Chapter 68CelineBridgette and Evelyn led me toward a private door to a bathing chamber, the air inside filled with the scent of lavender and honey. A grand bathtub stood at the center, steam rising from the water in iit It was the most luxurious thing I’d ever seen, the tub plated with gold and marked with markings.“You don’t have to worry, my lady,” Evelyn placed an assuring hand on me, as she sensed my hesitation. “The water here does not burn. It soothes, restores, and replenishes your strength.”I swallowed and nodded, stepping forward. As if they had rehearsed it a thousand times, Bridgette and Penny helped me remove the tattered remains of my dress, their hands gentle and soft I was too exhausted to feel embarrassment. Instead, I focused on the warmth that seeped into my bones when I sank into the water.For the first time in what felt like years, I let myself breathe. No running. No suffering… Just peace.I felt Evelyn put fragrant oils into my hair, her touch so careful it
CelineMy heart pounded loudly in my ears as I stared at The king in shock, unsure if I heard his words right. “What… what do you mean?” I stammered, my words jumbling together.He pulled away, gesturing for the seat beside his chair, “Please sit closer to me, Celine. We have a lot to talk about, many things that wouldn't make sense, but at least you would finally understand the truth about yourself and why you are different from others.”He sat at the edge of the table and stared at me as he waited for me to take my seat, but I was frozen in place, confused, and utterly lost.“Celine?” The king called out, knocking me out of my reverie. “Please, let me explain better. I know you are shocked.”I shakily took my seat, the food turning unappetizing despite the growling of the creature called my stomach. Just yesterday an actual creature was in it, but today, I felt almost no pain. It didn't make sense. And this man who was currently staring at me with concern in his eyes was the answer
CelineThe question had been one I wanted to ask since the beginning of the story and as I guessed, was more complicated than I could even Imagine.Hades sighed, rubbing his temple. "I never left willingly, Celine. By the gods, I tried. But Rosalind knew the dangers. She made me promise to stay away, to let her raise you as a werewolf. She believed it would keep you safe. And she was right. If anyone had known the truth about you..."His fingers curled into a fist, his jaw tightening. "You would have been hunted, Celine. Not just by gods, but by creatures who despise the balance between life and death. Creatures who would see you as an abomination, an error of existence that needed to be erased. I couldn’t risk it."I bit my lip, my thoughts spiraling. "But something changed, didn’t it? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be telling me all of this now."He nodded, his expression grave. "Yes. The veil of protection I put off you shattered, and Celeste, the moon goddess, found Rosalind. She was fur
CelineMeeting my biological father, the literal king of the underworld was nothing like I thought it would be. The bright side is that I knew why he gave me up, and I have closure on it. He sacrificed being in my life just to keep me safe. But on the other hand, I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he watched Rosalind, my mum, kill herself and do nothing about it. Did they not say love is sacrifice? Could the king of the underworld not risk chaos in the whole of Olympia, just to save the woman he loved from killing herself and putting me in that horrid family?But was it not also love, to sacrifice one love for another love? Was it not love when I sacrificed staying and convincing Kaiden to choose to love me instead of honoring his sister? Was it not love when I struggled to protect him from ultimately building resentment up in himself for himself?Was it not love when Niel sacrificed his and Mika’s safety just for my freedom?Was that not the point of it?I pushed the thoug
KaidenWith Damon’s help, I headed back to the palace with only the hope that I could ever forgive myself for all that had happened. I may be living, but I felt like nothing but dead inside, with no will to live on.“You need to be a king, Kaiden. You need to find a reason to get up every morning, for the people who died.”I had to prove to my child I never met that I was not a bad father. If I knew she was going to fall… if I knew she was so scared of her life here that it ultimately led to her death… I would have done things differently. Now I had to spend the rest of my life wishing and wishing that I did things differently. It was not enough punishment for what I had caused. The pain was not enough punishment, even the barbaric ritual wasn't enough pain. I needed something to punish me for the things I had caused because I would drive myself crazy with guilt. As soon as the doors to my chambers, Sheila leaped up from where she was seated and ran to me, her eyes filled with unsh
Celine“Could you explain to me how hell works? Is it every soul who dies that ends up here?” Evelyn looked up in shock as she was expecting me to say anything since I shut them out hours ago, but my curiosity had taken the best of me, I wanted to know and I was in no mood to ask Hades. Bridgette and Penny gave us their attention as Evelyn cleared her throat, putting down the yarn and wool she was working on. She studied me for a moment as if deciding how much she should reveal. Then, with a sigh, she clasped her hands together and leaned forward.“No, not every soul ends up here,” Evelyn began. “Hell isn’t just a pit where the damned are thrown. It’s… layered, stand ructured. A place of consequence.”Bridgette and Penny exchanged glances but remained silent, allowing Evelyn to continue.“The souls that come here either belong to those who have done unspeakable things in life, those who owe a debt to the gods, or those who have unfinished business.” She glanced at Bridgette and Pen
