COLEAt the mention of her name, all eyes in the room turned to Mrs. Porter. The head maid’s face blanched and for the briefest of moments, I almost felt sorry for the older woman.Almost.“Is this true, Mrs. Porter?” I asked her directly, and after the gray-haired maid nodded, I cast a cold glance at Skyla. The young woman wilted slightly, flinching at the daggers I shot at her, and I watched her swallow heavily as she steeled herself for my wrath.“Did my stepmother’s maid grant you such liberties?” I asked Skyla.She nodded hastily, tucking her dark red hair behind her ear. “Yes. It was Mistress Anastasia’s personal maid who permitted me to speak with the other maid.”“Why didn’t you speak plainly about it before?” I pressed. “Why didn’t you say anything when I asked?”“I was s-s-scared, Your Majesty,” Skyla stammered, tears starting to flow down her pale face again. “I didn’t expect a conversation with a maid would lead to such an accident. It wasn’t my intention at all.”My lips
EVELYNI didn’t know what time it was when I awoke in the middle of the night. My vision was blurred, and I couldn’t yet manage to move. I had curled up on my side, facing the door, and I was grateful that Elsa had braided my thick hair away from my face because my body was coated in sweat.This was the worst I’d felt in years, but I was grateful to be alive. I let out a whimper as I tried to stretch. I remained under the covers, as moving was too difficult, but I knew I couldn’t stay here forever. My thirst was all-consuming, and since Elsa wasn’t here, I decided I needed to get up and find water elsewhere.A small yawn escaped me. When I cast the covers aside, I caught a faint smell and realized I wasn’t alone in the room. Beside me, someone was sitting on my bed with his back against the headboard.In normal circumstances, I should have screamed at the sight of an intruder or at least been frightened, but I recognized his scent immediately.“You’re awake?” Cole asked, his voice soun
EVELYNAs I was cleaning a room the next morning as a part of my daily tasks, my mind wandered. Though physically, I felt much better than the day before, I was still quite tired and sore.Mrs. Porter had assigned me to a small room near the end of a corridor, a little guest room that would be occupied soon. She was a little less stern with me than usual but impressed upon me that the room needed to be spotless.After ten minutes or so had passed by, I began to think about the night before and my shoulders tensed.Why did Cole flee from my room last night at the mere mention of Aiden? Why did he behave so strangely? Was it not my delusion that it was the Alpha King who saved me rather than Aiden?I glanced out the window at the rising sun. Though I was in a wing far from the Alpha King’s, a small part of me wished he would rush in here and explain himself. Of course, that was a ridiculous thought. Cole wasn’t known for his apologetic nature, so the mere notion of him returning to fin
EVELYN"Come on, Elsa," I encouraged my friend.We were hurrying toward one of the larger halls in the palace, and Elsa was lagging behind. She caught up without question, and together we hustled to where Mrs. Porter had ordered us to go. It was an important day.Today, the candidates for the Luna Selection would be choosing their personal maids.The past week had been grueling. Although we had never met the ladies in person, our workload had increased due to their demands. They had high standards for accommodations, some requiring blankets of a specific texture while others requested special foods be prepared exclusively for them.We were all exhausted. Many of us many had dark circles beneath their eyes for lacking sleep. Unfortunately, our workload was only going to increase further.Today, the maids and servants the ladies brought from their houses would be dismissed, and they would select a personal maid from the royal palace staff. According to Mr. Barrett and Mrs. Porter, our p
EVELYNThe tension in the room could be sliced by a blade. I stiffened, ready for her to reveal my surname and bring shame upon me in front of all of the maids.To my surprise, a smile formed on Leila’s lovely face.“I choose this one,” she said.Mrs. Porter’s cold eyes widened slightly in shock. She hesitated, and after glancing in my direction, the older woman cleared her throat.“My Lady, perhaps this choice would not be the best,” she advised politely but insistently. “There are other maids who might satisfy your needs much better than her. She is new to palace life and you might require someone more seasoned-”Despite the head maid’s comments, Leila remained smiling, but her tone changed. “Areto challenging my decision, Mrs. Porter?”There was a quiet ferocity in her voice and a shiver ran through me. She was more strong-willed than I’d anticipated. Mrs. Porter’s face paled. “No, My Lady. My apologies for questioning you. My intentions-”“Very well then,” Leila interrupted her,
EVELYNLeila’s sharp words left me completely and utterly speechless.The “fool” she bitterly referred to was unmistakably the King, and I was shocked to hear a competitor in the Luna Selection speak so boldly about Cole. Anger seethed so strongly from her words that I couldn’t find the right response. I didn’t wish to annoy her further, but if someone were to overhear her, things would become dangerous.For both her and me.After a long moment of silence, I spoke up softly, warning her against speaking so freely. “Lady Leila, you shouldn’t refer to His Majesty in such a manner while in the palace.”She shrugged, seeming unconcerned. I was both impressed and terrified by her nonchalance. All were fearful of the Elrod family, but Leila didn’t seem scared or particularly worried about being overheard.Perhaps it was because Cole owed the Hart family a great deal.From what I knew and had learned over the years, Cole had been frail and sickly when he was young. His constant illnesses and
