LOGINThe crowd continued to applaud as Thea took one final bow before exiting the stage. The moment she was out of sight, Elijah grabbed my hand.“Come on,” he said, already pulling me toward the aisle. “Let’s get backstage before everyone else.”We made our way through the crowd, accepting congratulatio
AgnesEight years had passed by.The concert hall was packed to capacity, not a single empty seat in sight. My spine ached like hell from sitting on the hard wooden chair for the past two hours, and my pregnant belly made it impossible to find a comfortable position. Elijah kept rubbing his neck and
“Mom?” Thea’s voice called. “Everyone’s waiting. Are you ready?”I took one last look in the mirror, adjusted the mask slightly, and turned toward the door.“Ready,” I said, opening it to find my daughter standing there in a midnight blue dress that she had designed herself. Her own mask, shaped lik
AgnesOne year later.I stood in front of my mirror, hardly recognizing the woman staring back at me. Two years. It had been two years since I met Elijah—not counting that foggy night we conceived Thea seven years before that, a night neither of us could fully remember thanks to whatever drugs had b
Initially, I resisted. The thought of sharing my pain with a stranger when I had spent so many years being treated like a madwoman for my trauma scared the hell out of me. But Elijah was persistent, reminding me that we all carried burdens that were too heavy to bear alone.And so, twice a week, we
AgnesThe weeks following the destruction of the Lunaris Stone passed in a blur.Elemental Enterprises, of course, was immediately shut down by the authorities. Every known international law enforcement agency descended on Richard’s territory, working alongside Richard and us to document the crimes
Just then, a soft rustling sound came from the bed, drawing my attention. There was a small form under the covers, quivering slightly. Like she was hiding under the blankets, scared. Or maybe holding in laughter. It was hard to tell.“Thea?” I said, relief flooding through me. “You scared me, honey.
AgnesI placed my hand in Elijah’s, my heart fluttering in my chest as he led me down the steps from the stage. The crowd parted, forming a circle around the dance floor. His arm slipped around my waist, drawing me close.It still amazed me just how perfectly our bodies fit together.And then we wer
AgnesSunlight streamed through the bedroom window, illuminating Elijah’s dark eyes. It was morning. I was in bed, safe although terrified, and the house was just as it always was. Warm and cozy, embers still glowing in the fireplace, and not a cobweb or a skeleton to be seen.Elijah’s face hovered
AgnesThe scent of garlic and tomatoes greeted us as we stepped inside the house later that evening. Elijah was already at the stove, stirring a pot of what smelled like spaghetti sauce with the white sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular forearms. He looked up as







