ARIAThe last twenty-four hours felt odd. Once Tyrion left the room in the morning, some unknown force began to pressure my insides and fill me with anxiety. At first, I told myself I was overreacting, but each hour that passed only made me feel more crumbled on the inside. The squeeze in my chest became worse when I went to Tyrion's office to eat lunch with him. He took me to the patio where our dishes were served, but the air around us felt anything but pleasant. I caught Tyrion's gaze once or twice, and each time I sensed an unknown coldness in his eyes. I asked him if he was mad at me for some reason, but he denied it, awkwardly turning his severe expression into a tense smile. Things became even stranger when I asked him about his meeting with Aziz, and he avoided answering my question. I tried to ignore it once more, telling myself that perhaps he was tired, but why did it feel like a sudden lack of trust?Once our awkward lunch was over, Tyrion announced that he had to inspect

ARIA My head was pounding so painfully that I struggled to lift my eyelids. Then I felt my body moving… or rather I was being moved. Once I partially regained my focus, I saw two male guards holding me by my arms with my bare feet dragging across the floor. They were taking me somewhere while I could do nothing to stop them or protest. I looked at my clothes; I still had my shirt and jeans on, but had they taken my star-shaped talisman? I hoped they hadn't... I tried to summon my strength, but I couldn't. I tried reaching out to Aziz through the mind link, but that only caused another wave of pain to pierce through my skull. I was even unable to hold my head in one, steady position, which made me frantically wonder what the hell was in the water I had drunk?! The guards didn't seem to notice that I regained consciousness. Not that it mattered since I wasn't strong enough to kill a fly—or move my limbs at all—let alone fight two bulky human magic practitioners. As I managed to lift m

ARIA He came for me. I was unable to describe all the emotions I felt when I heard his voice and then when he saved me from falling. It felt surreal, as if I had woken up from a nightmare. Even now, when I walked beside him close enough to smell his scent and feel his body heat, I had to pinch myself to tell the difference between the dream and reality. "I don't know how long I was wandering inside that trap... I walked from one door to another but couldn't find the way out. I heard screams and groans, but I didn't know where the sounds were coming from. It was horrifying," I admitted. Tyrion grabbed my hand. "I should have known sooner. I will never forgive myself for believing that Cybele could cure you." He lowered his head, but I pulled up his chin with my hand. "I also wanted to believe her, but it seems that she was so desperate to protect her coven from the dark witch that she would stop at nothing." I smiled bitterly, remembering her words. "Unluckily for Cybele, the dark w

ARIABefore the entire coven's castle turned into ruins, we discovered what had happened to the witches once Hespera "collected" their magic. Their bodies didn't disappear—they were stashed in a high pile of horrifying, bloody sacrifices in the corridor behind the ballroom. None of us said it aloud, but if Hespera had possessed all their magic, then it was more than merely possible that she was still alive, and we needed to prepare for her to attack again…"I need you to tell us everything you heard from Hespera one more time," Harriet demanded.Tyrion put his arm around me and pulled me close to him. "Give her a break. She told you everything a few times already.""I don't want us to miss any important detail. We need to figure out what she is planning," Harriet stated, crossing her arms.I sighed, feeling that my temple veins had already started to throb. It had been four days since we had returned from the coven. Aziz was still in the hospital, and Nova suffered from recurring head

TYRIONI didn't want to leave Aria. Seeing her cowering, crying, and reluctant to accept my touch was unbearable. She said that she was going to be fine, but it sounded more like she didn't want to talk about it. I respected her choice, yet the image of my shivering mate stayed in my mind for the rest of the day, filling me with anxiety.It was hard to focus on my duties, but I had to. I called the royal council meeting. It was time they stopped demanding and started helping like they were supposed to. After I got rid of the pests, Aldo Lefebre was appointed a natural council's leader. I couldn't be more glad of that choice. The mood in the council seemed to change as well. I could sense no stink of hostility or fear as I entered the audience hall to sit with the council."I came to inform you of the current situation, and I demand your assistance and guidance," I started. "A few days ago, my Luna fought against the dark witch. We now know that her name is Hespera. Hespera attacked he