Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 21 - Chapitre 30

EROS The hours pass, and the party slows down; some have gone to their quarters, others returned to the village. The few still in the hall drink and dance. I notice the moon high in the sky and decide to go to the healer’s room to get a pain elixir. I know I shouldn’t be thinking about this—that a punishment must be carried out properly—but every time I think of the hybrid in pain and alone in the room, I feel bad for her. I walk thoughtfully; as soon as I stop in front of the door, I consider turning back. What’s happening to my head, worrying about the hybrid like this? She’s a shapeshifter; she’ll heal quickly—maybe she doesn’t even feel it that much—but healing wrong also hurts, and when I go to put her wing back in place, she’ll feel more pain. “Hell, hybrid. Even far away, you’re still in my head.” I shake my head, close my eyes, and knock on the door. “Prince.” The healer, an elderly vampire, stares at me curiously. “Has something important happened?” “I’d like a pain eli

NINA “It feels so good when you speak politely,” he whispers near my ear and releases me, but I don’t step away; I don’t know why I can’t. “What were you doing here, so far from our room?” I blink a few times, then take two steps back. “I’m tired of staying there, locked up.” “You’re not locked up; if you wanted to leave, you just had to ask me.” He smiles, putting his hands in his pocket. “In case you haven’t noticed, walking alone isn’t a good option.” “I’m hungry.” “So am I.” Our eyes lock; my breathing falters, but he just lowers his head, extending his hand for me to pass. “I’ll take you to the kitchen; you can eat and then return to the room. Whenever you want to go out and explore the castle better, call me or Marian. Don’t walk alone—it’s still dangerous.” I don’t respond; I just let myself be guided. In the kitchen, I grab some bread and eat heartily, filling my stomach under Eros’s gaze. I think about what he said—he’s hungry, but he doesn’t deserve my blood, and I

EROS After a few hours, I decide to head back to my room and check on the hybrid. The moment I step inside, my eyes scan the space and I realize she’s not there. I can’t believe she’d be stupid enough to try escaping again, especially with her wing broken the way I left it. I draw in a breath, searching for her scent, and it hits me hard, making my body heat up. I still don’t understand why she does this to me, but her citrusy aroma with woody undertones has intoxicated me since the first day I saw her. I guess it’s because of all those years waiting for her, the anticipation of her finally coming of age and coming to me. The eagerness to have her blood running through my veins might have built more desire than it should have. I also catch Marian’s scent—my cousin—who definitely took her somewhere. I step out onto the balcony, sweep my gaze across the grounds, then leap, shifting into a bat mid-air. I beat my wings, tracking that stubborn, defiant little creature. It doesn’t take l

NINA I never thought Morbóvia could have beautiful places, but the lake surprised me—vast and lovely, with crystal-clear water. A peaceful spot that reminded me of home. Behind all the vampiric scenery of shadows and mist, there was real beauty to admire. My peace didn’t last long, though. That group of vampires showed up, and when one of them—a blond with blue eyes streaked red—touched me, I felt something strange inside, like something wanted to burst out. Eros appeared and whisked me away. Deep down, I could almost thank him, because that vampire’s eyes seemed to be searching for something deep in my soul, something I didn’t even know was there. I was shocked by Eros’s behavior—his careful touches, then snapping my wing back into place. It felt like putting a piece of myself back where it belonged. A strange sensation grew stronger and stronger, almost suffocating, like feelings ready to explode all at once. I don’t know if I was confused or if my heart already hurt so much tha

NINA I wait for Marian, but she’s taking forever, and I’m starting to feel cold. The wet clothes on my body have already dried, and the cool afternoon breeze of Morbóvia is creeping in. As I walk toward the room, I hear noise coming from the hall—people are still there. From a distance, I witness a scene I’ve never seen before. One of Eros’s brothers is holding a young female in his arms while he feeds. It’s strange to think that, for them, this is nothing out of the ordinary. The young prince’s eyes meet mine. He stops what he’s doing, slowly withdraws his fangs from the female’s neck, and runs his tongue over the exposed skin—over the open wound, no doubt—with a wicked smile that makes me swallow hard. A strange sensation shoots through my body. It feels like his gaze is piercing straight into my soul. He looks away from me and sinks his fangs back into the female’s neck. She writhes, running her hand over his chest. I can tellily see she enjoys what he’s doing to her, and that c