ght an unexp

ill like she belonged there. She had copper hair, freckles, and an express

a statement. "The shadow-walker everyone's

ung, maybe nineteen, and radiated none of the hostilit

ow did you get past

e window." She grinned. "Nobody ever wards windows prope

smiled. "That doesn't e

you're fascinating. They say you command shadows and talk to th

ter on my face. The girl didn't seem inclined to leave.

o technically, I can go anywhere in the palace." Mira hopped down from the windowsill. "Plus, I h

t cold. "You

ted her head. "Are you really her? The cursed om

reatened her or done something to protect my secret. But

ow about her?"

phecy said she'd destroy everything. That she died alone, and her death cursed the kingdom." Mira's expression turned sad. "People argue about wh

do you

ter what you do, just not always the way you expect. He tried to avoid destruction by rejecting her.

han most of the court

really here,

p." She met my eyes steadily. "The kingdom is dying. Everyone can feel it. We need something to break t

curse started. To destroy everything

e when Beta Kael was talking about the king's suffering. You loo

s, this girl. I needed

se is tied to my existence. As long as I'm half-alive, the kingdom suffe

iginal prophecy said, right? That the omega would bring change? Maybe th

m. That we somehow fix a bond t

e. Two alphas too proud to negotiate, too angry to see reason. Their pride destroyed families, mine included. I don't want to see another stupid conflic

lently as she'd entered. But her words lingered, mi

ervant. The kitchens where I'd scrubbed floors. The gardens where I'd found moments o

strange at once, like revi

gathering of the court. Alaric wanted to show me off, I realized, or perh

s seem to glow. I left my hair loose, letting it fall in dark waves. I

ned along the walls, and at the head of the table, Alaric in his crown and formal robe

e announced, her voice carrying.

for me, halfway down the table. Close enough

ate little and spoke less, watching the dynamics around me. Seraphine whispered constantly in Alaric's ear. Kael sa

hat brings a powerful witch like yourself to our troubled kin

plied smoothly. "And your kin

Forgive me, but your reputation suggests

g," I said, meeting her clouded gaze. "Sometimes

ach her eyes. "And do you believe our king is som

me, waiting for my answer. Alaric's hand t

fully, one day at a time. The curse sees to that. What I offer is a cho

voice turned sharp. "Wh

e truth about guilt and blame and who really orchestrated the tragedy that cursed this kingdom." I l

he table, confused murmurs er

This is neither the time

s completely died? When the last of your people abandon this cursed land? Or will you keep pretend

her power flaring despite her age. "I

floor like spilled ink. "You manipulated a young king's fear, twisted a prophecy to suit your ambitions, and e

cut through the tensi

ething inside me snapped. He was still protecting he

mockingly. "I can see I'm not welcome here. I'll leave your kingdom

with watching him defend the woman who'd m

dden in the restricted section, marked with the date of the omega's cho

hite to red. "You betray me,

ked at Alaric. "You should have checked years ago, when I first told you. But you were too consume

his seer and his Beta, clearly torn

is matter once and for all." He looked at me. "If Seraphine lied, she'll face justice. But if you're wro

ld come to light. Tomorrow, Alaric would learn the truth about th

cide whether I wanted his de

t Alaric's presence following me. I didn't turn around, didn't ack

n empty corri

raphine really mani

urn around. "What does

turies ago when I

moment I walked into your throne room. The part that knows

uietly I almost did

with such longing and pain t

my voice hollow. "Yo

y day since. But if some part of her exists in y

back the girl who loved you. You can't erase centuries of sufferin

ot for revenge, if not for r

lations. Why had I come back? The darkness inside me screamed reveng

ch you suffer. To fulfill the prophecy and become your doom. But

m, so different from my cold half-life. Close enough that the brok

never said you'd destroy me, what do

power. And we chose wrong." I met his eyes. "Both of us.

ogether," he whispered. "Maybe

k, let him touch me for the first time in centuries. The contact sent shockwaves through bot

ch. Let myself remember what it felt like to be loved by hi

d away, the

nd decide what comes next. Until then, stay away from me. Because I don't tru

the corridor, and this

my rooms, and the bond between us pulsed with