EVELYNI kept a wary eye on Jack as Stephanie rummaged through her pocket, pulling out the crumpled page of her mother’s script—the one she had tried to share with him earlier in a desperate attempt to convince him.“I thought you didn’t believe,” Stephanie’s voice carried both suspicion and caution as she handed Jack the papers. It was hard to tell what she expected from him.Jack didn’t reply. His expression remained distant as his fingers deftly flipped through the pages.We all stood in tense silence, uncertain of what to do next. Leila nudged my side, shooting me a fierce look. If I wasn’t mistaken, she wanted me to act while Jack was distracted.But I didn’t move. Part of me knew it would be futile to launch a sneak attack against someone like Jack. He was far too skilled, and we were at a clear disadvantage. The other part of me wanted to understand his motives—why he had come alone, what he was truly after.Behind him, the dim alley stretched into darkness. There were no soldi
I jerked my head toward the direction of the chilling laugh. Augus stalked toward us from the distance, accompanied by Frank Crawford, who had shifted back into his human form, a menacing sword hanging at his waist, strapped to a leather scabbard.Filing into the alley behind them were soldiers, each holding torches that illuminated the way. From where I stood, I could see no end to them. Between the two soldiers who followed closely behind Augus and Frank, Sylvia was dragged, tied up and looking lost.Addison was not with her.“Fuck, it’s a trap!” Leila snapped at Jack. “You stalled long enough to have us surrounded.”Jack pursed his lips. His neutral expression cracked with a flicker of disbelief, as if he hadn’t expected them to find us so quickly.Augus paused about ten feet from where we stood, seemingly unwilling to get any closer. I didn’t understand why. Maybe he believed that with his enhanced magical dagger, he could easily deal with us from a distance. Or perhaps there was
EVELYNAugus let out an irritated bark, swiping his sapphire dagger while muttering spells. A blue aura pulsed around him, and the front row of soldiers stiffened. Their face turned blank, their eyes hollow. One of the leaders spun, drawing his sword and decapitating the soldier across from him with a clean strike.The controlled soldiers surged forward, clashing with the rest. Augus took a few steps back, hiding behind his puppets, a twisted grin playing at the corners of his lips as he watched the atrocity unfold. The soldiers he controlled didn’t fight with more skill or speed, but they fought without hesitation – without fear. The soldier, who had severed another’s head, lost his forearm in a brutal attack from two rivals. Blood poured from the wound, but he didn’t falter. He lunged forward, tearing into his attacker’s neck with savage claws.Meanwhile, Jack and Frank were locked in a brutal dance. Jack’s speed and precision kept Frank on the defensive, forcing him to parry blow a
EVELYNThe weight on my chest lifted, and the bitter bile threatening to rise in my throat was replaced by a sweet, honeyed liquid. The painful symphony of sounds—the agony woven through them—faded into the background. I wanted to open my eyes, to see if they had seized the chance to take Frank down, if Augus had been stopped, if anything had been resolved. I wanted to call out to them, but I was too drained, too exhausted to move. My eyelids felt as though they were glued shut, and the weight of sleep was all-consuming, tugging me under.Soon, the sounds disappeared altogether. Their voices fell silent, as if my world had been muted, and I couldn’t sense where I was or what was happening around me. I had drifted too far.Yet, despite the disorienting haze, I wasn’t afraid. Instead, I felt light—weightless, almost as if I were floating. A warm euphoria wrapped itself around me, filling every inch of my being. The chaos, the blood, the fear... it all seemed so far away. I wanted to lea
EVELYN“For the past year, I’ve been wondering what you truly wanted,” Cole said, his gaze locking onto his brother. Their features mirrored each other’s—different yet undeniably similar. Both carried the sharpness of their father, Theodore Elrod. “I won the war too easily, didn’t I? With unwavering support from House Caddel and the other Houses maintaining an ambiguous stance, neither openly opposing me nor aiding you, you could have defeated me with a mere flick of your fingers. You could have taken everything. But you let me win. You faked your death. You remained in the shadows, pushing me onto a throne I never desired. You have always been the Crown Prince; the throne was always yours. You could have ordered my death and married Evelyn if that was your goal. So why go to such lengths?”“Is this supposed to be a riddle for me to solve?” Jack snorted. “I’m afraid I’m no bard.”Cole took a step closer. “Do you remember the time you showed me a moth you had dismembered? I asked you w
EVELYNThe clouds shielding the moon finally drifted past, and as the silvery light bathed the alley, the blue crystal dagger lodged in Leila’s chest gleamed with a piercing brilliance. Leila’s eyes widened, shock and confusion flooding her features. She looked down at the dagger, watching it being pulling from her chest with an invisible force. Blood seeped through her dress, spreading out in a crimson circle.“Lei!!” Jasmine’s scream tore through the air as she rushed to Leila’s side, pulling her into her arms. Stephanie followed, her movements urgent.At the same time, Cole charged at Augus. Augus, however, was already retreating, vanishing swiftly among the soldiers. He mumbled an incantation, and with a flick of his wrist, more soldiers fell under his control, becoming mindless puppets. Cole struggled to get close, forced to fight his way through the soulless figures that filled the space between them.I gripped Sylvia’s arm, my breath shallow, my chest aching with every inhale.
