EVELYNAfter being dropped off by Oakley, I spent the otherwise quiet morning with my parents and as the sun rose high in the sky, we had lunch together. Staying with my family always soothed me, but the happier I felt when I was spending time with my family, the more uneasy I felt deep down. How could I relax knowing that my friend was preparing to meet an alleged doom for betraying Jack Elrod?How could I be at ease when her fate was practically condemned?It was impossible to go about my day pretending that I hadn’t seen what I’d seen.So, after we ate, I went to see Elsa.Jack had told me that I could see her “later”, so I saw no harm in visiting her now that the ordeal was technically over. Oakley had taken me away as instructed and enough time had passed that it felt less dangerous to get involved again.When I reached Elsa’s chamber, I knocked gently on the door, and when I heard no reply, my heart raced in my chest. I knew it wasn’t my best idea, but I couldn’t just turn back
EVELYNI couldn’t shake the feeling that his words seemed like a threat, and despite the panic that swelled within my belly, I managed to remain calm as I awaited his response.“Well, I can’t exactly babysit my little brother,” Jack remarked with a small, near smirk. “And I have nothing to do with how his condition progresses. It seems as if it’s deteriorated quickly. Maybe he’s just too weak to hold on-”“He’s not weak,” I cut him off sharply. “You must have done something to him to keep him from healing.”Enragingly composed as ever, Jack shrugged. “Regardless, you’d better decide quickly if you still want to save that pathetic boy. Time is of the essence, it seems.”As my temper flared, I clenched my fists. “How do I know he can be saved since his condition has deteriorated so quickly? How do I know that you wouldn’t just kill him the moment I agreed to marry you?”“I never made a promise that I would save Cole,” Jack corrected me with a chuckle, crossing his arms against his chest
Addison laughed as Lord Hart finished his utterance. Her mocking laughter was harsh. It was he only sound in the room.Flynn stared at his father. Words escaped him as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that his father had held onto such an immense, intense secret.Similarly, Leila seemed confounded. She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe what their father had just revealed.“Why did you keep this from us?” the young lady asked in a small voice. The charms decorating her dark braids shimmered with sound as she leaned forward.Lord Hart sighed. He looked at his daughter but didn’t speak a word.Addison laughed again, her big gray eyes narrowing and then rolling. “Because your father is a coward.”She tilted her head, her long ash-blonde hair spilling over her shoulder. “It seems the Hart family is in no position to look down on the Maddens, since they now appear to be the most dishonest and treacherous family in Hescor.”Leila’s full dark lips curled into a snarl, and a l
“You’ve done nothing wrong! Why do you need to redeem yourself? Father, it’s not you who killed the King!”When Flynn entered the door to his father’s room, Leila was crying. She glared at their father and questioned him with a thin and wavering tone.Her light brown eyes glossy with tears. Her hands were curled into fists at her sides.Lord Hart glanced in Flynn’s direction and nodded subtly before returning his focus to his daughter.“I have to talk to Flynn about something, Lei,” he said calmly.“I’ll stay,” Leila fired back, clearly not ready to give in. Her eyes flashed, and her anger radiated from her like an aura.“No, Leila, you can’t,” Lord Hart replied firmly but not unkindly. “This is a conversation I need to have with Flynn alone.”Leila scowled. It seemed as if she would counter the order, but she cooperated finally.“Fine,” she remarked, wiping her face. On the way out of the room, she slammed the door, the sound reverberating in the large guest room.Flynn remained sile
JASMINEThe earth smelled damp and filthy. I squatted, lowering my body as much as possible, staring at the patrolling guards near the gate with great caution.“Have you seen Lady Skyla?” A guard whispered to his companion as they exited the Hall, his voice low. The pair were not much older than I but lacked the maturity as they spoke to one another. “Good Goddess… that body is impressive. And those lips of hers… I dream of them parted and ready for me to devour.”“Those curves… indescribable,” one of the guards continued. “If I were the King, I would never let that girl out of my bed, that’s for certain. I could never take my hands off her.”“He’s clearly enjoying her,” the first guard said with a sigh. “She’s been coming in and out of the Alpha King’s room constantly. I’m jealous of him.”I rolled my eyes. I wanted nothing more than to block my ears as I listened to their sickening conversation. I glanced at Seb, who was squatting beside me, watching the front gate of House Fox clos
JASMINEIt took a moment for anything to be heard through the wall, and Sylvia remained close to it, her ear pressed tightly. Her expression, even in the darkness, was one of patience and determination.Finally, a voice came through the wall, not nearly as muffled as it should have been.“My lady, we should leave.”I knew at once that the voice belonged to the beautiful, arrogant maid, whom I now recognized as Skyla’s personal maid in the palace. I believed her name was Melanie, and if I remembered correctly, she was lovely but terrible.Much like Lady Skyla Fox.“No,” Skyla said harshly. “I’m fed up with acting. How long will it be before the King wakes up?”Melanie attempted to reassure her. “Lord Marcel promised that the King would be able to attend the engagement party—”“You know, my father refused to tell me what happened exactly,” Skyla cut her off, bitterness lacing her tone. “And I’m tired of waiting. The longer I wait, the more uneasy I feel about the whole situation. You ne
