Chapter 60
She shook her head. “He wants to break it.”
My stomach turned. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because you’re heading into his territory soon. With your sister.”
She said it like it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“I need to be prepared?” I asked quietly.
“No,” Cecelia said. “You need to survive and the only way is by gaining his trust.”
She pushed away from the railing and smoothed her dress. “The evening dancing will start soon. Do and come in.”
I nodded faintly, still stuck in the silence she left behind.
And then-
I see you’ve outdone yourself.”
The voice slithered in from the shadows like a threat wrapped in silk.
Brielle.
I turned slowly, wine glass still in hand.
She stood in the archway, her dress a deep violet, hair piled atop her head like she was already crowned.
“Your efforts are… admirable,” she said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “The decorations, the elegance. You’ve made yourself quite the little Luna, haven’t you?”
I didn’t respond.
She stepped forward, slow, measured. “Almost like you belong.”
My jaw tightened. “What do you want?”
“To talk.” Her smile widened. “And to watch you squirm. But mostly talk.”
I laughed softly, lifting the glass to my lips. “You’ll have to try harder, Brielle. I’ve had worse than you.”
“Oh, I know,” she purred, stepping even closer. “Amira made sure of it, didn’t she?”
My smile faltered.
Brielle’s eyes sparkled.
0
“Look at you,” she whispered. “Dressed in royalty, kissed by the king, dancing like you own the floor. But you’re still the girl from the gutter, Liana. You always will be.”
I turned fully to face her, my voice low. “And yet I’m still standing here. And you’re the one following me like a shadow.”
She blinked.
I smiled sweetly. “Jealousy doesn’t look good on you.”
Her smile cracked, just slightly, “You’re right. It doesn’t.”
Then her expression changed. Like something had come loose behind her eyes–calm, almost distant.
She whispered something under her breath. The words didn’t sound like any language I knew. Harsh syllables rolled off her tongue like a chant, like something ancient. Something wrong.
1 diffened “What did you just say?”
Her gaze locked onto mine, glassy and hollow now. “May justice find me… even in death”
1/3
8:32 PM ·
Chapter 60
Before I could react—before I could move—her hand slipped inside the folds of her gown.
A glint of silver.
“No-!”
She drew the blade in one swift motion, slicing across her throat with terrifying calm.
Blood poured instantly, thick and fast. Her eyes widened as her knees buckled, mouth opening and closing soundlessly like she was trying to say something.
I screamed.
The wine glass slipped from my fingers, shattering against the marble floor. I dropped to my knees beside her, hands trembling, reaching but not knowing where to touch.
“Someone!” I choked. “Help! Guards!”
Her blood spread like a stain beneath her, her body twitching once… then going still.
The music from inside faltered. Gasps echoed. Footsteps pounded against the floor as guards rushed out, weapons drawn, eyes wild.
Alaric’s voice thundered somewhere behind them. “What happened?!”
But I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t breathe.
0
C
I sat there on the balcony floor, my hands soaked red, staring down at the dying girl who had once smiled like she ruled the world–and now bled out at my feet.
Knox was the first to mov
He dropped beside Brielle, yanking off his jacket without a word and pressing it hard against her throat. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, trying to slow the bleeding even though we all knew it was too late. “Stay with me, stay–damn it!”
Footsteps pounded behind me.
Then a pair of strong hands wrapped around my arms, pulling me away from the blood, from the shaking girl on the ground, from everything.
Alaric.
He pulled me close, one arm circling around my back, the other steadying my face so I’d look at him. “Liana–look at me. What happened?”
But I couldn’t speak.
I couldn’t even blink.
The words just… wouldn’t come. My lips parted, but all I could do was stare past him, over his shoulder, to the limp body on the ground. Knox’s jacket was already soaked in red.
I felt like I was going to be sick.
Alaric’s grip tightened. “Liana. Say something. What the hell happened?”
Still, I said nothing.
Because how could I?
How could I explain that Brielle had stood there like it was nothing, like slicing her own throat was just a regular decision? How could I explain the strange language she spoke–something haunting and foreign? How could I explain the way she looked at me?
Like she was relieved.
Like she wanted me to watch.
2/03
8:32 PM .
Chapter 60
“She-” My voice cracked. “She just… did it.”
Alaric’s jaw tensed. He glanced over at Brielle’s body as more guards arrived, the crowd thickening around the edges of the balcony. Whispers broke out instantly, like smoke curling through the air.
Someone gasped behind me. “She’s dead…”
“Is that was that blood magic?”
Another voice, louder, a man: “Maybe it’s some ritual. To stop the curse. Maybe she thought sacrificing herself would prevent the King from turning.”
A woman whispered, “Look at her hands. They’re red. She was with her when it happened—maybe she killed her.”
My heart sank.
They were looking at me.
Whispers turned to murmurs. Murmurs to accusations.
I could feel the weight of it pressing in, their eyes like knives against my skin. My fingers trembled. My entire body ached with the force of staying upright.
Knox looked up sharply. “Shut your damn mouths. Nobody’s killing anyone.”
Another guard stepped forward to push the crowd back.
But the damage had already been done.
The doubt had started.
Alaric turned his head toward the voices. His face was cold. So cold. “Who said that?”
The whispers died instantly.
The tension in his body was lethal, a slow coiling of rage that made the air feel thinner. He looked at the guards. “Get her body out of here. Now.”
Then he turned back to me, his gaze softer. “Come.”
I didn’t move.
I was still staring at the dark red smear on the marble.
He reached for me again, steadier this time, pulling me gently to my feet. His arm stayed wrapped around my waist as he guided
me inside.
And all the while, I couldn’t stop thinking-
Why would she do it?
Why would Brielle kill herself?
And why… why did she look relieved when she did?
