DamonThe private chamber was smaller than I remembered. I rarely used this room but the musicians said it had ‘excellent acoustics’.Why do I care about acoustics? I wasn’t even sure why I asked her here.That thought had repeated itself a dozen times since I gave the demand. I didn’t usually secon
LilaWhat the hell just happened there? Damon didn’t say anything, just walked out. I tried not to let it hurt, but even I could admit hat stung.I sat in the empty chair for what felt like hours but was only minutes before my hurt turned to anger and I stopped out the room.Asher fell into step bes
The door clicked shut behind me, and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The room was quiet, dim, the only light coming the heart. I shrugged off Asher’s jacket and draped it over the nearest chair. The weight of it lingered on my shoulders even after it was gone. I guess I was
LilaElite Group. Evaluated under direct observation. His Majesty will serve as Primary Judge.Even in ink, it felt like a trap.This was supposed to be Elena’s strength. She was bred for this kind of thing, literally. Diplomacy, negotiation, and political cunning disguised as grace. Not me. I was b
“Thought you might stand me up,” he said when I approached.“Still might,” I replied, folding my arms.He grinned. “Feisty. You’re either terrified or completely over it.”“It can be both.”Asher’s eyes gleamed. “Smart. You’ll need that.”He gestured toward the edge of the fountain. I didn’t sit. Ne
LilaRows of tiered seating ringed the space above us, shadowing the faces of the judges and spectators. Somewhere up there, I knew Damon was watching.The center of the room had been transformed into a living map; raised terrain etched with ridges and markers, depicting the territory of two neighbo
DamonI shouldn’t have been surprised. But I was.Standing in the upper gallery with the judges, I’d expected Elena Ashford to falter. Not because I wanted her to, I didn’t, but because she kept walking into things no one else dared to touch and somehow emerged unscathed. Sooner or later, the illusi
I scented her before I saw her. Elena turned the corner with her head down, fingers curled slightly, gaze distant.She nearly collided with me. Again.“Oh, sorry!” she gasped, stopping short, clearly startled.“Elena,” I said quietly. And when she froze, I added, “Congratulations.”Her mouth parted,
LilaThe candle on my nightstand had burned down to a stub, its flame trembling like it, too, wasn’t sure whether it should keep going.I lay on my side, fully dressed atop the blankets, my hair still damp from rinsing off the bathhouse steam. The air in my room had cooled, but heat still clung to m
I sat on one of the low, cushioned benches by the wall, arms wrapped around my knees, fingers absently tracing the embroidery on my gown. The moisture in the air clung to my skin, kissed my throat and collarbone, but couldn’t soften the burn sitting in my chest.The ranking hadn’t changed everything
LilaIt was like Emma had become a ghost. I searched for her everywhere but after an hour it was clear she wasn’t in any of the usual places, or any unusual ones either.So I settled into the archives to do a little light brooding and maybe learn a little more before the next trial, whatever it woul
LilaThe package was small—no larger than a folded napkin—but it gleamed like treasure in Emma’s hands.We sat in the lounge, the windows cracked to let in the early light. Morning wind carried the scent of fresh lemon blossoms from the courtyard, soft and sharp all at once. My tea sat cooling on th
DamonThe garden party was a performance. And I was its unwilling centerpiece.Music hummed from the far end of the garden—just loud enough to distract, not so loud it could mask the real conversations happening in whispers behind jeweled fans.I stood beside the advisory circle, a cluster of nobles
LilaThe gardens had never looked more curated.Even the air felt arranged—light, perfumed with blooming roses and honeysuckle, touched with just enough breeze to stir the silk banners strung between marble columns. Golden sunlight filtered through carefully trimmed topiaries and glittered against p
LilaThe trial room smelled like butter and cinnamon—warm, rich, deceptively comforting.Long tables stretched across the marble floor, already dusted with flour. Each station bore a small placard with a candidate’s name and a challenge directive: Create a dessert that reflects your roots.I stared
LilaI knew something had shifted the moment I stepped into the hall.It was in the silence that followed my footsteps. The way the girls at the end of the corridor stopped talking the second I came into view. A glance. A smirk. One of them leaned into the other’s ear like they couldn’t help themsel
By the time I returned to my room, dawn had fully broken. The palace buzzed with early activity, none of it touching me.I curled up on the edge of my narrow bed, the scent of caramel still clinging to my fingertips.After a short nap, I took the long way to the council wing. I told myself it was to