Eva’s point of view I close my eyes the moment I hear them leave the room. I want to scream. I want to break something, hit someone, do anything to fight this feeling crawling up my throat like bile. But instead… I just swallow it. I feel lost. And I need to stop. I need to stop feeling like this—like I’m breaking into a thousand sharp pieces that will never fit back together. Maybe Sonia’s right. Maybe Elias is too. Maybe I do need rest. Clear my mind. Breathe. Become the executioner again. I force my body to relax and let the darkness cradle me. I don’t dream—executioners don’t dream—but tonight… I do. A blinding white light crashes into me like a tidal wave. It doesn’t hurt, but it pulls. Pulls me up, through the fog, through the pain, until I land—of course—on the same green field I always come back to. The sky here is too blue, the grass too perfect. The kind of place that shouldn’t exist outside memory. The farmhouse stands ahead, hazy and glowing like a promise I stopped
Parker’s point of view I sit on the windowsill, staring out at the trees beyond the courtyard. It’s quiet. Peaceful, even. But my mind is anything but. Inside, it’s a warzone. I feel like I’m drowning in everyone else’s chaos. And the worst part? I can’t fix any of it. Trixie doesn’t trust me. She’s been distant since the camp. Cold. I don’t blame her. Not really. I did keep secrets. I did let Eva heal me with her blood and swore not to tell a soul. And now, even though I broke that promise for a good reason—Sonia—I still feel like I betrayed them both. Eva… Eva’s unraveling. Slowly, quietly, like a thread being pulled from the center of her. And I can’t reach her. Not the way I used to. And Aries? Aries is falling under a damn love spell. Cesar told me everything this morning—my wolf, always too good at sniffing out other people’s pain. He’s been talking with Aries when I’m asleep, apparently. Don’t ask me how. Wolves have their own network, I guess. The Dream Howl Hotlin
Sonia’s point of view I sprint after him. Not because I’m scared he’ll leave. Not because I’m the kind of girl who panics when a boy walks away. But because if we ever do break up, it won’t be over some stupid misunderstanding in the hallway. He deserves more than that. We deserve more than that. “Michael!” I shout. He doesn’t stop. Of course not. That would be too easy. He keeps walking like he’s trying to outrun whatever twisted scene he thinks he just witnessed. So I run faster. He rounds the corner, and I grab the back of his shirt and yank like I’m reeling in a disobedient dog. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap, breathless. Michael stops and turns around so fast I nearly walk into him. His eyes are blazing with accusation, and I swear I can see steam coming out of his ears. “Oh, I don’t know, Sonia,” he growls. “Maybe the fact that I find you whispering in Elias’s ear outside her bedroom door? With that look on your face? You expect me to just walk p
Elias’s point of view I sit on the edge of the stone fountain, the chill of the marble soaking into my bones as Eva speaks. Her voice is low. Tired. Like each word costs her a piece of herself. She tells us everything—the conversation she had with Aries, the warning about the love potion, the countdown. Three days before we lose him. Before Theo loses him. Before she loses him. I watch her hands tremble, her fingers gripping the edge of her coat like it’s the only thing holding her together. Her face is drenched in tears. Real ones. The kind that burn. The kind she never lets anyone see. I’ve seen her fight monsters. I’ve seen her kill. I’ve seen her wear the face of death and make it look effortless. But this? This is the first time I’ve seen her broken. And suddenly, she’s not the executioner anymore. She’s just a girl. A lost girl. My sister. Sonia stands stiff on her other side, arms crossed tightly across her chest. She’s trying to hold herself together, too. Watching E
Eva’s point of view As usual, I sit in the garden, waiting for Sonia and Elias. It’s become a morning ritual, this stolen slice of peace before the world crashes in again. I sit cross-legged on the bench, watching the wind toy with the rose petals. The sun is warm, but I can’t feel it. Not really. The heaviness in my chest makes everything feel muted. Distant. We haven’t made much progress with the curse. Not the kind that matters. Oh, we’ve had ideas—some brilliant, some reckless—but none that feel like answers. And time? Time is the one thing we don’t have. And that scares me. “Eva.” Aries’ voice cuts through my thoughts like a blade, sharp and sudden. “We have a serious problem.” I close my eyes and inhale slowly. Of course. Of course we do. Because we never get a break. We’re not the chosen ones. We’re the cursed. “Please don’t scare me, Aries,” I murmur back. “We really don’t need another problem right now.” But his voice stays firm. Unshaken. “This is serious, Eva. A
Aries’ point of view I can feel Theo’s frustration pulsing under his skin like a second heartbeat. It echoes through me. He wants this to end. The pretending. The deception. The cursed bond that threatens to break both of us. And I want it too. But not like this. Not with her. I won’t mark the fake. No matter how convincing she is. No matter how her eyes narrow like Eva’s. No matter how her scent was altered with magic. Theo must understand that. I need him to. Even last night, when she barged into his office like she owned the damn place, I felt him waver. His walls cracked for a second. She touched his arm, and I braced myself for the reaction. But I didn’t stir. Not once. Because I trusted him to hold the line. And he did… mostly. I allowed that moment to play out because I believed in his strength. Now he’s awake, dressed, and walking toward the dining room with that same quiet storm of energy. He’s confused, but focused. Haunted, but still fighting. I ride the current of hi