Chapter 130 Chapter 129: Let’s Dance The drums were alive very much alive in the square where they were. They were low and insistent, their rhythm pulsing through the air like a heartbeat. Lanterns swung lazily in the breeze, scattering golden light over the square, where laughter and motion blurred
Chapter 129 Chapter 128: Orion, Sophia and the Festival Proper IV The painter’s frown was faint, but Sophia caught it. “Is something wrong?” she asked, uncertain. The hum of laughter and music from the festival square filled the air, punctuated by the soft pulse of drums and the glow of
Chapter 128 Chapter 127: Orion, Sophia and the Festival Proper III The vendor pointed behind her, still chuckling. “Its no trick. And as for who would buy something like this, ask them p> She turned and blinked in shock. A small crowd had gathered, people watching with wide eyes and
Chapter 127 Chapter 126: Orion, Sophia and the Festival Proper II Orion’s lips curved faintly, the first trace of mischief breaking through his calm mask. “Candied harthworms p> Sophia stared at him. “I’m sorry…what p> He nodded toward the tray, voice level as though he were talking about bread. “A
Chapter 126 Chapter 125: Orion, Sophia and The Festival Proper I The path back to the pack compound shimmered faintly beneath the string lights. Shadows of lanterns danced across the cobblestones as Orion and Sophia walked side by side, the hum of laughter and distant drums swelling with every step
Chapter 125 Chapter 124: The Frost Between Us The room held its breath. The echo of Gloria’s voice still hung in the air like smoke after a dying fire. She had refused to name the Nightshade pack…her disdain was so thick that even the syllables of its name seemed forbidden
Chapter 124 Chapter 123: The Enclave The council chamber had been carved from living stone generations ago, a perfect ring of black marble sunk deep into the hill that housed the Enclave. High windows stained glass of moon-silver and onyx caught what light remained and threw it back in narrow,
Chapter 123 Chapter 122: Where is your daughter? The flickering light from the torches licked across the stone walls, throwing long, skeletal shadows that writhed as though the cave itself were alive. Victoria stood unmoving for a heartbeat, her pale eyes locked on Selith. “At least you know what’s at
Chapter 122 Chapter 121: Victoria and Selith At the same time, somewhere in the West p> The air beneath the house was thick with incense and the metallic tang of something older…older than the stones that held the chamber together, older than the very language the runes along the walls
Chapter 121 Chapter 120: The Woman Beneath the House At the same time, somewhere in the West p> The night was heavy, like the breath of the earth itself held still. The air carried a thickness that clung to the skin…warm, perfumed faintly with smoke and myrrh. Crickets hummed lazily
Chapter 120 Chapter 119: Do You Trust Me The wind carried the scent of bark and damp earth, swirling around them as the night pressed closer. The forest was silent now, save for the low hum of leaves whispering against each other. Orion stood below the thick bough where Sophia
Chapter 119 Chapter 118: A Roundabout Promise Sophia’s heels dug into the bark as she leaned forward, the moonlight gilding the edge of her hair. From her perch the festival lights below glittered like a distant sea of fireflies; the murmur of the square drifted towards them. It should have
Chapter 118 Chapter 117: The Deal For a long while, neither of them spoke. The night air carried a soft chill that crept through the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, a bird called, lonely and low. The world seemed to hold its breath, letting them exist in that fragile silence.
Chapter 117 Chapter 116: Demons;The Enclave “I…I don’t know.” He told her truthfully. “You know what I think?” She asked him. She didn’t give Orion the chance to even ask her what she thought. She continued. “Even if they had helped, they would have likely looked for a way to
Chapter 116 Chapter 115: Pointing the Finger Sophia didn’t let him speak. She knew if he did, then he would go back to swimming in guilt. She had the opportunity to change how he saw things now so she kept on talking. “You’re not the one to blame,” she said,
Chapter 115 Chapter 114: The Enclave Attack II “And everyone who could fight, fought. The ones who couldn’t, hid. Some died on their doorstep and in doorway and beneath roofs they thought would shelter them. Funny how everything started with just a herb. One herb.” He said as he shook
Chapter 114 Chapter 113: The Enclave Attack I “We didn’t expect help, but help came. Some of the elders joined, swearing they’d rather die than beg; others gritted their teeth and followed us into the places we had no right to go. And one by one, the coughing eased. Beds
Chapter 113 Chapter 112: Memories of the Plague Orion’s words still hung in the air like smoke, thick, suffocating, impossible to ignore. Sophia’s heart clenched at the way his voice had cracked, at the venom he spat against himself. She had seen Orion angry before, seen him fight, seen him
Chapter 112 Chapter 111: The Weight of Ashes Orion stared at her like he could not believe the person that was sitting next to him. And what was that impression of him she did? If there was one thing he was sure if, it was the fact that he did
Chapter 111 Chapter 110: Sweet Lies The silence between them stretched long after Orion’s first swallow, as if the woods themselves held their breath to watch him. Sophia leaned forward on her elbows, studying every twitch in his jawline, every shift in the shadows across his face. When he lowered