Charles "Eva?" Astarte's shocked whisper hung in the air. My own gaze darted between Astarte and her daughter then to Lucian. His face was etched with a mixture of concern and apprehension. Eva hesitantly stepped into the room with Ryon by her side. “Eva?” Astarte rasped again. "That's... That
Lucian's lips twitched. "He's the elder." My jaw dropped. "What?" Astarte frowned. "He always..." "We agreed to it," Lucian said. "After our brother..." I frowned. Lucian and Set had a brother? A flicker of realization dawned on Astarte's face. Her gaze darted towards me, a new glint of unde
Charles A glint of something akin to approval flickered in Astarte's eyes. "We expose him, but first, we shore up your reputation, get you some more allies, public and powerful allies. The whole 'challenger' fiasco needs to be addressed, so you're going to make a statement about the challenge circ
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I forced myself to meet her gaze. "Can we talk about this privately? There's something I need to understand…" A flicker of surprise crossed Astarte's face, a momentary lapse in her ironclad control. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a curt no
Charles Grace set her jaw. I reached out, cupping her face and lifting it until I could look into her eyes. "I have always planned to break the bond, ever since I started to pursue you." My hand fell to the courting band on her arm. "I had never had a chance to give Tessa a courting band." H
The first rays of dawn painted the sky a pale grey and woke me. I rose from the bed, my gaze lingered on Grace's sleeping form. I leaned down, brushing a gentle kiss against her forehead, a silent goodbye etched in the tenderness of the gesture. With a final, lingering look, I got dressed and pack
Charles I held up a hand, silencing him with a gesture. "Your daughter stands accused of treason, adultery, and a no number of other crimes. Be grateful I have not simply executed her." Tessa's jaw dropped, a gasp escaping her lips. Her gaze flicked back to me, pleading, but I wasn't moved..
Her father roared, shifting and lunging at me. I gestured through the air, throwing him away from me. He screamed as he hit the wall and shift back into his human form. He fell to the ground without moving. Moonlight drifted through the air. Slowly, Tessa's whimpers had subsided, replaced by a sha