LOGINVioletI waited for the reaction.I had already pictured what their faces would look like, but right now the only way to describe them was hard as stone.Kylan seemed flustered by the silence. He loosened his grip on me and rubbed his face with his other hand, letting out a laugh of disbelief as his eyes dropped to the ground.He couldn’t look at any of them yet, and I didn’t blame him. I doubted their reaction would stay like this for long, either.I already started counting in my head.Three.Two.One.“What?” All three of them said it at the same time.There you have it.“You did what?”“How could you do that?”“I knew something was off about you.”“This is so messed up!”And they just kept going.“Were you even thinking?”“How do you sleep at night?”“How are you this calm, Kylan? How?”“Why did it have to be this? Why couldn’t Violet just be…pregnant or something?”I blinked at the last words. Nate’s words.What?Kylan’s face scrunched, his brows drawing together like he hadn’t b
VioletLeft, right, right, down, cave.That was the path I had engraved in my mind. The one I would never forget, even though I hadn’t walked it that often, and the one leading to the cave hiding Bloodstone Haven.We had left the car near the road, just like the previous times, and from there, we walked. The ground was bumpy, the trees dark, and the sky dark, but not even that could stop me.Kylan’s hand was in mine as I led the way in front.Behind us, Trinity walked between Dylan and Nate. She struggled with her boots.“Thank you again!” she huffed loudly. “For the heads up?”A small laugh escaped me. She had been complaining ever since we left the car. But when Trinity complained, she did it with love. With that thing she always had where she could be in a bad mood and still make sure the rest of us weren’t.“I want to know,” Nate said, grinning, “what exactly went through your head when you heard the word caves.”I let out a giggle.“I don’t know!” Trinity said. “Just…a cave, and
VioletMy mind drifted back to the conversation from earlier, a sigh escaping me.The day had been too quiet and tense.For me…After I told them about my suspicions, no one really said anything. They nodded, processed it, and then went on about their day without thinking about it too hard.Even now, at evening Elite training in the indoor training center during Rochwall’s class, everything went on like usual. Dylan was somewhere off to the side with some of the other guys while Nate’s laughter echoed across the room at something Mandy had said.Trinity, who had finished classes earlier, talked about going shopping with some of the girls.They all just moved like the world wasn’t possibly ending, and Kian wasn’t out there somewhere…waiting.I didn’t know what I expected. Panic? Questions? A bigger reaction?Instead, I got nothing. Maybe they were just processing in their own way. Or maybe they didn’t want to face it until they had to. But it could also be that I was just overthinking
VioletI looked at Kylan, waiting for my sight to return to normal as everything was still a blur. My eyes were wet, my body was shaking, but at least it happened while I was in his arms.This dream…this nightmare, was way more intense than the others. Then a thought suddenly hit me, and my breath hitched.“Breathe,” Kylan instructed.I shook my head, trembling harder. “I didn’t save them…I didn’t save them!”My eyes squeezed shut again. I needed to go back. I couldn’t believe I ran. I actually ran and left them there when I could’ve saved them. My parents were right there, and I turned around and ran like a coward.When nothing happened, my eyes flew open.“No, no. You don’t understand!” I tried to explain. “I have to go back and save them.”“Who?” Kylan asked, his hands gripping my arms.“My mom and dad.” I rubbed my face with my palm, trying to ground myself. “And Kian? He was there, Kylan. Kian was there!”“It was just a nightmare—”“You don’t understand!” I shook my head frantica
VioletA soft sigh escaped me as Kylan’s lips found my neck where he had marked me just a while ago. It was past midnight, and lightning still flickered through the rain outside. Not that either of us noticed.My knees pressed into the mattress on either side of his hips, and my hands pushed against his bare chest as I tilted my head to give him more access.I needed him. All of him.His fingers dug into my waist, pulling me closer, guiding me against him in a slow rhythm that made my breath catch.“Kylan,” I sighed out. I just wanted to feel close to him again. Or so I thought…All I had to do was fully let go, allow myself to feel, but my eyes kept opening. Every few seconds, they would find his face, searching and checking for that red glow I feared. The one he had claimed Valerius had stored away.I really wanted to, but it was frustrating. Not being able to close my eyes and lose myself in him like before. I truly thought everything would be okay again and was ready to dive back
Violet“So let me get this straight,” Kylan said. “The professor everyone has been losing their minds over is Jason?” he asked. “The same Jason who was still a kid last time we saw him?”“Yes,” I confirmed.“And Aelius sent him here to teach you how to heal shadow wounds.”“Yes.”“And he wants us to come to Bloodstone Haven tomorrow night because Aelius needs your help and it’s about your parents?”“Well, our help,” I corrected. “But yes!”After class this morning, I had nearly knocked over two desks trying to follow Jason out the door. But he refused to give me more answers. All he did was tell me to wait until tomorrow with that perfect smile of his and those dimples.I walked closer to Kylan as we followed the path away from the Starlight gates. We had gone far enough from campus that no one could hear us, and we were surrounded by trees and silence.Even though it hadn’t even been that long, I had missed him. Missed this. It felt nice, finding comfort in him again.My thoughts dri
VioletThe moment the guards opened the doors to the throne room, there was a slow creaking sound, and every head inside snapped toward us. All the noise and chatter that filled the room a second before had disappeared.I held onto Kylan as I scanned the room, taking in all the faces. The council m
VioletI woke up with two strong arms locked around my body. Kylan held me so tightly, I barely even felt the cold air brushing against my bare chest.It had been like this for hours, and he hadn’t let go of me since I fell asleep in his arms last night.A small smile tugged at my lips, and I leaned
VioletBetrayal…The way he said that word didn’t sound right to my ears at all. My stomach twisted with unease. Betrayal…from who? About what?I slowly looked at Kylan, who just stared at the King with a stoned expression, but even then, I could already read his mind.Was this about us?The throne
KylanI knew it.From the moment we walked into this throne room to listen to the king’s bullshit, I knew he would end it with this announcement.He had been waiting for this moment. I should’ve known the second I threw that necklace at his feet, it would be a bruise to his ego that he would answer







