, “and the way you care about people…you’ll make an amazing sister, Violet. You do not have anything to worry about.”Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I looked down at the bracelets, smiling shyly. It was just words, but perhaps the words I needed at the moment.“I don’t know what you and your family have discussed, and it’s not for me to know. That’s between you,” Kylan said. “But
VioletA smile tugged at my lips as I anticipated the good news. Sonya laughed softly as she placed a hand over her stomach, glancing down for a moment.“What do you want to tell us?” Dylan asked, his brows pulling together. I knew there was no way he would have any magic abilities, but the way he spoke made it clear he already suspected something. His eyes moved between Fergus and Sonya like he was trying to confirm his suspicions.Sonya slipped her hand into Fergus’s. He drew in a short breath.“Your dad and I…” Sonya began.They looked at each other, and the love between them was so beautiful my eyes refused to look away.Fergus gave her a slight nod, then turned his head to look at us. First Dylan and Trinity, then me. “Your mom is pregnant.”For a moment, no one said anything. The silence stretched, and when there was still no sign of Dylan’s reaction, not even a breath, I spun to look at him. Trinity was the first to respond, releasing a loud gasp.“Oh my Goddess!”She shot up f
VioletMy chest felt like exploding as I waited for their answer. The answer that could change everything and erase every good moment we had today. Every real moment we had shared.And every second stretched as I waited.Fergus’s eyes were fixed on me. “You are not a demon child,” he stated. “And I do not know what possessed me to ever call you that.”His voice cracked slightly. “You are the precious daughter Claire left behind. No matter who your birth parents were, my sister was your mother, and you are a Bloodrose. One of us.”I felt a strange sensation inside.My sister was your mother.You are a Bloodrose.Those words landed straight in my chest. Sonya squeezed my hand.“We kept in touch with your grandfather Aelius after your parents passed,” she said quietly. “We needed answers.”They kept in contact with Aelius?He had never told me.“It was only a few times,” she clarified quickly. “He knew the pack wouldn’t stop looking until we got some answers, so he came to see us instead
Violet“He knows,” I breathed.I looked at Kylan for a long moment, just studying him the way he always studied me as I looked for signs. To be honest, I didn’t even know what I was looking for.Maybe a twitch, or a shift, or anything to tell me how bad this was going to be. Was he angry?He looked
Violet“Who are all these people?”My chest moved up and down as I looked around the room. My eyes stopped on a little girl lying on a bed near the end of the tent. She looked no older than ten, and her cough was much too rough for someone so small.The sight of her made something crack inside me.
VioletWe had been up the same exhausting path for what felt like forever. At some point, the palace vanished behind us. Now there was nothing…just green, endless green in every direction.It was freezing, the air had turned colder, but I didn’t have time to care. I was too focused on pushing him.
KylanI let out a surprised laugh, even if I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know what was funnier, that she had called herself a failing mother, or that she thought she might still have something to offer after I had already ruined everything.She was the woman who gave birth to me. My mother, and not ju