The disjointed voice of Augus laughed, a gravely, almost ancient noise that sent a shiver down Sylvia’s spine.“I’m too old to remember those details,” he remarked. “How are you, Syl? Have the years been treating you well?”“I could be better,” Sylvia spoke, her sharp tongue as sharp as ever as she addressed her uncle. Despite the threat, she remained unfaltering and strong. “The years haven’t always been easy thanks to your constant attempts to hunt me down, Uncle.”She observed the dark room, seeking his familiar tall yet thin form. When she didn’t find him, she suspected that he wasn’t actually anywhere near.He must have placed an enchanted sapphire here to keep an eye on everything, Syliva thought, her mind steady as she continued to study the area. Still, she didn’t expect that he could communicate with me through the jewel… his power must have significantly improved over the years.Augus laughed again, the sound sending a chill down Sylvia’s spine.“You misuse that word, my pre
Sylvia’s heart raced in her chest as she acted quickly. She grabbed Skyla Fox by the arms, turned her around so her back faced the door, and smoothed her hair to make it appear as though she wasn’t unconscious at all.Before she could do anything further, the trio of guards barged into the room.“Lady Sky-” They froze mid-sentence, shocked at the sight of Skyla.Skyla had been in a state of undress and wore little above her waist. Much of her bare back was exposed in front of the guards.“Begging your pardon!” Sylvia gasped, disgust evident on her face as she stepped in front of Skyla to shield her from their view. “Do not look at the lady while she is vulnerable! Barging in unannounced—”.“We announced ourselves,” one of the guards tried to explain, but Sylvia cut him off sharply.“Not adequately,” she snapped, then pretended to address Skyla. “Remain silent and covered, my lady. I will ensure they leave immediately.”The guards looked flustered, quickly lowering their eyes out of em
EVELYNThe street stretched out before us, unnervingly still. The stalls stood closed, their wooden boxes covered with heavy canvas. No guards patrolled the quiet alleys, and no pedestrians passed within sight as we crept along the corner. Our eyes scanned the empty expanse before we cautiously moved forward.Jasmine led the way, her hand resting on the hilt of the dagger at her hip. Her footfalls were nearly soundless as she glided through the shadows. She would lead us out before returning to help Stephanie and Seb in their rescue mission. Behind her, I carried Cole’s weight, struggling to move quietly. Though I could mostly manage, it was only with Leila’s help that I was able to keep pace without falling behind.“We’re lucky,” Leila whispered, her voice barely audible. “Everyone’s distracted, over by the execution ground. It’s so clear here. The plan’s going well.”I wanted to believe her, but an unsettling feeling crawled at the edges of my mind. The silence was too complete. The
EVELYN“Are you suggesting that I abandon you?” I whispered.Jasmine’s gaze locked with mine. The intensity in her eyes was undeniable, her determination sharp as steel. “I’m suggesting that we put the King’s safety first,” she said.“But—”Before I could protest further, Leila cut in. “Jasmine is right.” She seemed entirely convinced by her plan now, placing a hand on my arm. “You and Cole have to leave. That’s why we’re here—to rescue the King. Isn’t that what we want more than anything?”I couldn’t argue. Though it stung to think of retreating, I knew the gravity of the situation. Jasmine’s words struck deep. As if sensing my hesitation, she added, “Don’t think of it as abandonment. What’s on your shoulders is far heavier than ours. Remember our oath? The King’s life is the heart of Hescor. His reign is the promise of Ozora’s future.”Finally, I exhaled. “Okay. But how will this work?” I asked. “Jack Elrod isn’t easily fooled.”“He’s not,” Jasmine agreed, a faint sense of relief in
EVELYNThe air in the room thickened, pressing down on us as the weight of the revelation sank in. Leila blinked rapidly, her gaze darting between the runes and the others, struggling to process the enormity of what we were seeing. Even though she had been the first to suggest that Hescor might be connected to magic, the discovery that the ancient runes of Tiryn—the Kingdom of Wizardry—had ties to werewolves left her just as stunned as the rest of us.“Why would the pattern symbolize a werewolf?" Leila demanded before anyone else could speak. Her face was tight with alarm, her unease palpable. "Explain it to me!”Seb’s face remained unreadable, his features etched with a mix of exhaustion and resignation. He shook his head slowly, his voice flat. “I don't know,” he muttered, a bitter edge creeping into his tone. “The runes are an ancient language created by the first King of Tiryn. Only the kings can understand them. The wizards of Tiryn believed they held the deepest, most dangerous
EVELYN“What… what is this?” I asked Leila, my brow furrowing as I pointed to the symbol on the page. I strained to pull it out from my memories, but my mind felt clouded – overwhelmed by too many events, too many raw emotions. The sleepless nights had left me dizzy, my thoughts fragmented. It was as if I were reaching for something just beyond my grasp, a fleeting thread of clarity that refused to materialize.Leila studied the symbol for a moment before shaking her head. “I’ve seen the same pattern in other parts of the book, but I’m not sure what it means.” She flipped through the pages, showing me the other instances of the same design. “It could just be a random mark left by the book’s owner, something to remind themselves of something important.”“I don’t think it’s random,” Stephanie interjected. She moved closer to the book, her finger tracing the intricate pattern. “It’s far too detailed to be just a meaningless doodle. Do the pages with this symbol have anything in common?”
