I hadn't seen Ash for a few days, but perhaps it was better this way. I grew stronger, more confident, and definitely in control. It helped me cope. I couldn't say that my heart healed or that I didn't think about Ash every moment I was left alone with my thoughts, but I was glad I could shift my focus elsewhere. I shifted it all to training my abilities with Calvel."You're doing great!" I heard him say as he threw another rock at me.I was blindfolded, standing in the center of the room. Calvel moved around me and threw stones my way. It was my task to hear it and smash it before it could hit me. I hadn't failed even once, no matter how fast my teacher moved or how strong his attack was."OK, that's enough. You can take off your blindfold," he said, and I could hear the pride in his voice.I untied the black strap that covered my eyes and grinned at him. "I'm getting better at this, and I didn't even need a lightsaber!""A what?!" Calvel clearly hadn't watched Star Wars.I laughed n
The war was about to begin, and I was going to sit in the front seat while it happened. Formally, I was still Ash's fiancée, and if he sat on the throne, I would also be considered a ruler of this world. As dumb as it sounds, I felt a brief shiver of excitement hearing him refer to me as the Queen—his Queen. That feeling lasted a heartbeat before giving way to a painful stab in my chest. I would never become his Queen, because he wasn't mine. As soon as he sat on that damn throne, our fake relationship would end.Ash, Calvel, Nicor, and even Amanda seemed absolutely confident that the plan would work. I was certain that the Malachious family's army was well-trained and more than capable of defeating those who sided with King Morfran Tenebris. I knew that Ash and Calvel had been preparing for this moment for years, analyzing every detail and strategizing their scheme to perfection. So why could I hardly breathe from the restlessness that gathered within me? My instincts weren't simply
Thirty minutes later, we were in the limousine on the way to the castle. Ash straightened in his seat, carefully glancing through the window and checking our surroundings."Do you expect anything bad to happen on our way?" I asked, a nervous smile curving my lips."You cannot be too cautious," he replied, and goosebumps flooded my skin.My instincts kept telling me that something dark was coming, and even when I rationalized it, telling myself that everything around Tenebris's castle was equally dark and dangerous, that feeling didn't go away. I didn't tell Ash about my premonitions because I wasn't even certain what I should warn him about. Besides, it was enough that one of us was wrapped in anxiety's tight clutches…While we were on the way, I kept concentrating on my breathing and controlling my emotions. Unfortunately, it did nothing to decrease my stress. Suddenly, I felt Ash's hand take mine and tangle our fingers."Relax, Nala," he said softly. "We might enter the ball without
"Tell me one more time: did that guy say anything else?" Ash asked me for the fifth time. He, Calvel, Nicor, Amanda, and I were sitting in his office and trying to figure out what had exactly happened that night. I was exhausted but also terrified. Someone knew what I was and that my powers had awakened, and the more I thought about it the more I realized that I knew who that person might have been."I have something to confess," I said hesitantly. "I might have met that person who called me Nephilim before. The voice I heard in the ballroom was hoarse, but it could have been him.""Him…? Who?" Nicor asked while he and everyone else stared at me, confusion in their eyes.I took a deep breath. "From the moment I found myself in the residence, I've been receiving notes," I began nervously."What kind of notes?" A cold edge surfaced in Ash's voice.I swallowed a knot in my throat. Then I told them about the messages someone had been slipping through my door and how I chased a maid and lo
I was in front of the passage leading to Ash's room before I realized it. It was still dark outside, but sleep was no longer an option. My heart was pounding, and the air kept slipping away from my lungs, forcing me to breathe faster. I was about to knock on Ash's door when he opened it and pulled me into his chamber. I crossed the threshold and found myself in his embrace. He was wearing a loose shirt and sweatpants, but it did nothing to decrease his sexiness. His one hand stroked the back of my head while the other went to my back, pressing me against him."Your heart was pounding so fast. I was worried," he explained.My hands encircled his neck, needing to feel him close to me. "I had a vision... I saw someone making a deal with a demon named Belial," I breathed out shakily.Ash stepped back and examined my trembling body. I was barefoot and wearing nothing but a nightgown made of sheer fabric. I couldn't stop myself from shivering. The remains of the vision I had stayed in my mi
I spent the rest of the night in Ash's arms. I wasn't even sure when I fell asleep, but we woke up cuddled, and as I inhaled his scent, my heart skipped a beat or two. We were surrounded by darkness and uncertainty. There was a new enemy we knew nothing about, and we had to expect an attack to come at any time. But as I felt his body next to mine, I was serene and allowed myself to enjoy this moment of bliss."Think we need to get up," Ash murmured sleepily and kissed the top of my head.I chuckled against his chest. "Can we pretend that it's not time yet?"He sighed. "I wish. The council will surely gather in a couple of hours, and we need to be prepared until then.""Yeah… the council," I said grumpily.He leaned back to look at me and grabbed my cheeks. "Change that gloomy face. If everything goes well, I might be announced as the new King of the Dark Realm."My eyebrow shot up. "Do you believe that Abdiel Tenebris will simply let you take his late cousin's place?"Ash chuckled. "N
"Drystan Malachious?!" Abdiel yelled out. "This is impossible! It cannot be!"The black-haired man standing in front of Ash and resembling him smirked. "Tell them, brother. You know who I am. I want you to say it." His words were cold and soaked in hatred, but even more terrifying was the fact that I recognized that voice. It was the voice of the man I met in the garden—the one who told me about the spirits on Estelle Island.I could see Ash's throat move up and down, his jaw clenching, and his hands fisting on his sides. He stared into the eyes of that man, and the pain in his expression rose. Calvel stood one step behind him, his claws extending as he shifted into a fighting stance. Ash glanced over his shoulder, giving him a meaningful look. The tension was unbearable, and everyone knew a mere spark could lead to more bloodshed. I was certain that Ash tried to avoid escalation, and his right hand had to know that too. Finally, gritting his teeth, Calvel stepped back and hid his cla
The smoke was quickly filling the hall, suffocating everyone who inhaled it. Only the masked men and Baltazar's wolves seemed immune to it. My vision became blurry, but I felt as if the fumes didn't affect me as much as others. I saw Nicor, Amanda, and Hunter fall to their knees, choking on the poison. As Ash's warriors weakened, the masked men started to kill them one by one, turning what was a battle into a barbarian slaughter. My heart all but stopped as I watched my friends collapse to the floor, fighting for breath.I tore a piece of my skirt and tried to breathe through the fabric. I grabbed Amanda by the collar of the dress, trying to move her somewhere the masked men wouldn't find her. Then I found Hunter. He was crawling between two rows of seats, unable to get up. I couldn't see where Nicor was. I truly hoped he hid in a place those fuckers couldn't easily find. The fumes darkened the entire upper area, and I could only pray that the masked men didn't see through them…The s