SERAPHINA’S POV"Here you go," Olivia says, handing me a mug filled with what appears to be hot chocolate. This comes just minutes after she's enveloped me in the thickest duvet she could find. She arrived unexpectedly an hour before school ended, her face etched with concern after getting wind of what happened.Initially, I thought Artemis wanted to keep the incident under wraps. But Olivia informs me that it's Jasper who filled her in. Since that revelation, she's been thoroughly focused on making me feel better. Her efforts are not just welcomed, but deeply needed.This feeling of being cared for is a sharp contrast to any conversation I could have with Artemis right now. He undermined my trust by continuing the contract behind my back. So much for his façade of friendship and his supposed sweetness.Genuine friends don’t do that to each other – they don’t play the power card and keep a ‘master and slave’ contract.Yet, the heat from his lips lingers on mine. The sensation impr

SERAPHINA’S POVThe garden is one of the most marvelous places in school I’ve realized. Its almost ethereal beauty is one of the reasons I seldom hang out here during school hours. I know it could easily distract me from reading. Moreover, given the chaos of my life, resting under tree shades and appreciating the delicate dance of blossoms just seemed out of place.However, when my eyes land on Kamila, everything changes. She's meditating beneath an ivory tree with captivating ombré leaves, appearing like an angel nestled in nature. I find myself wondering: Why isn't Artemis head over heels for Kamila? She's dangerously alluring, possessing a beauty that's both otherworldly and powerfully intense.This thought brings a flutter of insecurity, compelling me to compare myself to her involuntarily. The truth hits me hard; I could never match her elegance and poise, not even in a hundred lifetimes.I approach her, and as I pause by her side, she graces me with a sly, knowing smile — al

SERAPHINA’S POVIt feels nothing like the first time his lips touched mine. Nothing like the sudden, explorative kiss from before. Instead, it’s deep, passionate, wild, and hot. His lips take mine, hungrily devouring every square inch until his tongue pushes through for access. I grant him entrance, casting aside every inhibition.I gasp, tasting him for the very first time. I press further, driven by wanton desire, an undeniable urgency, and let out a sound from the depths of my throat, a primal and raw moan — a sound I never imagined I could make. This seems to be an invitation for him; the perfect fuel to this burning fire.Swiftly, he shifts me, setting me onto his lap in a straddle, and with surprising ease.Suddenly, he pulls back, leaving my lips cold and wanting. Before I can voice my yearning, a soft frown forming on my face, he's trailing fiery kisses down my neck, his teeth lightly scraping my skin, sending delicious shivers of anticipation down my spine.The sensation

ARTEMIS’ POVOlivia literally karate chops Sera right into her delicate neck. Her eyes roll back into her head, and she falls on top of me. One moment, Sera's obsidian black eyes were filled with animosity, craving nothing but death and vengeance. If she could, she would have been foaming at the mouth while pressing down on my windpipe with a strength I never imagined such a petite body could possess. In any other circumstance, her tiny hands wouldn't have had the power to restrain me, but that wasn't the Sera I knew. That version had been enraged, screaming bloody murder, and sobbing from an intense pain that I couldn't – still can't – understand.Her hand, trembling with fury, had remained on my neck, each shudder directed at me. Several reasons she might have been angry came to mind: perhaps it was Ace, the contract, or maybe even the betrayal on my part. I hadn't expected her to be so enraged that she'd smash a globe against my head or stab me in the arm. And still, none of t

SERAPHINA’S POVIt's been a whole week—7 days, 168 hours of pure agony. Every single time I'd run into Artemis in the hallway, he'd look the other way, as if I were some demented cockroach scuttling about in broad daylight, acting as though I never existed. Each time I approached to talk, he'd promptly stand up and walk away, not even attempting to mask the scowl on his face.He clearly hates me.Artemis Sinclair is giving me the cold shoulder, and it hurts like hell. I have a hunch about why—perhaps it's because I stabbed him or shattered Olivia's glass globe on his head. It's a reasonable explanation – and honestly, I’d run from my crazy ass too. However, he doesn’t seem willing to give me a chance to apologize.For the rest of today, I fixate on the little gold card in my hands. Whenever it's tucked away in my pocket, I still find myself running my fingers over its rough texture. This card holds all the answers I've craved for months. Every. Single. One. I always thought hav