Chapter 17Third POVElara’s eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. The world around her was shrouded in shadows, the cold air clinging to her skin like a suffocating blanket. For a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was or how she had gotten there. The last thing she recalled was a sense of overwhelming dread, followed by darkness.As her vision slowly cleared, she became aware of a figure looming beside her. Solas. His face was expressionless, his icy blue eyes fixed on her with an intensity that sent a chill down her spine. He was sitting beside the slab on which she lay, his head bent down, almost as if he were lost in thought.“What are you doing?” Elara’s voice came out hoarse, her throat dry and aching. She tried to prop herself up on her elbows, but her limbs felt heavy, as if they were weighed down by invisible chains.Solas remained silent, his gaze unwavering. The silence between them was thick, oppressive, pressing down
Chapter 18Third POVThe sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the small village nestled in the valley. The air was cool, the scent of the earth mingling with the last remnants of summer warmth. Life in the village continued as it always had—unremarkable, predictable, and tinged with the quiet resignation of those who had long since accepted their lot in life. But today, there was a palpable sense of relief in the air, a collective exhale of tension that had been building for weeks.The villagers gathered in the central square, the hub of all activity, where the day’s gossip was shared, and decisions were made. They spoke in hushed tones, casting furtive glances at the edges of the forest that bordered their home. The forest was dense and dark, its secrets known only to those who dared venture too far. And beyond the forest lay the mountains, towering and ominous, where no villager in their right mind would tread—save for the foolhardy or the desperate.Elara had been desp
Chapter 19Third POVSolas stood cloaked in the shadows, his eyes fixed on Elara as she dragged herself across the cold stone floor. Her movements were slow, every step labored as though the weight of the world was pressing down on her frail body. The air around her hung thick with despair, her once vibrant aura now dulled to a mere flicker of its former self. He could see the lines of exhaustion etched into her face, the way her shoulders slumped as if the burden of survival had become too much to bear.The pond, with its still, dark waters, seemed to beckon to her as she neared it. Solas watched in silence as Elara lowered herself to the ground, dipping her fingers into the cool water. The sight of her—so defeated, so drained of the fierce spirit he had first encountered—stirred something unfamiliar in him. It wasn’t pity, he knew that much. No, it was something more insidious, something that gnawed at the edges of his carefully constructed detachment.Guilt.He scowled at the thoug
Chapter 20 Third POVElara felt the cold stone of the cave beneath her, her fingers trailing idly in the water of the pond. She was tired, beyond tired—her body drained of strength, her spirit nearly broken. But then, suddenly, something changed. It was as though a wave of warmth enveloped her, wrapping around her like a soft, protective embrace. It was unlike anything she had felt in days, a sensation so comforting that she almost wept from the relief.For so long, it had felt as though dark tendrils were sapping her strength, pulling at her very soul and draining her will to fight. But now, those tendrils were being pushed back, retreating from this new warmth that surrounded her. It felt like a shield, a barrier against whatever had been leeching away her energy. Elara closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the sensation, letting herself believe—if only for a moment—that she was safe.A deep sigh escaped her lips as she felt the warmth penetrate her very core, soothing the deep
Chapter 21 Third POV Elara’s eyelids fluttered, her consciousness teetering on the edge of a deep, dreamless sleep. She could feel her past, the memories she had so carefully buried, lurking just beyond the veil of sleep, waiting for her to lose her grip so they could slip through the cracks. They were always there, haunting her at the edge of her thoughts, ready to seize any moment of weakness and drag her back to a time she would rather forget. But before she could succumb to the darkness, a commanding voice cut through the silence, yanking her back to the present.Her heart raced as she jerked upright, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. She scanned the dimly lit chamber, her mind scrambling to make sense of her surroundings. The cold stone walls seemed to close in on her, the shadows deepening as her breathing quickened. But then her gaze landed on him—Solas. He was sitting by the pond, his back to her, his fingers lazily tracing patterns in the water.The sight of him shou
Chapter 22Third POVSolas had been watching Elara for hours, his gaze never straying from her frail form as she sat by the pond. She was a sight to behold, even in her weakened state—a fragile human, caught in the web of gods, yet still clinging to life with a tenacity that both fascinated and frustrated him. The pond’s surface shimmered with the faint light of the magical barrier he had placed around her, a protective cocoon to shield her from Helios’s draining magic. Yet, even with that protection, Elara was barely holding on.His bride.The thought of her as his bride was a bitter pill to swallow, a reminder of the chain of events that had led to this moment. Elara had been chosen—no, sacrificed—by her village, sent to him as an offering. But Solas hadn’t accepted her as a mere offering. He had claimed her, bound her to him with a vow that was both a blessing and a curse.But what was the point of claiming her if she couldn’t even survive? The fleeting triumph he had felt in freei
Chapter 23Third POVElara sat on the cold stone slab, feeling the warmth of the food settle in her stomach, the energy coursing through her veins like a lifeline. For the first time since her arrival in this dark, oppressive place, she felt a small measure of strength return to her body. The meal had done more than just sustain her physically; it had given her a fleeting sense of normalcy, a brief escape from the nightmare that had become her reality.Closing her eyes, she let herself sink into that feeling, allowing the memories of her past to wash over her like a comforting tide. She drifted back to a time when life was simple, when her biggest concern was choosing the freshest produce at the village market, and her greatest joy was cooking a hearty meal to share with others.In her mind, she saw herself walking through the village, her feet moving over the familiar cobblestone streets. She was dressed modestly, as always, in a simple dress that allowed her to blend in with the othe
Chapter 24Third POVSolas stood in the shadows, his dark form barely distinguishable against the cavern walls. His eyes never left Elara as she lay on the cold stone slab, shifting restlessly. He watched her, his gaze sharp and unyielding, as she struggled to find sleep. The exhaustion was evident in every line of her body—her limbs heavy, her eyelids fluttering shut only to open again moments later.And yet, there was a stubbornness in her, a quiet resilience that refused to give in, even to the pull of sleep. Solas found himself intrigued, as he so often did when it came to Elara. What was it about her that made him linger in the shadows, watching her every move with such intensity?He had never been one for such idle curiosity. He had seen countless mortals, all of them weak in one way or another, succumbing to their emotions, their fears, their mortality. Yet there was something different about Elara. Something that made it impossible for him to turn away.Finally, after what seem