Chapter Twenty Six
The moment it happened, I felt it–like a blade sliding slow and sure between my ribs./l
The bond Sealed Final My scream ripped through the chambers, feral and blood soaked. It wasn’t a scream a human woman could make it was the sound of a beast mourning the loss of its mate, of power, of control. The kind of sound that made walls tremble and servants drop to their knees with fear
Windows shattered Every last one The glass rained like frozen daggers across the stone floor, cutting through curtains and upholstery alike Scrolls burst into flames where they hung: Books flew from the shelves, pages ripping loose like fleeing birds. The scent of lavender oil, churned parchment, and scorched sage thickened the air, making it hard to breathe.}
He was hers now Not by accident. Not by choice alone By soul I clutched at my chest, trying to claw it open, like if I dug deep enough, I could reach the bond and pull it back to me…
“No.” I gasped “No_No“)
I grabbed the scrying bowl and hurled it across the room. It hit the far wall with a metallic shriek, shattering into ash and silver dust. Sparks flew Magic recoiled, wild and directionless..
My knees hit the floor hard, bones cracking against cold stone. My fingers scrabbled uselessly at the smooth surface My breath came in shallow gasps as I rocked back and forth, desperate to make sense of something that should never have happened it
She wasn’t supposed to survive the heat
She wasn’t supposed to feel the bond form–at least not in full.
Not with him…
I had measured the dose myself. Heat triggering agents, a suppressor to make her confused and pliant, a whisper of compulsion to make her crave safety and submission. A poison designed to break her–not bond her
She should have crumbled Should have folded like parchment in fire. She should have begged me for relief, or reached for someone weaker, easier to manipulate. A male I could band. A pawn
Not Kade Never Kade But the gods had always had a sick sense of humor
And Kade had always had a thing for lost causes and inevitable tragedy. It made sense in a twisted way. Of course he’d fall harder the moment she stood at the edge of ruin
I pushed myself up with shaking hands. My silk robes clung to my body–damp, twisted, half falling off one shoulder. My throat burned from screaming My heart beat like war drums.}.
A knock thundered at the door I didn’t answer.
Let them come. Let the whole Keep collapse in on itself–I didn’t care. I would burn it all before I let her win. Before I let that bond remain untouched.
I spun toward my worktable, stepping over glass and debris. My
My fingers danced over vials, searching, choosing. I found the one I needed -small, black–glass, swirling with something dark and dangerous. Forbidden.
A new plan formed in my mind–reckless, desperate, but so clear. If the bond couldn’t be broken by logic, by poison, by pressure… then I’d use something older. Wilder
The door burst open before I could uncork the vial
Four guards stormed in. Ashridge colors. Blades drawn. Expressions unreadable, but their magic buzzed through the air like bees disturbed from a hive
I froze. My magic rose instinctively, coiling around me like smoke.
“What is the meaning of this?” I snapped, voice sharper than steel.
One stepped forward. “Callister of Ashridge, you are under arrest for the poisoning of the future Luna.“X
My mouth curved. Slow. Disbelieving Mocking. “Prove it.”
“We don’t have to.”
Her face was
A new voice Soft. Broken. Familiar.I tumed. A maid stepped forward from behind the guards–barely more than a girl. H blotched with tears. Her hands trembled as she held out a piece of cloth, soaked and stained.
The scent hit me immediately My potion. My signature X
“1-1 saw her mix it,” the maid whispered. “I didn’t know what it was at first. She said it would help Selene relax before the bath. That it was harmless. But after what happened… after how Selene collapsed–how fast the bond sealed–I knew it wasn’t right. I had to come forward”
The vial shipped from my fingers and shattered at my feet.
Something in me broke Snapped I lunged
Magic exploded from my palms in violent arcs of fire and shadow, but the guards were ready. Runes flared on the walls, etched in hidden layers of stone–trap spells. They activated all at once X
My magic sputtered and died mid–flight.
Choked off Caged tron cuffs slammed around my wrists. Cold. Heavy Drenched in suppressing runes
“You dare–i hissed, thrashing
¿‘ll answer before the High Council” the lead and said “Until then you’ll be kent in the dungeons“:
11:02 AM c d
“You’ll answer before the High Council, the lead guard said. “Until then, you’ll be kept in the dungeons.”
They made sure of
“For her?” I spat. “You would throw away everything for her? You have no idea what you’re doing! The guards didn’t respond. One merely yanked me forward. The walk through the Keep was long and deliberate. They Made sure everyone saw
it
Servants turned their faces. Some stared Some sneered. One noble woman even had the audacity to smile, vindicated and smug. I stared back, unflinching. Chin high. Shoulders squared
Rage was a crown. I wore it like the queen I had always been. They
ey threw me into the deepest cell–damp, carved into the mountain itself, where no light reached. The door slammed shut Iron bars. Cold stone, Mold Chains that rattled even when untouched
I didn’t move. Not at first I just sat Back to the wall Breathing slow, measured Listening Then, faintly… it began.
A sound–distant, ghostly–like temple bells on a windless night
The resonance of a completed bond.
Pleasure. Intimacy. Her voice rising. His name.X
My name.Kade. Their joining.!!
Each breath they took in sync was a slap. Each wave of her satisfaction was a knife dragged slow beneath my ribs.!!
I closed my eyes. Bit my cheek until I tasted blood And then–I laughed,
It started low, bitter. Then rose–wild and cracked and sharp enough to slice through the dark. A sound no sane person would make.
“Over my dead body,” I whispered, eyes wide. “You think you’ve won, Kade? You think she’s yours now?”
hipped my head back against the wall. The chains rattled softly:
“The gods chose her?” I chuckled. “Then the gods will learn.“}
They had made one mistake. They’d left me alive And I had nothing left to lose.
bm cell was cold, but it was the silence that gnawed at
