All Chapters of His Mate, His Enemy: Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

SAPHRA'S POV Sleep does not come gently.It drags me under like I'm drowning.I fall into it unwilling, body exhausted beyond resistance, mind still blazing with the image of Lucien on that bed— his grip, his heat, his eyes, the knife sliding toward me like an invitation I could not accept. The moment my eyes close, darkness does not stay empty.It fills.At first, it is only sound.Laughter..... Music..... Clinking goblets.The distant strum of harps and the rhythm of drums beating in celebration.Then light bursts through the black.Warm, golden, radiant light spilling across a vast hall.I am no longer in my chamber.I am somewhere else entirely.A grand feast hall stretches before me. Arched ceilings carved with intricate reliefs, banners of deep blue, and silver hanging from towering pillars. Tables run the length of the room, laden with roasted meats, bowls of fruit, bread stacked high, and goblets brimming with wine that glows like liquid ruby beneath torchlight.The air smell

SAPHRA'S POV The knock comes again.Sharp....Commanding..... Unyielding.I don’t move.I sit on the edge of the narrow bed, staring at the door as if I can burn it down with my eyes alone. My hands are clenched in my lap so tightly my nails bite into my palms, but I welcome the sting. It keeps me anchored. It reminds me I am still here. Still myself.“Saphra,” a voice calls from the other side. One of the guards. The same one as before. “You are summoned.”For the fifth time.I say nothing.Silence stretches. I imagine their irritation growing, the way men like them grow offended when a prisoner dares to pretend she has choices. I breathe slowly, as if calm might harden into armour.The knock comes again, louder.“You will answer.”No.My jaw tightens. I swing my legs off the bed and stand, squaring my shoulders even though no one can see me. If they want me, they can come and take me.The lock clicks.The door bursts inward with a violent crack of wood against stone.Two guards surg