Chapter 16
Jul 18, 2025
The silence after the duel was deafening. Not the natural quiet of evening, but the suffocating hush of a kingdom holding its breath. Guards escorted me back to my chamber like I was plague-ridden, their eyes avoiding mine entirely.
Rumors crashed through the halls like wildfire. Servants whispered in corners, their voices cutting off the moment anyone approached. I caught fragments through my barred window—gone rogue, vanished, dangerous—but nothing concrete. Nothing real.
The Council moved swiftly to silence every tongue. By dawn, official word spread that discussion of yesterday’s incident was forbidden. Anyone caught speculating would face immediate punishment.
But whispers have a way of surviving even the harshest winters.
Lady Vaela arrived at midday like a silk-wrapped blade.
She swept into my chamber without invitation, her powder-blue gown flowing around her like morning mist. Everything about her screamed refinement—from her perfectly arranged golden curls to her delicate pearl earrings. But her eyes held winter’s cruelty.
“Lyssira.” She settled into the chair across from me with practiced grace. “How lovely to finally meet properly.”
“I wasn’t aware we had anything to discuss.”
Her smile was sharp enough to draw blood. “Oh, but we do. You see, I’m here as a concerned friend.”
“Friend?” I leaned back, studying her face. “I don’t recall befriending any of Hector’s relatives.”
“Ah, yes. My dear cousin.” Something flickered across her features—disappointment mixed with calculated malice. “Poor Hector. Always so impulsive. Always choosing the wrong battles.”
The way she said his name made my skin crawl. Like she was discussing a rabid dog that needed putting down.
“What do you want, Vaela?”
“To offer wisdom.” She examined her manicured nails with theatrical precision. “The crown doesn’t reward love, Lyssira. It eats it. Devours it completely, leaving nothing but bones and regret.”
Her words hit like physical blows, but I kept my expression neutral. “Speak plainly.”
“Very well.” She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You’re a shadow in silk, dear girl. Beautiful, mysterious, utterly captivating—and completely doomed. Shadows vanish when the light grows too bright. And the Council’s attention burns like the sun itself.”
“Is that a threat?”
“A warning. From someone who’s watched this game longer than you’ve been breathing.” Vaela’s smile never wavered. “You think love conquers all? How charmingly naive. Love is weakness. Love is leverage. Love is a blade pressed against your throat while you sleep.”
I stood abruptly, my chair scraping against stone. “Get out.”
“Poor Hector was supposed to be their perfect weapon,” she continued, ignoring my command entirely. “The Council’s last leash on the old bloodlines. Their inside man who could control the wilder elements from within. But then he met you, didn’t he? And suddenly their loyal hound turned rebel.”
The accusation hit me like a physical blow. Hector, their weapon? Their inside man?
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?” Vaela rose gracefully, smoothing her skirts. “Ask yourself this, darling—how did a bastard with questionable bloodlines rise so high so quickly? What services might he have provided to earn such rapid advancement?”
My throat closed around the questions I couldn’t voice.
“He was their perfect tool until you ruined him.” Her voice turned poisonous. “Now they have to clean up the mess. And messes, my dear, have a tendency to disappear entirely.”
She glided toward the door, pausing at the threshold. “Enjoy what time you have left. Shadows like you rarely survive the dawn.”
The door closed behind her with deadly finality.
The moment her footsteps faded, I collapsed.
My knees hit the stone floor hard enough to crack, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the fire erupting across my skin. Every sigil blazed to life simultaneously—shoulder, thigh, arms, places I’d never seen marks before.
The burning was exquisite agony. Like liquid flame poured directly into my veins. I bit my lip until I tasted copper, stifling the screams clawing at my throat.
“Lyssira!” Sariah’s voice cut through my haze of pain.
She dropped through the window like a shadow given form, landing silently on the chamber floor. Her face went white when she saw me writhing on the ground.
“When did this start?” She knelt beside me, her hands hovering over the glowing marks.
“After Vaela left,” I gasped. “They’re burning. God, they’re burning.”
“The marks are reacting to his absence.” Sariah’s voice was grim. “The farther he gets, the worse this will become.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means you’re linked, you fool. Bound deeper than marriage, deeper than blood.” She helped me to the bed, her grip surprisingly strong. “The Luna Seal doesn’t just mark you for power—it chains you to your mate. If he breaks, so do you.”
The implications crashed over me like a collapsing wall. “Then I have to find him.”
“You can’t. No one knows where he went. And even if you could track him down, leaving now would confirm every suspicion they have about you.”
Before I could respond, footsteps thundered in the corridor outside. Multiple sets, moving with military precision.
“Official announcement,” a herald’s voice boomed through the halls. “All Luna Bride candidates report to the Grand Hall immediately.”
Sariah cursed under her breath. “They’re moving faster than I expected.”
“What’s happening?”
“Get dressed. Quickly.” She moved to my wardrobe, pulling out a formal gown. “The Council just announced the return of an ancient ritual.”
“What ritual?”
Her hands stilled on the fabric. “The Moon Submission Ceremony. Outlawed a century ago because it triggers full mating bonds prematurely. Forces the chosen Luna Bride to kneel before all the heirs and submit completely.”
My blood turned to ice. “They wouldn’t dare.”
“They’re desperate. Your connection to Hector has them terrified, and desperate people do desperate things.” She helped me into the gown with shaking fingers. “Lyssira, listen to me carefully. It’s you. They’re going to pick you.”
