جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 63

Ava POVThey threw us into a room in the east wing and locked the door. No windows. No furniture except a single cot pushed against the wall. The walls were bare stone, cold and damp. It smelled like dust and old fear.I sat on the floor, my back against the wall, my knees pulled to my chest. The image of Lucas's chest—the serpent, the rose, the raw red skin—was burned into my mind. I couldn't stop seeing it. Couldn't stop asking myself how I'd missed it.The door opened. Guards shoved Lucas inside. He stumbled, one hand pressed to his wounded shoulder, blood seeping through his fingers. The guards left without a word, the lock clicking behind them.For a long moment, no one moved.Then Marcus was on him.He slammed Lucas against the wall, his forearm pressed across Lucas's throat. "What did you do?" His voice was a growl, raw with fury. "What the hell did you do?"Lucas didn't fight back. His face was pale, slick with sweat. Blood dripped from his shoulder, staining his torn shirt. B

Ava POVI didn't sleep.The room they'd given me was small and cold, with a single window that looked out at the mountains. No bars, but the drop was too far to survive. Margot's idea of mercy. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, counting the hours until sunrise.When the knock came, I was already dressed.Irina led me through the silent corridors, past the sleeping guards, past the rooms where Marcus, Damien, and Lucas were locked away. I didn't look at their doors. I couldn't. If I looked, I'd think about what Margot had promised to do to them if I refused.The Sanctorum was exactly as I remembered it. Circular walls, flickering candles, weapons hanging like decorations. Margot sat in her carved chair, a cup of tea steaming on the table beside her. She looked up when I entered, and her smile was almost warm."Right on time. I do appreciate punctuality."I stopped a few feet away, my arms crossed. "Let's get this over with.""Eager." She gestured to a chair opposite hers. "Sit.