The wind was blowing hard and their faces were cold as they rode the horses back to the room, the night was dark and the moon was hiding behind the clouds now. Elira held the reins tight, her hands shaking, not just from the cold but from the fear in her heart. She scanned the area as they moved, her eyes glowing with fear. She checked her dress again, feeling the flower against her skin, making sure it was safe. It was still there, warm and soft.That feeling alone was what kept him going.“Faster,” Cassidy shouted, her voice sounding firm as the wind blew. “We don't have time.”Elira kicked the horse and it ran faster, its legs moving quickly on the ground. They had been riding for hours, pushing the animals to their limit. Her heart skipped a beat every time she thought about Kael back at the house. Was he still breathing? Was he waiting for her? Or was he gone? The thought made a lump of fear form in her throat and she forced it down.Just then, the room appeared in the distance.

The sun was now fully up, burning with bright beams of light through the cracked windows of the small room, perhaps revealing some hope, but inside, the air was heavy with death and silence. Cassidy moved slowly around the room, gathering white clothes and preparing to wrap Kael's body for the burial. She looked tired; her face was pale, and her hands were shaking slightly as she picked up the cloth. She sighed softly, and it echoed in the room.“It is time, Elira,” Cassidy muttered, not looking at the girl. “We have to do it now, before the smell starts. We can't keep him here forever.”Elira was standing by the table, her eyes fixed on Kael’s face. She hadn't moved for an hour, she just stood there, staring at him. Her heart was racing, pounding against her ribs like hard, fighting to escape. She watched Cassidy come over with the white cloth and something inside her told her it wasn't over.She has been nursing this feeling and couldn't hold it anymore.“No,” Elira said, her voice

The basement of the Duskborne estate was not just a room, it was a coven of secrets hidden deep beneath the earth where the sun could never reach and that was the treasure of the Duskbornes. The air down here was cold, freezing actually, and it was heavy with the smell of ancient magic that had been asleep for a long time and should naturally give someone chills, but not these three women.Elira walked down the stairs, her hand running against the rough walls, her heart racing fast in her chest. The servants had carried Kael’s body down here moments ago, their faces pale with fear as if they were carrying a curse instead of a prince and she really hated that feeling. To be honest, she knew she was already getting attracted to Kael, she just couldn't hide it and couldn't get herself to believe it. However, she never knew that attraction would be a price she would pay.Lady Morrigan walked in front, her black dress flowing behind her like a shadow itself. She didn't look back, she just

BOOM!The force of the explosion threw all of them backwards. Elira flew into the air and crashed hard into the wall. Her head hit the rock with a loud thud and she fell to the floor, gasping for air.Cassidy was thrown to the other side, landing in a heap of dirt. Lady Morrigan was pushed back, rolling on the floor until she hit the stairs.The room went silent instantly. The light died down and the heat faded immediately.Elira lay on the floor, her body screaming in pain. Her arms felt like they were on fire and pain shot through her soul. She looked down at them and saw red marks, like fire burns, running up her veins from her hands to her elbows. It hurt, it hurt so much and she couldn't even speak, the words just caught in her throat.“Cassidy?” She wheezed, trying to sit up. “Lady Morrigan?”Cassidy groaned, rolling over. She was alive, but she looked shattered, very dirty and broken and bruised. Lady Morrigan stood up slowly, her dress torn and her hair messy. She looked at he

Chapter 69The horses galloped hard against the ground, their hooves kicking up dirt and dust as Elira and Cassidy rode out of the Duskborne estate gates brutally. The night was dark, scary actually, and the wind was cold, whooshing at Elira’s face. Her arms were wrapped in bandages that Cassidy had quickly applied, but the burns still hurt with a slight ache. She ignored it. She ignored the hunger in her stomach and the tiredness in her body. All she could think about was Kael lying on that altar and the thought of his body being a ticking bomb of chaotic magic caused by her haunted her as she rode, forcing her to be even more fierce on the horse.Severin’s words still echoed in her head. "We need that same oak flower." The one she had wasted. The guilt was heavy, heavier than the snow in the North. If only she had waited. If only she knew. But regret wouldn't save him now. Only action would and that was what she aimed to achieve.“Keep up!” Elira shouted to Cassidy, her voice rusty