Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 91 - Chapitre 100

_Leah’s POV_The first thing I felt was relief.It rushed through me so fast that my knees almost gave out. Kayden was alive. He was breathing. His heart was beating strong under my palm. I clung to him as if he might disappear if I let go.“Kayden,” I whispered again and again. “You’re here. You’re really here.”His arms wrapped around me tightly...too tightly. Like he was afraid the world would steal me away the moment he loosened his grip.“I thought I lost you,” he said hoarsely. “I thought he hurt you.”I pulled back just enough to look at his face. There was blood on his cheek and along his jaw. His eyes were filled with fear that hadn’t faded yet.“I’m here,” I said softly. “I’m alive.”He cupped my face with trembling hands and kissed my forehead. Then my hair. Then my temple. His kisses were desperate and unsteady.“I won’t ever let that happen again,” he said. “Never.”Athena stirred inside me. He means it. He is bound to us. He will fight the world if he must.I swallowed h

_Leah’s POV_My eyes flew open. The room swam in front of me. I clutched at Kayden’s shirt without thinking. My fingers were digging into the fabric.He caught me at once. “Leah! I’ve got you. Easy. You’re safe. What happened? Seer, what did you do to her?”The seer was breathing a little harder than before. Sweat shone at her temples. Her eyes, though, were burning with something else now.“I saw someone,” she said slowly. “A young woman. She was in chains. In great pain. Her soul was trapped somewhere between worlds. When I asked who she was, she said her name was Sarah. She said only she could end it all. Only she could destroy Tariq. She begged to be released. She said she was his mate.”Kayden frowned. “His mate?” he repeated. “You mean… his true mate?”I swallowed thickly. My heart hammered wildly in my chest. “Yes,” I whispered. “That’s her.”Both of them turned to look at me.“You know her?” Kayden asked.I nodded slowly. My throat felt tight. “Not… personally,” I said. “But

_Leah’s POV_The next morning arrived too quickly.I knew it before I opened my eyes. I felt it in the air. It was heavy. It pressed against my chest like an invisible hand. The day had come.It was time.I lay still in bed for a few seconds, listening to the quiet rhythm of Kayden’s breathing beside me. His arm was still around my waist. His warmth wrapped around me like a shield.Athena stirred softly inside me.It begins today.“I know,” I whispered in my mind.My heart beat faster.I shifted slowly and turned in his arms. His eyes opened almost at once. They were alert. He had not truly been sleeping deeply.“It’s time,” he said quietly.It was not a question.“Yes.”For a moment, neither of us moved. The silence felt fragile....like glass.Then he brushed his hand over my cheek. His thumb rested just below my eye.“Are you ready?” he asked.“No,” I admitted. “But I am determined.”His gaze held mine. “That is enough.”By midday, the seer had prepared everything.The room chosen f

_Leah’s POV_The words struck me like a blade.I froze.Dead.For a second, I could not even think. The mist under my feet felt thinner. The pale light around us flickered like a candle about to die.“No,” I whispered. “No, I’m not dead.”My mother’s eyes were wide with fear. Her hands still gripped my shoulders as if she could hold me in place and keep me from sinking deeper into this realm.“This place is for souls,” she said. Her voice shook. “It is for the ones who have already crossed.”“I know,” I said quickly. “But I didn’t cross fully. I came here with help.”Her brows pulled together. “Help?”I forced myself to breathe the way Athena told me. Not with lungs but with spirit. I tried to steady my thoughts. If I panicked, I would lose focus. If I lost focus, I did not know what would happen.“A seer helped me. She used her magic. She sent my soul here. My body is still… there.”My mother stared at me like she did not want to believe it but wanted to cling to it anyway.“You’re s

_Susan’s POV_The mirror never lies to me.It is old and dark and carved with symbols that most witches are too afraid to touch. When I place my palm against its cold frame and whisper the correct words, it shows me what I desire to see. Tonight, it showed me victory.I stood in front of it and watched carefully.Leah’s body was sitting upright in a wooden chair. A circle of salt and silver powder had been drawn beneath the chair. Candles burned in every corner of the room. The air looked tense and heavy with ritual power.Leah’s head leaned slightly to one side. Her eyes were closed. Her hands rested on the arms of the chair. She looked peaceful but she was empty. Her soul was gone. I could feel it. She was already walking in the astral realm.Kayden stood near her. He was pacing back and forth like a restless animal. He was not touching her. He kept his distance from the circle because the seer had warned him not to disturb the ritual. His jaw was tight. His shoulders were stiff. Hi