A trap strung tight. And Seraphina could still feel the echo of th

ted twenty-

ontrol a taut leash ready to snap. Not rage.

first. "You knew

had dropped low and lethal. "He was supposed to be dead.

e a ghost with a vendetta," she snap

her. "No. Not a gho

th warning. "What's

ntly, but firmly. "Something

-

eel runes, artifacts humming faintly behind secure vaults. Seraphina stood near the towering window, arms

ion bleeding through every inch of him. The earlier heat between them hadn't faded. If anythi

said at last, gaze fixed on the skyline but

answer at

. "Born under the crescent-serpent mark. Magic older than kingdo

eath h

"And the reason I'm cursed, Seraphina, is because I touched

d, stunne

ou don't reme

k her he

brought me to the High Circle to witness the sealing of the prophecy. I

aw fl

een dying e

braced herself on the window led

rsed becau

use I was meant to be yours. And they tried to s

ose now.

ath touched her skin. "They don'

voice was bar

fingers grazing her

pulsing like a live current. The air

th

t's voice shrieked

epping back like a

" he s

barrier. Another breach-only this

a's hear

the floor. Activate the blood

, eyes lit with a new

for you anymore," he sa

e the mark pulsed faintly

ted with his answe

ur awa

ss-silent, high-tech, and layered with arcane security. Seraphina had barely stepped into the steel-and-

shuddered, then beg

ked, the pressure between th

e place even board mem

him. "That s

t smile.

racing the faint pulse of the mark she'd spent h

er. "You're remembering.

wh

o

And when his eyes found hers again, something carnal mo

dor flanked by glowing glyphs. Seraphina followed him through two eno

-reimagined through

weapons, ancient sigil plates glowing faintly under containment fields. A

far side,

ith burning runes. It pulsed like

tantly-heat rushing to her skin, the mark unde

?" she asked,

t the prophecy was bound to. When your ancestors tried t

is it resp

at her-tru

magic is no

etween them, char

emotions were a battlefield-fear, rage, grie

si

What if I don't want a d

t flinch. "Th

eath c

"if you want it... if you want me, Seraphina, then say it

. Her hands cur

whispered. "I only know that whe

hand rising to trace her jaw

shoul

," she b

hers-not a kiss.

rom

ngers curled into his chest, nails scraping skin as she leaned into the storm of him. Killia

eashed-twenty-one years of longin

de under clothing, a surge of

behind th

n froz

rembled. The

rom him, hair wil

s happ

ling her behind him. "T

wha

ine. When the bond is physically sealed between us-w

ood ra

aying if w

. It'll lock. Irrevoc

him. "So that

"No. I wanted yo

r a lie, but found only the same

chamber, alarms bla

f time," Kil

Another crack splint

ned toward hi

hat do

loser, face

ight

of the cha

something ancient-something boundless-was slithering th

entire body trembled, not with fear, but with r

er toward a hidden corridor behind the seal. The sliding obsidian panel hissed

she demanded, struggling t

is weakening, there's only one plac

r. Hundreds of glyphs lined the stone-etched in blood, bone, and something older. At the c

t slamming against her

n't answer

ouch was still fire, still temptation. But

d mine," he said quietly. "And where

the weight of hi

our magic will awaken the monster in me-and destroy the world. But if w

ely a whisper. "W

dn't

creamed loude

her nearness. She felt a surge in her bones-an anci

place... i

d, his hands sliding

e night you were born, your magic ripped through the veil. They hid

am I?" she

whispered. "The witch

ween them sw

brushing her cheek with

re the end. Of the curse. Of the cycle

e asked, fingers tangling in the front of his

ir th

ips hovered

as he l

o the room, followed by

an intruder. I didn't

irled, jaw

blinked in

essed in a razor-sharp navy suit, her eyes calcul

lian growled

ou explain why the seal is reacting, the wards are collapsing, and o

ht between fury and emb

growled, voice full A

eel with a knowing smirk. "Fine. But if you blo

her, Seraphina covered her mouth,

ed his eyes. "

stant monitoring yo

She monitors everything. Including

ips twitching. "Defi

g arm around her waist and pulling her flu

into tension-tight,

him, pulse erratic. "

ightened. "Then t

hesitate

issed

on, no calculation. J

heir mouths clashed. Her hands fisted into his hair. His jacket fell away,

he world was endin

e waistband of his slacks, the run

n jerk

id, panting

he gaspe

ar will bind our fates permanentl

bling. "And

s burne

you ch

d respond, carrying her with lethal grace up

ntil they reached

shut be

hit th

as he lai

r collarbone s

ian

th

m the chamber

screamed throu

tore through the pentho

ng her chest as a new pul

stared

" he said, voic

hecy has

them like a blade, seve

eing consumed by him-by the binding, by the heat, by everything she didn't understand but couldn't deny. Killian

e battlefi

it had a

voice rough, thick with fear a

ng back an inferno. He stepped closer, but not to touch her. No, he wasn't stupid. Even n

he said, voice low. "Your blood recognize

eated, still struggl

n. And it won't sto

altar-was it meant

o Alpha or Witch ever merged without their sanction. If we'd stayed, it would've etched th

asked. "Do I

bed, but keeping just enough space between t

e a choice with

more than the explosions, more than the

is control-he looked at her like sh

ybe sh

tell me everything. The wh

panel slid open beneath his fingerprint, revealing a sleek silver case. Fr

was about retribution. Two bloodlines-one of the flame, one of the veil-fore

ropped. "So w

rchment. "You're the

couldn't read it, not exactly, but the symbols bled with magic, w

" she murmured. "Our

on unreadable. "Yes. But they didn't p

he heat of the mark a steady thrum.

