All Chapters of A Castle of Secrets: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

After Chaos rejoined Elliot’s body, which I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing, Elliot carried me back to our room. The position was compromising, but no one dared question the King carrying his Queen through the castle over his shoulder. They probably assumed that we were in love, acting as mates would. I wiggled within his hold, but if I’m being honest, the last thing I truly wanted was to escape whatever punishment Elliot had planned for me. The thought alone sent heat coursing through my veins and causing an ache in my core. My body flopped backwards onto our bed, my chest rising and falling as I stared at Elliot. He wore an unreadable expression on his face as he stared down at my unmoving form. Our eyes locked in a battle, who was going to make the first move. Elliot had accepted that the two of us were going to make the most of the time we had together, but it never failed that every time we crossed the line, he seemed to be fighting some form of internal battle with

I feel so warm and heavy. Like I’m wrapped in one of those expensive heating blankets that we use during the harshest winters. I don’t want to wake up. My eyelids flutter as I force them open. Soft snores coming from beneath me have memories of last night flooding my brain. Elliot’s cold demeanor cut me deep. Every single time I feel as if we make progress, he takes ten steps back. But then there is Chaos, who is nothing but gentle and kind. His words penetrate my pain like the sweetest medicine. I’m still wrapped in his arms with my head laying against his chest. My heart swells knowing that he held me through the entire night. Glancing up, I study him. It’s not often that I get the opportunity to, so I greedily take it now. Chaos has soft features, while still being incredibly masculine. His lips are full and plush, parted slightly to see perfectly straight, white teeth. He has a small scar near his brow that I’m curious about. Maybe I’ll ask him someday. His long, thick dar

“Lilliana,” Queen Stella outstretches her arms, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” she held me as a mother would, before releasing me and turning towards Elliot, “Mr. Lakin, it’s been a long time. I see you’ve added to your party,” she raised a brow, winking at Elliot. “You’re too perceptive, your highness,” Elliot returned with a smile. “Please, call me Stella. Follow me, we have plenty to discuss. Your friend can join us if he’d like,” she threw a warm smile over her shoulder, directed at Elliot. I moved back a little, walking slowly next to Elliot, “Is she talking about Chaos?” I whispered. “Mhmm,” he responded with a light nod. My mind was swirling with questions. How did she know with a single glance at Elliot? Xantha’s main castle was stunning. The exterior was a deep, almost black-blue stone with creeping vines covering a large portion of the walls. Crystal clear blue waters surround the base of the castle, flowing into nearby canals that traveled away from the ca

Yesterday evening felt so real and so unreal at the same time. Elliot was being everything that I’d always hoped he’d be while Chaos had been even more sweet than he’d ever been before. I’m not sure I ever want to go back home. Home. The word feels like an alien concept. As unreal as Xantha feels to me. All my life, I’ve lived in hiding. Lived in fear that I would be found out. It bred a shame within me. Shame that I possessed magic. But here; I am free. It's such a foreign feeling. Going from feeling as if you were in shackles your entire life. As if your lips were sewn shut to keep the truth behind them. The weight that has been lifted from my shoulders alone makes it feel as if I can breathe again. “Would you like to explore?” Elliot questioned without looking up from the diaries. He’s been reading every page, hanging on every word, like he might find the answers that we so desperately need hiding within their leather binds. “That’s like asking me if I’d like to breath

“How are you feeling?” Elliot asked, closing the diaries and motioning me over to him. He was taking my request seriously, but I’m in no position to complain. I loved seeing this side of him. Soft. Sweet. Endearing. Even if it was fake. I shrugged, “I’m just trying to process everything I guess. It kind of feels like everything I've ever known was a lie and now that I see the truth... I don't know how I believed it all.” He grabbed me, pulling me down onto his lap, “Do you want to talk about it?” “Do you want cheese on your fries?” Chaos shouted from the kitchen. “What kind of question is that?” His chuckle boomed around me, “That’s fair. Cheese it is.” Elliot held me while I explained everything that I’d seen in the vision. His hand soothingly rubbed my back while also swiping away tears that fell from my eyes. Chaos brought all of the food out to us, feeding me in between sentences. Something about this felt so normal, while being so utterly bizarre. Six months ago,