The guards gave me no choice. As soon as night fell, they knocked on my door and escorted me through the corridors of the castle.They said I was to appear in the grand dining hall.It wasn't an invitation. It was an order.
When I arrived, the heavy ebony doors opened before me. The hall was lit by silver candelabras, the flames flickering as if they recognized me. The long table of black marble was set with goblets of wine, covered dishes, and meats drenched in spices.
Seated at the table were my mother, Lirae, and my two betrothed: Selene Draemyr and Kaelis Moura.
"Nyx."My mother's voice filled the air—soft, yet firm."Sit."
I took my place before them. The air was thick, heavy with unspoken words that hung like smoke between us.
Selene was the first to speak, her smile faint but sincere."I'm glad to see you outside your room, Nyx. I thought after… what happened, you'd rather stay hidden."
"I have nothing to hide," I replied calmly—though the crimson glow in my eyes betrayed the hunger still burning within me.
Kaelis scoffed, stabbing her knife into the meat on her plate."Nothing to hide… except the shadows that almost strangled a servant."
"Kaelis!" Selene snapped, outraged. "Is that necessary?"
Kaelis's gaze hardened."It is. If Nyx doesn't learn to control what she is, the entire castle will be in danger."
My fists clenched under the table. I was about to answer, but my mother raised her hand—and silence fell.
"Enough." Her eyes shifted from Kaelis to Selene, sharp and commanding. "My daughters-in-law would do well to remember that you are here not by chance, but because this clan bound your fates to Nyx's."
"With respect, Lady Lirae," Kaelis said coldly, "my clan handed me to her as punishment, not honor."
Selene lowered her gaze, uneasy—but whispered softly:"Maybe it was meant as punishment… but I don't feel it that way."
Our eyes met. In that moment, amid the wine and the tension, time seemed to stop. Her pupils gleamed with something beyond submission—fascination.
Kaelis noticed, and her jaw tightened."Selene, you're blind. You see power where there's danger."
"And you, Kaelis," Selene shot back, her tone steadier than I expected, "only see danger because you fear what you can't understand."
The argument was about to erupt again, but my mother's voice cut through like a blade."Both of you, listen."She leaned forward, and her violet eyes glowed with the authority of a dark elven princess."Nyx is neither monster nor curse. She is the future. And whether you like it or not, you are both part of that future."
Silence returned.
I sat still, feeling the shadows pulse beneath my feet—as if celebrating my mother's words.
For the first time, they weren't just whispers in the corridors.It was real: the fate of the clan—and perhaps something far greater—now revolved around me.