Novels by Juliet writes

The sound of wooden staffs colliding echoed across the courtyard. I should have kept walking back to my rooms, but my feet carried me closer anyway. I stopped near the edge, half-hidden behind a stone pillar. Soldiers sparred in pairs on the packed dirt, their boots kicking up dust with every shift. Grunts mixed with the sharp crack of wood on wood.One soldier, broad and loud, landed a solid hit and laughed. “Keep that up and you’ll end up like those Black Hollow fools. Rejected by one alpha and married off to another like some spare part.”A few others chuckled. The words hit harder than I expected. I stepped back quickly and turned away before anyone spotted me. My face burned the whole way back.In my room I picked up a book. I read the same page three times without taking in a single word. The old shame sat heavy in my chest again. Spare part. That’s how they still saw me. Helpless. Unwanted. Always depending on someone else to decide my place.By evening the yard had mostly clea

Word reached me during breakfast. A delegation from Black Hollow had arrived. Not Lucien or Selene, but Elder Harlan, Captain Reyes, and a couple of their advisors. They claimed it was about trade routes and winter preparations. I didn’t believe that for a second. They weren’t here for trade routes.My appetite disappeared. I pushed my plate away. Mara noticed and gave my shoulder a light squeeze. “His Majesty will handle the formal talks. You don’t have to attend if you’d rather not.”I almost said yes. Instead I shook my head. “I should be there.”The meeting took place in the large hall. I arrived a few minutes after Kael. He sat at the head of the table, posture relaxed but commanding. When I walked in, the Black Hollow group turned. Elder Harlan’s eyes widened slightly. Captain Reyes gave a stiff nod. No warmth.“Seraphina,” Elder Harlan said, his voice polite in that careful way I remembered. “You look… well.”I sat down across from them, hands folded in my lap so no one would s

The next morning I woke up and checked my wrist first thing. Nothing. No silver lines. No warmth. No whisper. Part of me felt relieved. The other part wondered if I had imagined the voice in the firelight. “Wake.” It sounded ridiculous now, sitting here in daylight with tea cooling on the table.Mara came in while I was finishing breakfast. “His Majesty requested your presence this morning, my lady. He wants you to join him on a ride through the territory.”My stomach dropped. “Did I do something wrong?”She smiled gently. “No. He simply asked. The carriage will be ready soon.”I changed into warmer clothes and tried not to overthink it. When I met Kael in the courtyard, he was already mounted on a large black horse. Another horse stood saddled beside him, steady and calm.“We’ll check the outer villages and supply stores before the heavy snows,” he said. “You don’t have to come if you’d rather not.”I shook my head. “I’ll come.”The ride took us beyond the Citadel walls and down wind

The next morning I woke with one question stuck in my head. What wasn’t Kael telling me? I rubbed my wrist before I even opened my eyes. Nothing. No symbol. No strange warmth. Just ordinary skin. Somehow that bothered me more than seeing it.I got dressed and tried to push the thoughts away. Sitting around wondering wouldn’t change anything. When Mara knocked with breakfast, I asked if there was anything useful I could do around the Citadel. She looked pleased.“The village could use extra hands distributing winter supplies today,” she said. “If you’re willing.”I nodded. Anything beat pacing my rooms thinking about locked doors and secrets.The mountain air felt crisp as we walked down to the village. Snow dusted the rooftops and the stone streets. Mara carried a list while I helped push a small cart loaded with blankets, sacks of grain, and bundles of dried herbs. My arms ached after a while, but it felt good to do something.At the first house an older woman opened the door. She to

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said. My voice came out weaker than I wanted.Kael’s gaze stayed fixed on my wrist. “The symbol.”I looked down. My skin was bare. No glow. No mark. Nothing. For a second I wondered if I had imagined it. The warmth. The light. The strange pull beneath my skin. But I knew I hadn’t.“It disappeared,” I said quietly.The narrow hallway seemed to close in around me. Dust drifted through the shafts of afternoon light. Somewhere deeper in the Citadel, a door slammed shut.His eyes lifted from my wrist to my face. “Has that happened before?”I hesitated. The truth should have been simple. Yet something about the way he asked made me nervous. “A few times. Since I arrived.”His expression hardened. Not anger. Concern. Real concern. My stomach tightened.“What is it?” I asked.“Nothing.”The answer came too quickly.I folded my arms. “That didn’t sound like nothing.”For a moment neither of us spoke. Then Kael exhaled slowly. “There are parts of this Citadel you

I couldn’t stop thinking about the signing. Not the contract itself. Not even the way my name now sat next to his on that paper. It was the way Kael had spoken up for me. Twice now. Nobody had ever done that before. I hated how much it stuck with me.Mara found me in the library the next morning. “Would you like to see more of the Citadel, my lady? It might help you settle in.”I nodded. Anything beat sitting alone with my thoughts.She led me through the halls and out into the main courtyard. The mountain air hit sharp and cold, carrying the clean scent of pine and damp stone. Soldiers trained in neat rows, their boots scraping against the packed dirt, metal clanging as blades met. When Kael walked by on the far side, they straightened without him saying a word. One older worker carrying tools called out a greeting, his voice rough but easy. Kael gave a short nod. The man actually smiled after, shoulders relaxed.Nobody rushed to get out of his way. Nobody looked terrified. They simp