EVELYN“I’m no gambler,” Cole said sharply.Augus snorted. “I’m afraid that’s a gamble you can never refuse, young King.” He stepped back a few paces, muttering a spell under his breath, and the sapphire dagger rose into the air.My body tensed as I grabbed Stephanie’s arm, bracing for the attack. My nerves were on high alert.But instead of the mindless onslaught I expected, the uncontrolled soldiers closed in around Augus, encircling him like a protective wall.Confusion twisted in my gut, but before I could make sense of it, I felt Stephanie’s body stiffen beside me. She pulled away, shrugging off my hand with startling coldness, and rose to her feet.“Stephanie—” I called out, but my words died in my throat when I saw her eyes. There was nothing left in them. Just emptiness. Just like the soldiers.I remembered Augus’s words.What makes you think I didn’t control one of you to lead you here?The realization hit me like a physical blow. Stephanie... she was under his control. A rus
EVELYNPerhaps we should keep an eye on Augus, wait for the right moment to strike—surprise him when he’s unprepared. But we were too stunned to act. Jack’s death seemed to stir something in the air around us. The draft that had once been light in the alleyway grew stronger, though, in that moment, I wondered if it was still just a draft.The sky suddenly shrouded in thick clouds, obscuring the moon entirely. A storm seemed imminent—a storm that could hardly be a natural occurrence. I wasn’t sure if it was relevant, but I recalled the time when King Theodore died, and a tempest raged for days, as if the world itself mourned the loss of a monarch.The stomping of footsteps broke the tension. I turned my gaze toward the soldiers. The puppets began marching toward us, their blank faces and eyes gleaming with a sinister flash.“He’s running,” Oakley shouted, pointing at a flicker of blue light moving swiftly in the opposite direction, away from the approaching swarm of soldiers. “Should w
EVELYN“You don’t believe us, do you?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, sharper than I had intended. “You don’t believe in our determination.”Oakley studied me for a long moment before a grin flickered across his face, his usual cavalier attitude returning. “Let’s just say I’m afraid. Or maybe I’m tired of fighting for myself. Time to seek something else in life, isn’t it? Perhaps an exotic beauty in a foreign land. I hear some human girls have a particular taste for fluffy animals—”“Don’t change the subject,” I cut him off, glowering. “You’re not someone who scares easily.”“I wasn’t,” he admitted, inhaling deeply. “But I am now.” His smirk faded, replaced by a hardened expression. “Her husband has erased her past to give her a new life, a paradise of his own making. And I won’t be the one to destroy it.”It took me a moment to understand who he meant. Maria.“I saw her three days ago,” Oakley continued. “I imagined she’d be suffering under the hand of some lord, a
EVELYNI had never known there was a secret room attached to the Alpha’s Study, hidden behind the towering bookshelves that lined the wall opposite the long marble desk. A concealed passageway linked the two, its entrance masked by books that Cole now pushed aside. He twisted a small, inconspicuous knob, and the hidden door clicked open.I followed him inside, ducking low as we maneuvered through the narrow, dark passage. When he opened another door at the end, we stepped into a small chamber. It was even tinier than the room I had once lived in as a maid, furnished only with a round desk, a few chairs, and a cabinet against the wall.Despite its minimalism, the chamber exuded opulence. The desk was inlaid with jade, and each chair gleamed with embedded gemstones that caught even the faintest light.Clearly, this space had been intended for secret meetings—perhaps even assignations. Against one wall sat a low love seat, large enough for one person to rest comfortably. Or two, if they
EVELYNSkyla blinked.For the first time since I had stepped into her cell, she looked truly caught off guard. Her lips parted slightly as if to form words, but no sound came out.I could understand why she was so shocked. According to the traditional Hescorian law of crime and punishment, as the heir of a rebellious Great Lord, she would be sentenced to death. If not death, it would be a life-long sentence of heavy labor and exile – just like the punishment my family had received.Personally, I wanted her to suffer that fate. I had no intention of showing her mercy – mercy she neither deserved nor ever would. But as the future queen of Hescor, I couldn’t. I couldn’t let my personal hatred dictate justice. I was determined to change Hescor’s wretched, severe penal system, and I wouldn’t allow myself to become a hypocrite in the process.Collective punishment had a long history in Hescor. It’d be difficult to abolish, as many lords firmly supported it, or so I had been told.I recalled
EVELYN“So he punished him—made him kneel on the cold stone floor of the Great Hall, day and night, with the servants as witnesses. He kept him there until he was exhausted, starving, and on the verge of collapse,” Stephanie said. “And still, Jack never gave him an answer. He only said it was a girl from a dream. That was all. In the end, Father had no choice but to give up. But before he did, he tore the painting to shreds and warned Jack—if he ever dreamed of that girl again… he would find her, dig her out, and destroy her.”A shiver ran down my spine.I could almost see King Theodore’s looming figure, feel his hands closing around me, tearing me apart as he had done to that painting.I felt paralyzed by Stephanie’s words. And angry. Why was she telling me this? What did she expect from me? This had nothing to do with me, did it? It wasn’t my fault Jack had drawn a picture of me.And yet, beyond the anger, there was something else. A deep, inevitable sorrow.I didn’t know why.I tri
