All Chapters of The Heart of the Queen: Legacy of The Moonborn: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

《》Selene’s POV I returned to the twin's tent. The air was cooler now or perhaps I just felt more relaxed. Joran had done well. I sensed the constant hum of magic in the air. A constant reminder that this place was mine. Talia and Kael were curled in opposite corners. She looked exhausted. He looked angry. Good. Joran followed me in. The guards came in after—two loyal rogues with hands strong enough to crush bone and souls unwilling to follow my cause. Talia saw me first. She flinched so hard I thought she’d scream. “Don’t,” I warned softly. “You’ve screamed enough.” “I hate you,” she hissed, rising to her knees. Her small fists trembled, glowing faintly with flickering light. I smiled. She tried again, reaching into whatever part of her gift she understood. A burst of air energy pushed forward like a slap. I didn’t even blink. The power fizzled inches from my face, dissipating into nothing. “I told you,” I said as I stepped closer. “You’ll only use your gifts wh

《》Lucien’s POV Cael stood still, eyes on the sky like the raven might somehow reappear if he waited long enough. It didn’t. "It probably didn’t vanish," he said quietly. "Just means we’re close." Even with my heightened senses I wasn't picking up on anything. "Close to what, exactly?" He looked at me then. "Wherever it was heading. It disappeared because we’re near whatever it wanted us to find. What it was leading us to" I kept silent, but unease twisted in my gut. "So what now?" "We scan the area. Sweep outward. Meet back here in thirty. If you find anything…" He paused, then raised his hand and made a sharp whistle through his teeth. The sound cut clean through the trees. "Got it." We split up after that. His scent disappeared quickly. That left me alone. Just me and the dark. My paws trodded the damp earth as I moved between trees, ears twitching at every sound. But my thoughts kept dragging me down. I shouldn’t have lost it. Attacking him like that… What

《》Ansel’s POV It was a cold night. The onset of what was to be a cruel winter. The wind howled in my ears. It was sharp, but not as sharp as the way Aria looked at me. Betrayal. Disappointment. Hurt so deep it almost made me look away. Almost. I didn’t mean for it to be like this. None of it. But here we were—her in the dark with that glare, Ronan at her side like a wall I’d never get past again. “Why, Ansel?” Aria’s voice was steady, but I could hear it cracking underneath. “Why are you choosing this?” she looked like she already knew the answer but a part of her was still finding it hard to believe. I swallowed hard. My mind was a mess of excuses, all the reasons I’d repeated to myself so many times they begun to sound like the truth. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t start this. I had no choice. She made me. But saying them out loud? In front of her? They’d sound hollow. “You think I wanted this?” I finally said, my voice sharp. “You think I woke up one day and thought, I’ll just

《》Aria’s POV Ansel’s eyes were not the same anymore. They were cold. I saw the last threat of restraint and emotion within her snap before my very eyes. The bitterness in her voice. The look in her eyes. No doubt, they were Selene’s. I couldn't imagine how long Selene had been poisoning her heart. I felt sorry for Ansel. Or rather, a I wanted to. But I couldn't, she'd crossed more than a line. I'd sooner rip her to pieces than forgive her. And I probably would've tonight if Ronan hadn't held me back. Ronan’s hand was firm on my arm as he steered me back through the Citadel gates, the heavy doors closing behind us with a thud that felt too final. He'd left the guards to pan out and find Ansel but I knew they wouldn't. I had to be out there myself searching for her. Searching for them. But Ronan had other idea's. “We can’t just—” I started. “We are not chasing her into the dark without a plan,” he cut in, but his voice was tight, the way it got when he was keeping his tempe

I remained there long after the High Priestess’s voice had faded into the stone walls.Her question still lingered in my head. Will you be ready for the consequences?I hated that it stuck. I hated that a part of me was afraid she might be right. I hated even more that I was even considering this at all. Hiding in fear wasn’t going to bring Talia and Kael back.I closed my eyes and saw their faces. Talia’s bubbly smile, Kael’s little frown whenever she teased him. And my chest ached, like my heart was being crushed from the inside out. Whatever the cost, they were more than worth it.They meant everything to me.I turned back toward the tunnel. This time, I didn’t stop.The air down here felt different from every other time I’d come with someone else. Ronan, Cael. Last tome it was Cael who had picked the spot.Now, alone, I noticed every shift.The way the cold pressed against my skin, the way the walls seemed to hum faintly. There was a pulse in the air, soft but constant, like the t