Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 91 - Chapitre 100

LeahThe blood moon rose red and terrible.I stood at my window, watching it climb the sky, my stomach in knots.Tonight.It had to be tonight.The blade sat heavy under my bed, waiting. In a few hours, when the moon reached its peak, I would coat it with my blood. Activate it.And then I couldn’t finish the thought.For two days, I’d been fighting doubt. Fighting the memory of Ares’s voice in that empty study.*I love you.**I won’t fight you.*I took a shaky breath and reached for the plant pouch.This was it. The last time I’d need it. After tonight, the bond would be severed forever. I wouldn’t need the plant to protect me anymore.I pulled out a handful of leaves, more than my usual dose.I needed to be strong tonight. Needed the clarity that had been slipping through my fingers for days.The leaves went into my mouth, bitter and harsh.I chewed, swallowed, waited for that familiar sensation.The muting of the bond. The cold certainty. The sharp edges of anger.But it didn’t come

The first week passed in a haze.I barely ate. Barely spoke. Spent most of my time in the bedroom, staring at nothing.Father tried to get me to talk. To eat. To engage with the world.I couldn’t.All I could feel was the emptiness where Ares used to be.Seth mostly kept his distance, which I was grateful for. Every time I looked at him, I saw the blade driving into Ares’s chest. Saw the life leaving those grey eyes.Saw the end of everything.“You need to eat something,” Father said on the eighth day, bringing a bowl of stew to my room. “You’re getting too thin.”“Not hungry.”“You haven’t been hungry in over a week.” He set the bowl on the small table. “Leah, I understand you’re grieving. But you can’t let yourself waste away.”“Why not?” I finally looked at him. “What does it matter anymore?”“It matters because you’re alive. Because you survived. Because you have a whole life ahead of you.”“A life without…”I couldn’t say his name. Couldn’t speak it aloud.Father’s expression sof

I spent the rest of the day preparing. Not much to pack, no weapons to gather. Just myself and the tiny life I carried. At midnight, I waited by the door, my heart hammering. The lock clicked open. Julius slipped inside, dressed in dark clothes, a cloak over his arm. “Put this on,” he whispered, handing it to me. “And don’t make a sound.” I obeyed, pulling the hood low over my face. “Where are we going?” I whispered. “Out of the castle. I have horses waiting in the east courtyard. Once we’re clear of the grounds, we ride north. There’s a safe house, people who will help you.” “Why are you doing this?” Julius’s expression was pained. “Because I’m tired of being a monster. Because what we did to you, what we did to Ares, it was wrong. I can’t undo it. But I can at least save you.” I wanted to believe him. Needed to believe him. “Okay,” I breathed. “Let’s go.” We slipped into the corridor, moving silently through the shadows. Julius knew the castle well, knew which passages

Month three brought the worst development yet.Seth arrived with dinner, but he wasn’t alone.Luciana walked in beside him, her hand casually linked through his arm.I stared in shock.“Surprised?” Luciana’s smile was cruel. “You shouldn’t be. Seth and I have grown quite close these past weeks.”“Close?” The word came out strangled.“Very close.” Seth’s hand moved to Luciana’s waist possessively. “Turns out we have a lot in common. Ambition. Vision. A shared hatred of the people who wronged us.”“You and… her?” I couldn’t process it. “But you were mine. We were engaged.”“We were,” Seth agreed. “Until you chose Ares over me. Until the bond made you forget I existed. Until you humiliated me in front of the entire kingdom.”“So you’re with her? With Ares’s widow?”“Former widow.” Luciana’s voice was smug. “I’m moving on. Found someone who actually wants me. Unlike Ares, who barely tolerated our marriage.”She leaned into Seth, and he kissed her temple.The casual intimacy of it made me

Month seven brought Luciana’s cruelty to new heights. She started bringing Seth to my cell for… demonstrations. “I want you to see what you’re missing,” she said one afternoon, pulling Seth into a kiss right in front of me. “Want you to understand what real passion looks like.” I looked away, but she grabbed my face. “No. You watch. Watch what you could have had if you’d chosen him. If you’d been grateful for what you had instead of chasing a bond that destroyed you.” They kissed again, Seth’s hands roaming over Luciana’s body. I felt sick. “Jealous?” Luciana asked when they finally broke apart. “Don’t be. Soon you’ll get your turn. Seth is very… thorough. You’ll see.” “Stop,” I whispered. “Stop?” She laughed. “Oh, princess. We haven’t even started yet.” She climbed onto Seth’s lap, and I closed my eyes, trying to block it out. But I could hear them. Could hear Luciana’s exaggerated moans. Could hear Seth’s low voice saying things that made my skin crawl. “Open your eyes,”