(Chapter 60:Mira's Pov)
The words left my lips like a curse, sealing something I couldn't yet grasp.
"I swear it."
The magic took hold instantly. A force wrapped around me like invisible chains, tightening, binding. It burned against my skin, seeping into my very being. My knees nearly buckled as power wove through my veins, twisting itself into my soul.
Lillian's smile was triumphant. "Oh, Mira," she whispered, tilting her head as if she could already see the vow taking root. "You have no idea what you've just done."
The taste of regret was bitter on my tongue, but I shoved it down. "The pages," I demanded, my voice raw.
Lillian clapped her hands once, and the doors to her study creaked open. A servant scurried forward, carrying an ancient tome bound in black leather. The scent of aged parchment filled the air, thick and heavy with something darker—something unnatural.
