Sacrifice of the Heart

mly lit halls of the palace. The festivities had long ended, yet the weight

her chambers, pretended

nside her refus

eded a

in the palace where secrets

strict

descended a narrow staircase, the torches along the stone

rom venturing down here-too ma

had broken the rules

etched into the frame, meant to deter intruders. It wouldn't stop her-she had spent ye

p, murmuring the counterspell under h

ock

epped

he chamber, beneath a veil of dust, lay the kingdom's prophecies-scrolls and records written by

e edges of the scrolls, search

she fo

th a sigil she had s

retti

d the parchment, her heart hamme

s under a cursed moon. One must fall so the other may rise.

rept down

bout her.

stirred b

uietly for

e spiking-but she al

crossed, the flickering torchlight cas

her? How had he go

royal archives, Lord Moretti?" she aske

ked. "A

the jab. "What

to the scroll in her hands. "That depends

ened around the p

eath. "You knew ab

t deny it. "

on of their fates entwining-one of them destined t

his jaw, the way his fingers

prised," she said,

flickering behind his dark eyes. "Because

ht. He had known ab

rd, refusing to be the one who cowered f

ous smile curl

already kno

e

e prophecy

followed the course fate had laid

never been the kind o

er wa

ere was only o

h the devi

r been more willin

se thrummed

like a predator who had just cornered his prey. Bu

, as if holding onto it could give her contro

d, voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her, "then wh

slightly, as if conside

said, stepping closer, "

eath h

er seen within the royal court. His family ruled the underworld-Avarath's unseen force

, here

gles of his face, the faint scar at the edge

the heat radiating from him, a pr

her chin. "And I don't believe in prophecies.

und dark and amused. "Spoken like so

accept yours? That you're willing to

ening into something unreadable. "No

nce settled

. He wasn't here t

ere to r

nly one who could

coursed through her. "You

didn't

twisted-fear, intrigue,

orm alliances out of goodwill. Every deal came with a price, and th

prophecy," she said,

ng unreadable flickering in its

een them, heavy wit

ge of the scroll. "And if breaki

htly, but this time, he d

rawled up

h knew t

cies couldn

s were in

ess

destroy the very foundatio

teadying herself. "What do

ime, it was laced with something mo

epping so close she could feel the

might just

st the silence between them. Vesper's offer hun

de

h h

th's most feared underworld empire. A man raised on blood and po

who understood the weight of

ing her words. "What kind

"One that ensures neither of

believe in fate, but you believe

power. And I believe that whoever contr

an down h

as r

just a death sente

ility. A cursed princess destined to be the ruin of the

ched their enemies, Vesper would be marked

its rules," she murmured, her mind racin

, calculated. "I knew y

her stomach. Hated the way his presence-so close,

acing toward the shelves, needi

glancing over her shoulder. "

a low, amused s

riat

face him. "Then why should I ri

ss, whether you admit it or not, we're already bound together. The

gloved finger beneath her chin. The touch was barely

e it before i

d hard, her br

was m

nside her whispered:

e, unflinching. "Fine," she said, her voice softer

a smirk-satisfaction, am

d gi

she would be some obedient pawn in his sche

ould change

or Vesper Moretti would b