SILASMy eye itched and burned, but I didn’t stop it. Magic surged from my body once again, and a dark mist filled the night."Quick, close the gates! It’s an order from the boss, close them now!""Dammit, what is this fog? I can’t see a thing! Alfred, Alfred…!""Don’t move, or you’ll fall into the pit—wait, I can’t see anything!""Aaahhh!"Amid the shouting and the grinding gears of the closing mechanism, the neigh of a horse echoed.It leaped just as the two massive wooden doors were about to shut.BAM!The heavy sound rang behind us as the De la Croix stronghold was sealed.Panting and sweating, every muscle in my body tensed as I lay completely over the back of the magnificent black horse, racing into the darkness and the safety of the forest.I kept using this magic to hide from the witches, despite the toll it was taking on my body.My veins, on the verge of bursting, pulsed and darkened like a spider’s web spreading under my skin.This feeling was familiar. I had pushed my powe
SIGRIDThey called out to the long platform where the contestants fought while Alessandre watched, looking utterly bored, from a seat at the top of the stairs."The winner is Amelandra Grumon!"Cheers erupted for a proud-looking redhead who was throwing flirtatious glances at our great-uncle.Honestly, all of this seemed so ridiculous to me."Next contestants, Petra Sole and Electra De la Croix!"Well, time to vent some of this frustration.I climbed the wooden steps and took my place at one end, while she stood at the other. Her smug little smirk was really getting on my nerves.The glass dome that protected the rest of the hall from stray spells began to rise and seal above our heads."Let the fight begin!"The moment the signal was given, she lunged at me like a hyena.We clashed in hand-to-hand combat—kick, dodge, punch, dodge...I spun out of her grip and slammed a devastating elbow into her ribs. I heard them crack.At this close range, this woman was no match for me.I reached
SIGRIDI emerged from beneath her feet, from the last remnants of the enchanted forest—Electra’s powerful illusion. She controlled everything in this terrain.I grabbed her hair from behind, exposing her neck. She crouched, trying to rise and strike back.The storms were gathering again, but my merciless hand drove straight to her throat, slicing from left to right. Deep and fatal.Blood splattered onto the fake body lying in front of Petra—the one I had created midair, using the hem of my dress as a decoy puppet.At the same time, taking advantage of the mist that had blinded them all, I hid beneath the bewitched ground, near the mannequin that mimicked my form—lying in wait, like a predator stalking its prey.She swallowed the illusion completely. Most of them did.I had to admit, this spell of Electra’s was truly twisted and brilliantly deceptive. I turned her body over—she was on her knees, trembling.I wanted to see her eyes. Now, she was truly panicked. Now, she felt real terror
SIGRIDHe straightened up from his leaning position, one eyebrow raised, giving me a once-over—I could’ve sworn, even with disgust."You can sleep easy, I don’t have the slightest interest in you." The way he said it, so direct and knowing his future, convinced me even more."Did you bring what I want?" I asked, watching as he finally pulled out the runes from his pocket, the ones I needed to assemble the artifact. I actually had everything else, that was the only thing missing."Here are your pearls," I said, taking off the necklace I wore around my neck, where I’d cleverly hidden them before the fight."On the count of three, we make the exchange."He nodded, stepping closer, one step at a time."One… two…" I stared at his hand, waiting to see if he'd pull some trick. "Three!"I snatched the rune map from him while he quickly grabbed the pearls.We both sighed, having achieved our goals."I’ll get dressed and leave. Pleasure doing business with you," I told him, though honestly, I di
SIGRIDThrough the animal’s eyes, I scanned the vastness of the forest, searching for a safe refuge—and soon enough, I found one.Nestled in the mountains, far from the mansion, possibly even outside their lands, I spotted a dark hole, half-hidden in the hillside.I landed softly at the entrance, shifting back into my human form, a fire spell glowing in my hands to light my way and fend off any threats.The cold drafts made my hair flutter as I glanced toward the horizon, at the night sky.For some reason, I felt restless and nervous; still, I took the risk of venturing into this wild cave, hoping I wouldn’t stumble upon any unpleasant surprises.Just in case, I placed a defensive spell at the entrance.At first, I walked through a narrow passage that gradually widened like a funnel.The damp, earthy smell welcomed me, but it didn’t feel like an animal’s den.I noticed two tunnels stretching deeper into the unknown, but what I needed to do could be done right here, in this small chamb
NARRATORZarek rushed out into the castle garden. Immediately, Celine came running to meet him."Love, what’s going on? Why did everything suddenly turn into chaos?""What happened to my daughter?! Tell me!"Before he could explain, Valeria grabbed him by the collar, her voice breaking with tears.The pain in her blue eyes was undeniable.She could feel her, her presence, even her scent, the melancholy lingering in the air—her little girl had been close to them. Why did it feel like the fading spirit of someone dead?"Calm down, Your Majesty, relax, I’ll explain. Aldric, please," Zarek asked the Lycan King, who immediately went to support his mate, consoling her in his strong arms despite his own desperation.Quinn and Gabrielle were equally distressed, their faces full of worry.Gabrielle tried to comfort her daughter; they had all felt Sigrid’s overwhelming sadness."Sigrid has been called for a mission by… the Goddess," Zarek spat the name out like he’d tasted shit."She didn’t giv
SIGRIDRenata felt the imminent danger crawl up the back of her neck, making every hair stand on end.Where was that demonic energy coming from?She spun around, driven by the heat of the moment and her own rage, blocking the strike of dark aura aimed straight at her body.The wave rippled through the forest, hatred clashing against hatred. Around her, the trees, the grass, the animals—everything that held life began to die, consumed by her powers.An elemental was the source? What kind of sick joke was this?A disfigured man, surrounded by suffocating darkness and black magic, lunged at her with two weapons in hand—daggers forged from his own energy."SILAS, NO! RUN, RUN!" Sigrid screamed, coughing up blood that splattered onto the withered leaves.It felt like the whole world was suddenly dying.Silas didn’t hear her. He charged at the woman who was about to kill his favorite person.When he had followed the trail of his lady’s magic and saw that scene, he didn’t think twice. He sur
NARRATORWhen Alessandre arrived and saw the scene illuminated by lightning, his soul nearly escaped from his chest.He never imagined Renata could be in such danger.The intoxicating scent of her blood had drawn him—he’d slipped away from that ridiculous party to follow her trail, only to discover this brutal fight.Without wasting a second, he instinctively kicked Electra.Ally or not, she wasn’t going to threaten his mate.Sigrid didn’t have time to dodge; she felt the sharp pain slam into her right ribs, screamed in agony, and crashed into the mud-soaked, filthy ground.The rain continued washing the blood from their bodies, the wind howled with ferocity, and the only chance at victory had slipped from her grasp."Wait, Renata! What the hell are you doing?!" Sigrid lifted her head just in time to see Alessandre stopping in front of Renata, starting to argue."Oh, what? You came to protect your fiancée?! Since I asked for time, you decided to find yourself a replacement in the mean