His touch was gentle again, his presence comforting like it used to be before tonight.The restlessness in my chest got worse when he picked me in his arms. It almost felt like every emotion I was feeling… wasn’t mine, but someone else’s.I took a deep breath and before I could gather myself and ask
[Raven] “Asher!” Ezra called out just as Asher shut the door behind him. Xanthea sat on the bed, frozen like a statue, as she peered at the closed door with petrified eyes. The way tears trailed down her flushed cheeks, it seemed as if she was having a completely involuntary reaction to a shock.
Checking the bite marks on her inner thighs, I mindlinked the nurse in the castle to bring me a potion kit and warm wet towels. A few minutes later, the nurses entered the room with their heads bowed, kept the things I needed on the table, and left. While I prepared the recovery and stamina poti
I had no plans to delay her admission to Helxton any longer. She had to be on her feet by the morning and I would do anything to make that happen. Ensuring she was comfortable on her side; I applied the herbal oil on her body and massaged her waist, hips, and legs. The oil and massage would help h
[Ezra]“I knew I’d find you here,” I breathed. My footsteps echoed as I stepped closer to the bar counter in Asher’s penthouse.The chandelier above cast a soft, golden glow that mingled with the darkness, creating an ambiance where one could drown and forget oneself in the haze of gin and smoke.An
Asher was the complete opposite. He remained silent most of the time, observing from the sidelines, as if trying to dissolve into the background. While Raven demanded all of mother’s attention, Asher seemed satisfied with the slightest stroke of her hand.Bare minimum had always been more than enoug
[Ezra]I still remember the first time Asher visited the Aile castle after his long absence. He came to us with his brand new toys.‘I didn’t unbox them. I thought we could play with them together,’ Asher said. I don’t remember if Asher said that with a smile or not, because I was busy observing hi
Raven kept trying to fit himself in the mold father had crafted for Asher, but he kept getting hurt and eventually he gave up. He understood he could no longer please our father by reaching the standards Asher had already crossed, so he rebelled and chose a completely different path for himself in h
The controllers frequently singled out groups of weak bloods, forcing them into perilous situations before kidnapping the survivors under the cover of night. These survivors were subjected to experiments, injected with various drugs, and then sent back within the walls.Most died, but those who surv
[Xanthea]Asher’s tone grew heavier and I could see why through my mother’s memories.“The weak bloods were promised a permanent secure shelter within these walls…”All the giant gates and smaller exits of the walls were closed, trapping all the weak bloods while they were fast asleep.For the first
Waiting, uncertain if someone would show up, was the worst feeling. I knew because I’d felt it when I called Ezra for help with the kids and waited. Those few minutes shattered me. I couldn’t even imagine what six-year-old Ezra endured, waiting for years.“A girl had been observing Ezra all this tim
The soft flutter in my chest instantly turned into electrifying goosebumps as he wrapped his fingers around mine, his grip tightening, holding my hand with an intensity that sent a shiver through me.We stood at the same distance as before, yet somehow, we had come closer.There were no words betwee
[Xanthea]‘… to cure the curse your mother put upon us because only you can.’Asher’s words hit me like a blow to the chest, leaving me breathless and blank. I stared at him as thousands of thoughts rammed into my mind. I was scared like I had never been before.Although I couldn’t decipher who I wa
There were glimpses and unfinished sentences. Lifeless body of a child, probably a weak blood.‘Another disappointm—’Peeled skin. Severed muscles.‘Burn him, prepare the other—’Eyeballs leaking from the eye sockets. People struggling as her helpers stuffed clothes in their mouth to muffle their gr
Experimenting on living subjects thrilled her. It was all fun for her. It was astonishing how she remained utterly undisturbed by it all. She justified every action with the belief that it was for the advancement of healing and immortality.‘Thank you for your contribution,’ she would say to each te
‘And that is why they will be punished as well,’ Alpha Caelum replied coldly. ‘As for you, you are hereby expelled from the Solvaris pack — and the Celestial realm.’My mother looked devastated, but she didn’t plead for mercy.‘I accept,’ she said brazenly as she strutted out of the court.With a sl
[Xanthea]I stared at Asher, my chest tightening as his words echoed in the air, heavy and inescapable. My mind scrambled to process what he had just said.“No.” The word slipped out, trembling and frail. “That’s not… It’s not possible.”Asher’s gaze remained distant. There was a cruel pity in the w