EVELYNI searched Stephanie’s chestnut-brown eyes with scrutiny, trying to make sense of her words. I was relieved she wasn’t lying, but I couldn’t understand why she had bothered making such a request after everything that had happened.Her expression remained composed, as if she saw no issue with her decision. But even at my most optimistic—even if Cole ever found an excuse to forgive his brother—Stephanie’s request to move Jack’s body to the Royal Crypt was absurd.Crypts held deep significance for every noble family in Hescor, and the Royal Crypt was the most sacred of them all, reserved for the royal bloodline. The people of Hescor believed it was a resting place only for revered monarchs who had contributed to the kingdom, rulers whose legacies were honored by both history and the people. Only the purest souls were meant to be laid to rest there. Of course, that was an exaggeration—one could hardly call King Theodore a saint, considering his debauched ways in his later years.As
EVELYN“Sometimes, I can’t tell if you’re supporting me or siding with those who oppose my ascension,” I muttered, lifting my head from the stack of documents to glower at Flynn. Across the room, he met my gaze steadily, unfazed.“Why don’t you go bother your King instead?” I snapped. “If anyone’s to blame for my ignorance of these documents, it’s him! If he hadn’t—” I bit off the words, heat crawling up my face as memory surged forward, unbidden and all too vivid.Cole had been unbearably possessive last night after I returned from my conversation with Aiden by the river. He had exhausted me until dawn – until the first golden rays of sunlight spilled over the horizon, peering into the room to find our bodies tangled in the damp sheets.Flynn arched a brow but returned his attention to the report in his hands. “I’ll remind him to exercise restraint,” he said coolly. “He shouldn’t wear you out when your schedule is this full.” Then, without a hint of emotion, he added, “Tell your maid
EVELYNThe royal garden was bathed in the golden hues of the afternoon sun, the crisp air carrying the mingling scents of blooming roses and freshly turned earth. I found Aiden standing near the river, his hands clasped neatly behind his back. He wasn’t alone.Leila was beside him, waving her hands animatedly as she spoke, her excitement evident. It seemed she was sharing something with him, and though Aiden nodded in response with a faint smile, his attention was clearly elsewhere. He looked distracted.Sensing my approach, Leila turned, her face lighting up. “Evelyn!” she called cheerfully. I returned her smile and quickened my steps toward them.Oh, I nearly forgot to mention—Leila was alive. Or, more accurately, she had been resurrected, along with Addison Madden and Skyla Fox.After Augus’s death, Sylvia had used the shattered sapphire, which contained the heart blood of all three, to perform a resurrection spell. And it had worked. But of course, it wasn’t as simple as it sounde
EVELYNMy coronation was set for a week after Cole officially announced that he had marked me, and that I had marked him in return. At least, that was the version he presented to the Lords and officials. If he had told them the truth—that I had marked him first—he might have sent half the council into cardiac arrest. They would have called it a disgrace to the monarchy, or worse.Naturally, many were displeased with my ascension. They resented the fact that I would wield actual power, something few queens in Hescor’s history had ever done—especially after my supposed punishment as a traitor. They also despised that my family’s name had been cleared and that my father had been reinstated to his former status.But all those objections amounted to nothing more than a few grumbles. The main attention remained fixed on the shocking revelation of Marcel Fox’s treason and rebellion. Solid evidence proved that he had been smuggling precious stones and stealing minerals from Windsburn—not to m
EVELYNWe shared kisses in the darkness. My mind was blurred by the lingering dizziness of my long unconsciousness and the feverish heat of my body.I felt overheated and out of control. I felt as though I was going to evaporate into the air, like morning dew dissolving beneath the warmth of the rising sun.“Evelyn…” Cole mumbled when my hand moved down his abs, toward the hardened part of him. He caught my fingers, lacing them with his own, stopping me. Then he pulled away slightly.I stared at him, still dazed, subconsciously yearning to close the distance again. He looked mortified, and I could see the flush on his face, but his eyes shone with a sharp spike of desire.“I should call a healer to check on you,” he said.“Why?” I murmured, titling my head almost mischievously. “Can’t you check for yourself?”I guided his hand beneath the thin fabric of my night garment, gliding his touch along the curves of my breasts. His gaze darkened, the fire within it flaring.His breath hitched