MasukVioletNate…He had already been through so much. The Lunaris, the expectations, losing his sister, and now this.The more I thought about it, the more it just felt wrong. The king hadn’t just picked random names to throw into the dungeons. He had chosen carefully.It was all people I cared about, but Nate was the one person Kylan and I both cared about. He knew that.I lifted my head again just as I noticed Alaric and Adelaide whispering amongst themselves, exchanging glances. I caught Alaric shaking his head at her.Something was not right. My brows pulled together.“What?” I asked. “What is it?”Adelaide turned back to me immediately, her smile warm. “Nothing, Sunshine,” she said softly. “We’re just so happy you’re here.”She reached forward and gave me a gentle push on the shoulder. “And let’s not talk about sacrifices,” she added lightly. “Let’s definitely not talk about sacrifices.”I knew there was something deeper behind those words, but it was frustrating not knowing what. Ad
Violet“But—““We thought so too!” Alaric’s grin widened. “After all these years?” he finished.“I thought—”“We saw everything,” he said, cutting me off as his hands began moving. “We fought so hard to hold everything together, and at one point we almost lost it entirely, but then—”He gestured toward me dramatically, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “I still can’t believe it,” he continued, laughing. “My daughter who is strong enough to have sealed half of Baelor. The reason we’re reunited after all these years, that we can travel through the levels for the first time, that the tear in the Veil is sealed, stronger than ever, and it’s all because of those beautiful eyes,” he said. “I think I might be the proudest father alive…I still can’t believe the Moon Goddess has blessed me with an amazing mate, amazing daughter,” he whispered the last part.Adelaide elbowed him lightly in the side. “Come on, Al,” she said with a small laugh. “I know you’re excited, but let her talk.”He glan
VioletI 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
VioletAs soon as the door slammed shut behind us, we were back in the cramped space of the tower. For some reason, I felt lighter…better. Maybe it was because I had done what I came here to do, or maybe because it went better than I expected.Speaking up had always been a hard thing for me, but if
VioletI didn’t answer him. For a moment, he said nothing. When he realized I wasn’t going to respond, he tapped his fingers on the armrest.“Now,” he said quietly, “the council? That’s interesting.”“Yes.”His expression sharpened. “And what will you tell them about me?” he asked with a shrug. A t
VioletA soft groan slipped past my lips as the bright morning sun hit me. The first thing my hand reached for was the empty spot beside me, and then I heard quiet footsteps through the room.I knew it was Kylan, and I was certain he wasn’t trying to wake me. Curious, I peeked one eye open, just en
VioletAfter a long walk, Nate and I ended up at two heavy wooden doors of the council chamber, and we waited in the quiet hall. Well, it wasn’t completely quiet, because I could hear a muffled voice coming from the inside.Most likely, someone was in there already, standing before the council to m







