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[MAGNUS]Between the revelation that Morgana is likely still alive, knowing that a giant hydralith swims beneath these very floors, figuring out the many schemes of my cruel uncle—including him trying to get me married to Daphne when I’m already married, and the suspicion that Daphne knows of my involvement in her lover’s death, it is very hard to focus on Prince Rasmus.He stands a few feet apart, surrounded by officials I’ve met before at meetings of the Great Conclave. He looks wholly consumed by some interesting conversation and although I’m capable of hearing it, I can’t focus. I can’t bring my hearing power to work so I can only hear one voice among the thousand conversations going across the hall.There are a lot of people here, and there is a lot on my mind. The sheer scale of the event is staggering. Hundreds of flickering torches cast dancing shadows on the towering stone walls of this palace hall. The air thrums with a symphony of sounds – the clatter of silverware against p
[ELARA]Magnus will never let Ruelle marry Alpha Zander. He’d do anything in his power to stop it, even if the match is approved by the king. He will not let Eldric undermine him this way, not by hurting his little sister. He couldn’t.Once upon a time, I would’ve approved the match myself. I respected Zander as the alpha of my pack—not just because I had to, but because I believed he was a good man. But when I learned of his deception, all that respect turned to hatred. He knew of the connection between Alec and me and yet, he forced me to marry Magnus. He played Alina's game to fool me. And then he commanded Alec to become my personal guard, knowing it would rip his heart to shreds.And the way he held Alina’s hand and whispered in her ear, causing her to tremble, I have no doubt that Zander is merely another pawn in Eldric’s game to hurt Magnus.I know how important it is to find Magnus and tell him immediately about this, but I can neither find him amidst this crowd nor Ruelle and
[ELARA]For a long moment after Valen disappears into the crowd, I find myself wondering if he was real. Because nothing about him felt real. The way he looked at me seemed otherworldly. His very face and the grace with which he moved felt… unreal. He truly worked to distract me and unburdened me, strangely. And the fact that he knew my name, but referred to me as Lady and not Princess. I haven’t seen him here before in court. I’d remember him if I had. Having a ruby embedded in place of one of your eyes certainly makes you stand out. I’m involuntarily looking for him in the crowd—trying to find the wisp of his black robes, embroidered with gold thread—when Lord Brook approaches.“Have the next dance with me, Princess Elara,” he says, with a grin on his face that makes my skin crawl.I shake my head, forcing a polite smile. “Forgive me, Lord Brook, but I do not feel like dancing anymore,” I tell him. ‘Especially with you,’ I hold myself back from adding, though the thought lingers on m
Several hours later, deep into the night, I find myself leading my pack members to their assigned quarters on the orders of King Eldric. His revelation that they would stay until after the wedding horrified me, especially when I realized he meant Ruelle and Alpha Zander’s wedding.The guests’ quarters are located on the west end of the palace, on the lowest floor carved into the ground. The moment I step inside, a suffocating sensation fills the air. The rooms are spacious enough, but their windowless nature and lack of breeze make them stifling. It feels eerily similar to the servants’ quarters I visited earlier while searching for Beatrice.These are not really for guests, I think to myself. The thought gnaws at me as I glance around. Despite this, Alina seems enchanted, her eyes wide with amazement at the modest furnishings. In her view, they are luxurious compared to what we have in Mistral Hollow. I can only imagine her reaction if she saw my chamber, with its large ruby-clad mir
[ELARA]“Elara?” Magnus says my name again, his voice a mix of worry and something else I can't quite place. He crosses the room with purposeful strides, stopping just a few steps away from my bed. My eyes flicker nervously to the pillow concealing the poison vial before meeting his golden gaze. My heart hammers against my chest, and I know he can hear it. His expression shifts from concern to confusion.‘Talk to him,’ Lila’s voice echoes in my mind, but I can’t find the words or the will to speak. Does he know I've been threatened to poison him? Did he see me hide the vial? Does he think I’m going to betray him?“Elara,” he repeats softly, his tone pleading.As he takes an uncertain step closer, I finally find my voice. I stand up abruptly, holding my breath. “Magnus,” I whisper, my voice trembling.He steps back, his eyes widening in alarm. For a moment, he looks afraid, as if he’s broken something fragile between us. He swallows hard before speaking, his voice hoarse. “You didn’t c
[ELARA]“And what if I do?" Magnus challenges, his voice dropping to a whisper, but the intensity of his words slices through the air.His eyes widen as he realizes what he has just said, words he can’t take back. I fold my hands around my arms, holding my breath as I tear my gaze away from him. I feel vulnerable, almost naked, standing here in front of him. The distance between us feels unbearable, a chasm I cannot cross. “I suppose you can care,” I answer meekly. My voice comes out all strange, and I feel foolish. I turn away and walk to the open window that looks over the Cursed Gulf. The waves crash violently against the shore, and for a moment, I wish they could swallow me whole. “What harm will that do?”“It can kill you,” he answers without missing a beat. His gaze burns into the back of my head.Please don’t look at me, I think to myself. Not right now. Not when I should be thinking about how to poison you.‘You don’t want to poison him,’ Lila’s voice interrupts my mind.I ha
[MAGNUS]I toss and turn the whole night over the diwan, finding no sleep. The cool night air does nothing to quell the heat in my mind. Shadows dance on the walls, cast by the flickering candlelight. My eyes repeatedly flicker to Elara’s sleeping figure on the bed, and every time, I relive the moment we shared.Slipping away that I care for her. Slowly unlacing her gown as I hear her heart race. The shiver that ran through me when I accidentally brushed her skin. The undeniable urge to deliberately graze her bare back with my fingers. Our breaths mingling with each other. The look of longing in her green eyes as she eyed my lips. And the almost kiss.My body betrays me. Every time I look down at myself, I'm still aroused. I'm a fool. The most foolish fool to ever exist. And Creed agrees every time I whisper it to myself through the night.How can I so easily lose control of myself? This is not something that has troubled me before.Chopping Lord Brook’s fingers was a reckless move—I s
[MAGNUS]I keep my eyes glued to the new sand clock, focusing on the purple swirls that begin at its neck and diffuse to either side as Lord Roland is made to read out the new roles. His voice is hesitant at best as he reads, “The role of Alpha Regent has not been changed. It still belongs to Lord Wieser. So is the role of War Chief—”“Fool,” Eldric mutters lazily, leaning back and placing his hand on the new table. His expression remains unreadable, but his tone carries a hint of disdain. “Don’t read it all. Just the new ones.”Lord Roland wipes the sweat from his brows before he proceeds, “Forgive me, Your Grace. Lord Hylas, you no longer serve as the Moon Priest. You’ve been replaced by Lord Steele.”Lord Hylas’ face twists in pain and he leans forward, his knuckles white against the polished wood of the table. Before he can protest, Eldric interjects. “You’re a shame. No man who speaks the word of the Goddess curses as often as you do.”There goes a man who sided with my father wh