DamonThe drop of blood on Sheila’s collar was too small for anyone to see, even the King if he was in his right mind. However, I spent most of my life training to see what others would not see because it was my fate to protect the king. Protecting the king was my priority in life, followed by my interests.So the drop couldn't just get past me. The scariest part? It was dried blood. And there was no way an injury she had could give her such a small amount of blood.This led me to remember that night I saw her after dark in the yard with a dark figure, I figured was the witch I trusted with nothing. I wouldn't have believed that she was right about Celine if she wasn't right about her location and my men didn't see blood flow in the waters just after her screams.I paused in my urgent steps in the middle of the cold hall, my heart plummeting to the ground as my breath seized in my throat.No… could it? No.I suggested Sheila as the queen because of the intensive background check I con
Celine“Oh my goddess!” I screamed as the demons walked into the room, my whole body vibrating, almost as if I had no idea demons lived in hell, and I'd been in it for hours. Evelyn jumped to my side, griping my shoulders as I backed away from them, scrambling away to a hiding place. “Please calm down, Your Majesty! They are here to protect you, not harm you! King Hades sent them for your protection!”I barely registered Evelyn’s words over the hammering of my heart. My breath came in short, sharp gasps as I pressed my back against the wall, my limbs trembling uncontrollably.The demons stood at the door, their eyes filled with eerie stillness and coldness as their towering figures claimed the space of the room. Their claws were long and sharp, skin blacker than coal, limbs an unnatural amount, and sharp horns on their heads. I clenched my hands into fists, trying to keep them from shaking, but my body refused to listen. My entire being screamed at me to run, to get as far away fro
CelineThe cold was gripping and goosebumps had spread all over my body from how wet I was as we burst out of the cave and made it to the opening. My gasps were swallowed by the amount of water that was crashing into the cave around us. Kaiden’s hand was tightly wrapped around my waist as he held both me and my mother above the raging water as we fought to get to the edge of the hidden passage that had led us into the underwater cave. We had only barely made it out. I looked down at my mother—the woman who had gone against all odds to have me and had risked her life just so I could be protected. She was no unconscious in my arms from the exhaustion of running after only just waking up. Her dark hair was soaked and it clung to her face and I couldn’t help but stare at her and acknowledge just how beautiful she was. I had never thought I would meet my mother or a woman who truly loved me but now, having her in my arms was the best thing ever. “Hold her,” I said as my lips trembled,
Celine“I-I am… I…” I started to say but I was at a loss for words, I quickly raised my hand to my face and wiped my tears away. “That doesn’t matter for now. What is more important is getting you out of here.”“Where are you taking me—“ she started but didn’t let her finish.I stood up straight and gestured for Kaiden to move closer to me. We helped her stand and though her limbs were weak from being unused, we could manage with it. She stumbled but Kaiden caught her and I steadied her, Kaiden looked away from us and towards the other coffin. “What about the other coffin?” He asked as he slightly nodded his head towards it. “It belongs to King Charles and he was the first alpha king. No one has dared to touch it for centuries.”My ears perked up at his words and I couldn’t help the curiosity that flickered inside me. “Let’s check it out,” I said as I looked away from him and stared back at my mother who was now standing by herself. “What if there is something important in there th
CelineOut of nowhere two guards walked closer to us, their steps far and their boots silent against the rocky floor of the cave grounds. I was scared and I hid behind Kaiden almost immediately even though my mask was still hiding my face but my body was exposed from the torn parts of my clothes and I couldn’t risk it.The weight of everything that had been happening pressed heavily in my chest and I couldn’t wait to see all that was hidden beneath the surface of the cold and possibly cursed cave. Kaiden walked away from me and the guards stood at attention as he addressed them. I had no idea what they had discussed or the other he had given them but with a single wave of his hand, the guards bowed and turned away without a backward glance.He walked over to me and flashed me a bright smile. “I told them that I had important things to do here and being the one in charge of the key to the cages, they didn’t question it,” he said in a soft tone, slightly gesturing towards the inner are
