Romans & histoires The Book Of Dust

Scotch burned trail gold, obsidian devouring every swallow, power humming balanced edge. Night deepened, bodies orbiting with no collision, but collision was inevitable. His hand ghosted spine trace absent—shiver traitorous. "Sleep," he ordered, soft menace, pulling me into the lounge plush without resistance. No fuck tonight—torture purer, proximity dominance submission unspoken. Dreams twisted Rourke's snap, Darius's grin fading peace, Kenji's obsidian guarding shadows. Blood ties bound us, visceral, dark romance, an empire forged in violence and want.

He just couldn't see it! "Since you believe in her so much, let's just get a divorce!" I bellowed. "The papers are on your desk—just sign them and get it over with!" Seeing that I was about to turn and leave, he rushed up to grab me before he knew it, but he wasn't controlling his own strength and ended up tearing open my suitcase. Everything inside fell out… but it was just a couple of worn clothes, academic certificates, and a black urn. Luca froze seeing all of that and dropped to a crouch, staring at the black urn. "What's this?"

Tatum’s POV Silence. Not the ordinary kind—the kind that lingers politely between casual conversations. No. This silence was heavy. Suffocating. It pressed against my chest, crawled under my skin, and settled deep in my bones like a living thing. Ten percent. Of the Voss Group.

“Hi, Agnes. Long time no see. I wonder, by the time you see this video, will I already be dead? But even if I am, my body will stay here, just like these bones. So, Agnes, don’t forget to come and collect my corpse.” The air fell into a heavy silence. Even breathing seemed stifled. Then, the crowd erupted again, louder than before. “Don’t say that, Jacob! We’re sending people to look for you right now!” The video kept playing. I looked straight into the camera, speaking each word clearly. “I’ll record everything on Exile Island in my own way—to record how I walked toward my death and to record how the Yule family walks toward destruction. This video might never make it out, but I’ll find a w

He scrutinized it for a long time before saying, "I wouldn't have expected any less of a proper lady of the Chapman family. Your embroidery is top-notch." Something occurred to him, and he pulled out a green moonstone pendant from his sleeve. He gave it to me. "My mother gave this to me, saying that it would keep me safe. I've kept it with me all these years while battling our enemies. I'll give it to you now if you don't mind having it." I saw streaks of blood on the pendant and knew that it had been with Gideon through many life-and-death situations. How could I possibly accept it?

“I—-“ pausing to take a deep breath, “I think it’s beautiful.” She nodded with pride, “I’ll let you wander. I need to do some cleaning in here anyway.” She walked away and went to behind the shelves where she started dusting. I kept on staring at the book which caught my eye, after mustering up enough courage I picked it out. A cough left me as a bout of dust managed to enter my mouth. “‘LYCANTHROPY’” The words were boldly woven onto the cover page. I nipped my bottom lip, opening it up and then shut it right back as soon as I felt the bond again.

“Was that a hello? Or a get-out-before-we-eat-you kind of vibe?” Silence. Of course. I moved toward the old fireplace. The hearth was full of ash and spiderwebs, but the stones above it were strange—like one of them didn’t quite belong. I reached up, and sure enough, it moved. Behind it? A thin, leather-bound book. My breath caught. I pulled it out carefully, brushing off decades of dust. The cover was cracked but elegant, with a single word scratched across it in jagged, purposeful strokes.

It was a small book, wrapped in brown leather, and coated with dust. I blew some dust off it, before glancing at the first page. Empty. I turned to second, and it was empty as well, then I skipped a multiple pages, landing in the middle… “Spare none, we hunt to survive, we die if they survive.” I read out the words aloud to myself, “What is this? Some sort of code?” I sighed, letting the book drop—but then a couple of sheets stuck out from some page in the book, and when I took it out, I fixed my eyes on the drawings, and certain familiar words.

I help her lift it up, and that is when we see the book that is just sitting there in the sand. I hear Nova's breathing seize. “What's that?” She asks, her voice barely above a whisper. I look around one more time, making sure that we aren't being watched, as I pull the book out of the sand, dusting off the cover. There isn't a name. As I open the book and flip through the pages, they are slightly damp, with almost all the pages empty. I get to the middle, and that is when I see the first drop of ink in the book. The handwriting is more or less scribbling, but I can clearly read everything.

Her bright eyes that easily rival the sun’s shine. “Hey, Zee…” The words flowed out of me like a broken music record while Dahlia sniffled beside me. I didn’t need to look at her to know her eyes were already red-rimmed with tears. I wish I could be here when Zahra eventually wakes up. To support her, give her all the love and care she needs. Unfortunately, I have a Pack to save. And so, I carried the book sitting on my thighs. “I got you a book,” I waved it in front of Zahra’s face. Although she can’t see the title, I dearly clung to hope that she could hear me. “It’s titled, ‘A dance of ice and fire’.”