The palace was too quiet.
Not the calm kind of quiet, but the kind that whispered of secrets behind walls and knives behind smiles. After the feast, the grand halls of Bell Flower held a lingering tension that even the breeze didn't dare stir.
I stood by the tall windows of the library, watching the fog roll over the garden paths. The nobles had left hours ago, yet the scent of wine, perfume, and pretense still clung to the air.
"Mi lady," Lydia whispered behind me, "should I bring in the cloak? It's getting cold."
I nodded absently.
Tonight had been strange. The feast was loud and glittering. Jealous eyes followed me across the ballroom. Nobles approached with careful words. Smiles that didn't reach their eyes. Lady Verona had tried again,another subtle jab at my presence beside Leonard, all sugar-laced insults and sweet wine.
And Leonard? He'd barely spoken a word all evening.
He'd stood tall, ruthless, silent, answering only when needed, his mind clearly elsewhere. It was like he was preparing for something no one else could see.
I wondered what else he kept from me.
⸻
Later that night, I wandered the east wing and found myself in the hallway that led to the war room.
I shouldn't have been there.
And yet...
A muffled voice slipped under the heavy oak door. Not Leonard's.
"You think they're moving already?"
It was a man's voice, smooth but sharp-edged. Familiar.
Caelum.
"They've moved long before now," Leonard replied, his voice a low murmur. "The girl was just a warning."
"Then why are we still keeping her here? Why risk it?"
"She's safest here. Until we know more about what she is."
What she is?
I stepped closer, heart pounding.
"I saw what happened at the wall," Caelum said. "That wasn't just magic. The cave she described—no human knows that place."
"Exactly." Leonard's tone darkened. "Which is why she has to be protected."
A pause. Then a softer question from Caelum.
"And when she finds out what you really are?"
Silence.
"She won't," Leonard finally said. "Not unless she needs to."
"She's not a fool, Leo."
"I know."
I stepped back quietly, heart racing. My body screamed to storm in there, to demand the truth, but something held me back.
I heard they pause their words,and I thought if they heard my heart thumping and immediately escaped from there.
Whatever they were talking about,about me,
I wasn't ready for it yet.
⸻
The next morning, Hadley arrived.
She swept into my room with warm perfume and wind-kissed cheeks, her gown a deep forest green, hair braided with gold.
"Lisa!" she beamed, pulling me into a hug. "You look more alive than the last time I saw you."
I smiled weakly. "You always say the strangest greetings."
She grinned, then looked at Lydia and Peace. "Out."
They obeyed immediately.
As soon as the door shut, her tone shifted.
"There are things you need to be careful of," Hadley said, folding her arms. "The court is... watching."
"I noticed," I muttered.
"Lady Verona is spreading rumors. That Leonard used dark magic to enthrall you. That you're under some spell."
My heart clenched.
"She's dangerous," Hadley said. "And not because she's clever. She's desperate."
"She thinks Leonard still loves her?"
"No," Hadley said flatly. "She thinks she deserves his crown. Or a piece of it."
She moved closer. "There are others like her. Lords, ladies, members of the inner circle. Many want Leonard gone. They're scared of him."
"Because of what he is?"
Hadley hesitated. "Because of what he can do. And because he doesn't need any of them to rule. That terrifies them."
"What about you?" I asked. "Do you fear him too?"
Her eyes softened. "No. Leonard was the only one who ever stood up for me. When I was sold off like cattle, it was him who dragged me back. People see the beast. I see the brother who burned a kingdom for me."
I swallowed. "I'm scared, Hadley."
"You should be," she said. "But not of him. Never of him."
⸻
That evening, a letter arrived.
Written in dark ink on aged parchment.
"To the Lady of Bell Flower
The moon wanes. The key awakens. The blood must return.
— Z."
It had no seal.
Just the scent of ash.
I showed it to Leonard.
His eyes darkened as he read it. Then he handed it to Caelum without a word.
"Zephan?" Caelum asked.
Leonard nodded once.
"Who is he?" I asked.
Leonard turned away. "Someone who shouldn't know you exist."
"But he does," I said.
"Yes," Caelum answered in Leonard's silence. "And he won't stop until he has you."
⸻
That night, I had another dream.
The cave. The same one from before.
Only this time, I stood at its entrance, and someone stood behind me, whispering:
"Breaker of doom... not intense."
The voice was not mine.
It was my mother's.
But she had never said those words in life.
⸻
Elsewhere, far from the castle, a figure cloaked in shadows watched the red moon rise.
"Prepare the others," he said.
A dozen witches, all cloaked, bowed behind him.
"She's waking," said Zephan, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "And she doesn't even know what she is."