登入Zara stared at the letter, her hands trembled so badly that she almost dropped the letter into the snow. For a long moment, she couldn't bring herself to read the again again, it wasn't possible. Her grandmother had died fifteen years ago, that was what she believed all this while. She still remembered standing beside the small grave with dirt under her fingernails because she'd insisted on helping. She remembered the rain that refused to stop falling. She remembered wondering why the world could keep moving when hers had just ended. So how... How was she holding a letter written for this exact moment? "Zara." Kael's voice was gentle. "Come back inside." She shook her head. "I need to read it." The Watcher hadn't moved, it just stood there, its eyes fixed directly on Zara. Zara unfolded the rest of the letter. * * * * * * "My dearest Zara, If you're reading this, then I have failed. I prayed you would never have to carry what our family has carried. I prayed I could tak
The city bells rang without stopping one after another. The sound rolled through the streets, bouncing off stone walls until it became one long, dreadful echo.Zara had heard bells for celebrations, she had heard them for attacks, she had heard them when a child wandered too close to the forest but this sounded different.She and Kael followed Selene out of the archives almost at a run, Rynese and Valkyrie were close behind them. The streets were already in chaos, parents hurried with their children inside, guards gave orders panicking."Where are they?" Kael asked."The north road." Selene answered."How many are they?"Selene hesitated."...One."Rynese blinked."One?""So, you rang every bell in the city because of one person?" He asked amused.Selene didn't answer him, she didn't have to because the look on her face was already enough.* * * * * The northern gate was surrounded by warriors, rows upon rows of them. Vampire soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with their weapons dra
For several seconds, Zara couldn't move. The necklace was just laid in her palms, she traced the crescent moon with her thumb. It was clear that it belonged to her grandmother.When Zara was little, Evelyn Grey never took it off. She wore it while baking, while tending the garden, even while teaching Zara how to braid her hair. Zara had asked countless times why it was so special.Her grandmother had only smiled."Some things are inherited before we're old enough to understand them."At the time, Zara had thought she was talking about the necklace, now she wasn't so sure."Zara?"Kael's voice pulled her back from her thoughts He was standing a few feet away, watching her, she slowly stood and held the necklace out to him."I know this necklace." She said, her hands were stretched out to him."You've seen it before?" He frowned."It belonged to my grandmother."Those words made everyone go quiet. Selene stepped closer."May I?" She said.Zara hesitated before placing the pendant in he
The guard's words echoed in the room, nobody spoke for what seemed like minutes "The northern gate just opened."Nobody moved.Then Kael was already outside, Zara grabbed her sword from where it leaned against the wall and hurried after him. Rynese stumbled out of the room across the hall, still trying to pull on his coat."I swear," he muttered, "one peaceful morning. That's all I've ever asked for."Valkyrie walked past him without slowing down."You chose the wrong kingdom."* * * * * The northern gate was the largest entrance into Belmar territory built into the side of the mountain itself, it was less a gate and more a fortress of black stone. Thick iron doors, each taller than three wolves standing on each other's backs, had remained sealed for generations. No one could open them.Everything beyond them had long been abandoned.By the time Zara reached the walls, dozens of guards had already gathered there, some so them stood with their weapons already drawn, others simply jus
The room became silent. Those words ranged in their heads.*Send Zara Grey and come alone.*Zara stared at the parchment lying on the table.For a moment, she could only hear the sounds of the wind in the air, nobody spoke, there were no voices, no jokes, no arguments, no bells ringing... Just pure silence.Then Rynese broke the silence."Well....." He said Everyone looked at him."That's definitely a no."The tension in the room became lesser.Selene folded her arms."It wasn't a request.""No, it was a demand," Valkyrie said. "Which is why it's definitely a no."Kael didn't say anything, Zara looked at him. Immediately, she regretted it. The expression on his face was a bit terrifying because he looked too calm for what was going on. His silver eyes remained fixed on the note."Kael." Zara called out.He didn't answer."Kael." She called out again.Slowly, his gaze shifted to hers."What?"That single word came out as though he had not intended it at her but for the situation. Zara
Zara didn't sleep after everything that had happened, she could still see the figure on the ridge. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again standing and staring directly at her then lifting a hand and waving it at her as though it knew her.The worst part wasn't the fact that she was scared but how it chooses to wave at only her.Something about the figure felt wrong in a way she couldn't explain and it terrified her more than anything.The morning was cold and gray, the city looked exhausted. People moved through the streets with dark circles under their eyes, nobody was smiling. It was like they waited for something to happen or they hoped it didn't.Zara was drinking a cup of bitter tea when she heard a loud knock on the door. Kael opened it.A young vampire messenger stood outside breathing hard, his face was pale."Lady Selene needs you."Kael immediately straightened up."Why?"The messenger swallowed."They found something."* * * * * An hour later, they were standing
Wisteria woke up with a pounding headache and immediately knew two things, first was, she was alive and second was, she knew she was going to be very angry about it. She groaned painfully and rolled onto her side, only to freeze when an unfamiliar scent hit her nose. The whole room smelled like woo
Zara woke up before sunrise freezing from the cold, the North was colder than she'd thought. The air was cold, even the ground itself was cold. She tried moving but Kael’s arms were wrapped around her waist, she remembered last night's kiss and immediately laid down back recalling all the memories
Rynese ran left with Valkyrie and then they were gone. Not gone as in retreated, gone as in the dark swallowed them and the sounds of their footsteps moved east and kept moving east until Zara couldn't track it anymore no matter how hard she tried to keep up."Zara." Kael's hand found her arm. "Let
The northern vampire territory announced itself before they crossed the border.There was no actual sign or marker or anything that polite. Just a sudden, sharp change in the cold air. The kind of cold that didn't build gradually but arrived all at once like a door had been opened onto something th