EVELYNLater that night, all the ladies and their maids were invited to a party in the ballroom which would mark the official start of the Luna Selection.It was their first time meeting the Alpha King, and it was impressed upon all by Anastasia Elrod and Mrs. Porter that first impressions always mattered.The ladies were to put all their efforts into looking as attractive and captivating as possible, making it a competition even among the maids. Each of us was instructed to dress and assist the ladies with their hair and makeup.Our candidate needed to win the King’s affection and interest straight away, so we had to do everything possible to help them succeed.Though I had been forced into wearing ugly maid’s uniforms and plain dresses over the past year, I felt I had a certain advantage over the other maids. Back when I was a high-born woman, I loved putting myself together. I was skilled at styling beautiful clothes and when I had access to the proper tools and supplies. However,
EVELYNThe Alpha King entered the room, and for a moment, I was just as in awe of him as everyone else. He looked devastatingly handsome tonight.His golden hair had been perfectly brushed, and his dark eyes didn't seem as predatory as usual. His tall, muscular form was clad in a black shirt and matching pants. His usual gold cloak hung off one shoulder, but it looked freshly pressed. A gold pin with his family's insignia gleamed on the other side of his chest.Leila's brother strode in behind the King and gave her a small nod as he walked past.I tensed as Cole glanced around the room. It had been a week since I'd last seen him in my chambers, and it seemed he had lost interest in me. I hadn’t been summoned to his chambers since, but I couldn't let my guard down.The King frown slightly as he scanned the room. He appeared discontent, as if he were attending a particularly difficult meeting rather than a party to meet his future Luna.As he approached the group of ladies, I lowered my
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
EVELYNWhen I woke, it was already morning. The sky outside the window was overcast, but its dull brightness made it clear that it was well past sunrise. I sprang to my feet and placed my hand on Cole’s forehead, checking his temperature. His skin was no longer feverish.I inspected his wound and replaced the damp towel. The bleeding had stopped, and though the swollen flesh was healing, it was slow progress.But that barely gave me any relief.I brushed away the damp strands of hair from his forehead, wiped his face with clean towels, then placed my palm against his cheek, whispering his name. But he didn’t answer. His eyes remained closed, unmoving. He was still unconscious.The wildness had faded from him, but his sanity had yet to return. I didn’t know if it was the lingering effect of the aphrodisiac or if it’s because his mind was being controlled, suppressed.If nothing changed, he would eventually become nothing more than a walking corpse.I shook my head, pushing back the t
EVELYNThe man’s face darkened as I explained what had happened. I told him how Sylvia had pushed me away in the gardens and confronted the guards alone. His jaw tightened, and his eyes narrowed in frustration.“She’s insane,” he muttered, retrieving the piece of sapphire he had used in the crypt. Turning to me, his expression grew sharp.“Where’s the other half?” he asked.I blinked in confusion.What the other piece…As I was about to ask, a sudden heat flared against my abdomen. I reached into my pocket and froze as my fingers brushed against something warm and solid. When I pulled it out, I nearly dropped it – a chunk of sapphire. The stone cooled the moment my fingers wrapped around it. its smooth surface delivering a strange sense of calm and tranquility.I had no idea how it had gotten there.The man’s lips pressed into a grim line as he took the sapphire from me and pressed it together against the piece in his hand. My eyes widened with the two halves fusing seamlessly into a
EVELYNAs the blue aura flashed, all the guards leaped up. Their expressions were filled with terror, their eyes wide, their limbs failing aimlessly in the air. Then they fell to the ground with a heavy crash. The sound of crushing bonds was harsh and chilling, followed by a series of groans echoing through the room. “What…what’s that?” They exchanged panicked glances before their eyes fixed on the dark entrance of the vault, where the blue aura had appeared and still lingered.Jack stiffened as he stared intently at the blueness.Slowly, a man walked out. His figure was tall and strong. He held a piece of sapphire in his hand, which seemed to be the source of the blue aura.It took a moment for me to recognize him. He was the man who had been with Sylvia back at that little house.A wave of relief washed over me. At least the intruder was not an enemy.But why was he here? Was he here to save us?The man gave us no acknowledgement. His gaze fixed on Jack as he picked up a silver da