Celine “So you have superpowers?” He asked as he couched an eyebrow at me. I shrugged in response. “I mean… it’s not like I can fly or anything but I can tell when something is wrong. I can feel the lies in someone’s words. Turn into a ghost and walk past people without being noticed and many more. It’s not what I expected but I was more than happy to discover them.”“That’s not fair,” he said under his breath, pretending to be angry and offended. “I only just got better at swordplay and being part of a team.”I laughed, really laughed, hard and aloud. Then he grinned like he hadn’t seen me smile in forever and he was happy to see me smile again. And honestly, he hadn’t. Then, the smile slowly faded from his face and his voice became quiet once again. “Anya. What really happened between the both of you…”I nodded as I let out another sigh for the umpteenth time. “Like I told you, I have powers that I didn’t understand then and that time she put my life at risk so the soldier that
CelineThe sun was starting to set and starts were beginning to litter across the night sky. Kaiden hadn’t let go of my hand ever since we sat down on the blanket he had placed on the rooftop. And I didn’t want him to, not yet. Maybe not ever. He kept stealing glances at me like he couldn’t belive that I was real or even alive. Maybe I couldn’t either. After everything that had happened, being here together in the quiet after the raging storm felt like I was waking up from a nightmare and walking into something that felt peaceful and out me at ease. I still couldn’t believe that not only had Kaiden sent the dress to me, he had also planned out a picnic for us to bond and talk. I owed him the truth. All of it without holding any bit of information back. “I hve to tell you everything now,” I finally spoke up, my voice that was barely above a whisper slicing through the quiet and silent night air. “No more lies or hiding.”His hand tightened around mine, squeezing it reassuringly. “I
Kaiden“Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what I was saying?” Lucan barked. I didn’t listen to him, I couldn’t hear him over my raging anger. “Let’s go,” I said as I turned to Celine, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her towards the door. I paid no attention to him, not his bedding, not his cursing nor the malicious words he spat out as we walked out of his room. Nothing mattered to me except the woman whose hands shook in mine. Her breath was coming out in soft shallow gasps and the beautiful mask on her face was out of place with her dress torn. Seeing her so silent and shaky broke my heart into a million pieces. Lina. Celine. She was real. Alive and in my hands. And I had almost lost her again to the stupid man. I barely knew where I was headed nor did I notice the staircase that we stepped on as I led upward—past the chambers set aside for kings and alpha, the meeting halls and through a hidden door that no one else but me knew existed. It was a shortcut I had used to esc
Celine I ran away from the ballroom breathlessly, bumping into anyone who stood my way as I turned the corridors, wanting to get as far away as Kaiden as I could. “I’ve always loved you and had hoped you were still out there…”His words echoed in my head and no matter how much I tried to stop it, it didn’t. My heart was pounding and I was terrified, Kaiden knew. He had known all along even when I had tried my best to hide it. And worse than that was the realization that the time that I thought I had was slipping out of my hands. Stop! Focus Celine, you have to get the key before we’re exposed, the tiny voice at the back of my head echoed. I stopped running, my heart was still racing as I tried to catch my breath. I had run as far away as I could and I needed to remain level headed and calm for the next step in my plan. There was absolutely no reason for me to barge into Lucan’s room out of breath and anxious, he would definitely think something was up and I couldn’t risk it. I
KaidenCeline and I glided across the dance floor, we were in sync like we were born to do this. We fit perfectly and I couldn’t help but admire how beautiful she looked in the dress I had picked just for her. I knew she might have been wondering who had sent her the dress but I could tell realization had dawned on her and she knew who it was when she set her eyes on me. I felt a strange sense of tranquility settle over me. For the first time in months, I felt complete and I felt at peace. The music played on and we kept dancing but I didn’t want the night to end, hell I didn’t want to stop dancing with her. There was something about the way she moved and the way her finger trembled slightly in mine. It made my chest ache, not from pain but from joy and familiarity. I had underestimated just how much I had missed her and now that I had her back in my arms, I didn’t want to let go. Not for anything. Her fingers slightly trembled in my hands and my chest ached with familiarity. I
CelineI walked into the grand halls, my steps were light but filled with purpose. The room was decorated beautifully and as I stepped further into the room, the light radiating from the chandelier caught into the sun themed design of my dress. It was golden, amber and radiant and I couldn’t help but admire the intricate designs of the gown. I felt and looked both elegant and powerful. I was unrecognizable, even to myself and if I couldn’t recognize myself then no one would. Focus on finding Lucan and not admiring yourself, a tiny voice at the back of my mind said, reminding me of what I was truly there for. I couldn’t help but feel nervous as I went over my plan of seducing Lucan, getting every information about the key and cage from him and then going to release my mother so we could escape. But despite my anxiety, I was determined to follow through with my plan. Letting out a deep breath, I walked to the corner of the room and my eyes started scanning the length of the room. It