EVELYNI placed the kettle on the stove and began rummaging through the kitchen cabinets until I finally found some tea. After grabbing a couple of mugs, I dropped the fragrant tea bags into them, then waited for the water to heat.The kitchen remained quiet, with only the gentle hiss of the boiling kettle breaking the stillness. I was relieved that Stephanie hadn’t followed me. It gave me a rare moment to think.I glanced over at her – sitting absentmindedly by the table, her gaze lost somewhere outside the window. Stephanie’s appearance hadn’t changed much, but the weight of her experiences and suffering was etched in her eyes. Those once bright and confident eyes now looked evasive, as though hiding something deeper.Leila’s words echoed in my mind:She believes her brother was deceived by the wizards and wants to convince him to stop the bloodshed.It wasn’t that I disbelieved Stephanie, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were not so simple. She was intelligent, and by n
EVELYNThe night seemed to slip away unnoticed.When I glanced out the window, the first pale light of dawn crept over the horizon, the sun rising slowly in the east.The house was quiet once again. Leila, Jasmine, and Stephanie had retired to their rooms, while Seb—still unconscious from the overdose of medicine Leila had given him to ensure he wouldn’t cause trouble before sunrise—lay motionless.As the others slept, I sat at the edge of Cole’s bed, absently running my fingers through his thick, golden hair. Sleep eluded me after the conversation with Leila and Jasmine. Though their arrival should have brought me some sense of relief, the burden in my heart only grew heavier as I processed everything they’d shared.I had thought that if I could just find a way to bring Cole back to Halian, things might start to improve. But Leila had warned that Halian was no longer safe. Attacks were imminent, and Jack Elrod’s plan had already begun to unfold.As Leila and Jasmine explained, war se
EVELYN“Think about Sylvia! She wouldn’t want you to do this!” I struggled against the rope binding my wrist, trying to convince him to abandon his plan. But the man paid no heed. He walked toward Cole and stopped by the bed.He reached for something, but his hand froze midair as a rap echoed from the door.Both of us went still.There was a single, sharp sound, and then silence, as though it were nothing more than a shared figment of our overstrained nerves.The man shot me a glance before cautiously stepping toward the door. His movements were slow and deliberate, meant to make no sound. He gripped the handle, cracked the door open just a sliver, and peered outside.From where I was bound, I couldn’t see anything beyond the door, but something must have caught his eye. He opened it further and stepped outside.It was then that a shadow swooped in, knocking him to the ground.The poor night vision of humans gave him a disadvantage. The man scrambled to his feet, only to be grabbed by
EVELYNI looked up.Through the mist swirling around me, I saw Cole. His hand was outstretched, his eager gaze fixed on me. His chest was broken and bleeding, and he looked lonely and desperate, his dark eyes vast and pleading as they met mine.“Eva...”His voice reached me, pulling me back to the memory of two years ago. The day he’d pleaded, and I had retreated, shaking my head.I’d looked at him with fear and hatred.I’d said no.Every time I thought back to that moment, I believed I would handle it better if it happened again—that I’d calmly fix the confusion and the misunderstandings between my family and Cole.But I had been wrong.I felt glued to the ground, paralyzed. I opened my mouth, but only a harsh cry came out. Sadness and despair gripped me as guilt weighed on my heart like iron.“I… I can’t...” I whispered as I stared down at Conner’s lifeless body, the blood on my hands. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, nothing was fixable. My family, my mate—none of
EVELYNI narrowed my eyes and focus on the paragraph. It was written in a completely different style from the rest of the announcement, looking more like a hasty draft—almost as if a careless scribe had used scrap paper to jot it down.And the paragraph, baffling in its oddness, turned out to be a poem, which the girl read aloud.The once pretty orange has begun its decay, yet the sapphire still gleams. The rotting orange could be saved for a worthy trade: The stone with the deep blue beam. If you still hold the fruit you cherish so dearlyCome and make the trade: Choose not to accept what’s written so clearly -The sapphire with shatter, and the fruit will fade.As the girl finished reading, the people around her erupted in laughter. The sound of their mirth filled the air, an overwhelming chorus that tightened my throat.A man jeered. “Even my teenage son could write a better poem than this. What a laughable mess.”A woman beside him giggled. “The scribe should be fired for sur