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[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
[MAGNUS]‘Tread carefully,’ Creed echoes in my mind, and I halt, taken by surprise. I will never get used to being advised by him ever again. Not since the prolonged silences and mockery I suffered after the death of Nyra.With Alistair by my side, I march to Ruelle’s chambers, our footsteps echoing through the stone corridors. I’m not surprised to find my stepmother, Lady Celia, there. However, the sight of Princess Daphne lounging gracefully on one of the lilac chaises catches me off guard. They are all seated on the set of lilac chaises that Ruelle had insisted on bringing back from Qaiven a few weeks ago, engaged in what appears to be a deeply intriguing discussion. A hush falls over the room as I clear my throat, the sound slicing through their conversation like a blade. Daphne is the first to notice me, her brown eyes turning sharply in my direction, assessing and calculating.“Prince Magnus,” she mumbles in a honeyed voice, dipping her head slightly in a gesture of respect that
[ELARA]From the shore, I watch the Cursed Gulf bubble. Steam billows from its surface, boiling despite the cold wind that prickles my bare arms, forming tiny cuts through which blood oozes. But it isn't red; it's a mixture of black and gold, shimmering as it trickles down my arms. Dark clouds gather in the sky, shrouding the shore.My eyes are fixed on the lone cog approaching, paddled by a mysterious figure, its mast bearing a singular sail adorned with a skull. The air is filled with the sound of water splashing and gurgling. As it edges closer, I hold my breath. When the cog grinds to a halt on the sand, the sky clears, revealing the figure.The man wears a dark robe, his face hidden by a long hood. His hands gripping the paddle are plain bones, devoid of skin. My body casts a long shadow on the sand, but he has no shadow.It’s the Soulkeeper.This isn’t real, I realize with a gasp. ‘Wake up,’ Lila’s distorted voice echoes in my mind. ‘Wake up!’But I can’t will myself awake. I can
[ELARA]We’re both frozen, caught by each other unexpectedly. Momentarily, the corridors and every other thought fade away, leaving only Magnus and the inexplicable pull he has over me.He tears his golden gaze away... in shame? But not quickly enough. His eyes have already captured me, making me lose a bit of myself. They seem to stare straight into my soul, unraveling all my fears and desires. I wonder, is he also reminded of the last time we were this close to each other?His broad shoulders seem like they could bear the weight of the world, and I think of how it’ll feel to have them wrapped around me.‘Get a hold of yourself!’ Lila exclaims, and I just close my eyes in defeat.When I open my eyes, promising myself to not act stupid, I find Magnus struggling to choose his words. He could simply walk away, avoiding the conversation altogether, but he remains rooted to the spot. His mouth opens and closes, and his lips catch my eyes. Instinctively, I lick mine. And that gesture moves
The wind whispers through the open window, carrying a faint scent of jasmine that mingles with the pounding of my heart. “Alina can’t marry him, Alpha. She’s weak,” my father begins, his trembling voice resounding in the pack’s courtroom. Beta Collis smirks at him from where he stands beside Alpha Zander before he comments, “A weakling for a weakling. What can be a better match for the twisted Prince of Caelondor?” I grit my teeth, suppressing a curse. Beta Collis has never been kind towards my family but his remark was unnecessary. "Alpha Zander," my father continues, ignoring his fellow Beta's words. His shoulders are slumped and he looks older than his years. "The pack healer says she might not live long." My stepmother stifles a sob as she clutches the sides of her robe. A rush of whispers arise from the pack members bearing witness to this meeting. I nervously glance around and hear people talk sympathetically about my stepsister, Alina. It's unfortunate what happene
[MAGNUS]I recline in the bathtub, the warmth of the water enveloping me as the palace servants go about their tasks. Steam swirls in the opulent chamber, the scent of chamomile lingering in the air and my mind wanders through the labyrinth of lies spun by my detested uncle, the king.As the palace servants meticulously wash me, their eyes averted, I stare at my own half-naked reflection in the mirror. I'm not disabled; it's a fabrication concocted by my uncle's twisted mind, fueled by his hatred and fear. The king seeks to undermine me, to strip away any sense of power or influence I might possess. He's afraid of what I could do to him. But it's time to reclaim my power, turn the tables on my enemies, and catch them off guard.Alistair, my loyal beta werewolf, stands guard outside the chamber, a silent guardian of my secrets.As I rise from the bathtub, the servants hastily rush to cover my body with linen. Alistair makes his way toward me before his eyes follow a servant as she walk