utterl

your feet," he said hoarsel

h caught.

break," he said. "To either be

ollowed wasn't col

omething in

ngers along his jaw. "Then let's

d hers, fierce and wa

walls,"

arp smile. "Then I have on

ed word, a large circular slab began to rotate, revealing a chamber

her to follow. "It shows potential. Not

tantly with the reflective surfaces. Her mark blazed ag

a me

a dr

ng she'd ever imagined flowed from their joined h

y, shaking. "I

in, this time not to r

ot alone

-his gold eyes, her silver. Fi

aid, facing him fully

ply, as if she'd sai

e, Killian Draven. That no matter what th

his foreh

ice guttural, sacred. "By

ulsed. The mi

prophecy

dless thunder that rattled her bones and pushed agai

em-not breaking, not crumbling-but splintering into shards of ligh

of ash, sitting alone on

limp in Killian'

ocked in a kiss, while the

out, "Make

as the visions burst like glass stars, imploding

amber

about them

d in her throat. "We're n

take control. That's what the Oath does-

it," she said. "Rig

more teasing, no more smirks.

of

for

he earlier vial-this one glowing crimson instead of black-gold. "This is my blood o

, pulse wi

a silver dagger and let

a clean line across her own hand. Their blood

l between them. "Say

r, they

flame, by cur

thee-not by fat

hecy comman

tear us ap

vow. I bur

r love. For o

al sha

energy en

bone erupted in light-scarlet

lenched against his chest as a growl

nerves, her spine, her very breath. She was fire. She was mo

the storm

e still

l wh

them

heened in sweat, his chest risi

yes g

go

lame-

he curse," h

stepping into hi

ain, and this time th

the first. Their magic didn't clash anymore-it merged. A pe

o lose herself in him, a sire

ce boomed throug

ntrusion in Progress. Unknown magica

d whipped tow

snarled.

ns turned to ic

athed. "It's the Collector.

ipped. "You sa

mirrored chamber wall and tossed another to her. "He

licking up her spine as the prophecy's m

let hi

agic crackling, the Oath still burnin

e Mirrorwell cl

ah

as wa

of the cha

something ancient-something boundless-was slithering th

entire body trembled, not with fear, but with r

er toward a hidden corridor behind the seal. The sliding obsidian panel hissed

she demanded, struggling t

is weakening, there's only one plac

r. Hundreds of glyphs lined the stone-etched in blood, bone, and something older. At the c

t slamming against her

n't answer

ouch was still fire, still temptation. But

d mine," he said quietly. "And where

the weight of hi

our magic will awaken the monster in me-and destroy the world. But if w

ely a whisper. "W

dn't

creamed loude

her nearness. She felt a surge in her bones-an anci

place... i

d, his hands sliding

e night you were born, your magic ripped through the veil. They hid

am I?" she

whispered. "The witch

ween them sw

brushing her cheek with

re the end. Of the curse. Of the cycle

e asked, fingers tangling in the front of his

ir th

ips hovered

as he l

o the room, followed by

an intruder. I didn't

irled, jaw

blinked in

essed in a razor-sharp navy suit, her eyes calcul

lian growled

ou explain why the seal is reacting, the wards are collapsing, and o

ht between fury and emb

growled, voice full A

eel with a knowing smirk. "Fine. But if you blo

her, Seraphina covered her mouth,

ed his eyes. "

stant monitoring yo

She monitors everything. Including

ips twitching. "Defi

g arm around her waist and pulling her flu

into tension-tight,

him, pulse erratic. "

ightened. "Then t

hesitate

issed

on, no calculation. J

heir mouths clashed. Her hands fisted into his hair. His jacket fell away,

he world was endin

e waistband of his slacks, the run

n jerk

id, panting

he gaspe

ar will bind our fates permanentl

bling. "And

s burne

you ch

d respond, carrying her with lethal grace up

ntil they reached

shut be

hit th

as he lai

r collarbone s

ian

th

m the chamber

screamed throu

tore through the pentho

ng her chest as a new pul

stared

" he said, voic

hecy has

m as the shattered mirror flicke

d a portal, roili

a figur

e ash and hair like coiled obsidian,

mbled to her

gure s

purred. "Did you really think

ina, his aura pulsing with defensi

said, her voice velvet a

forward, fire sparking from h

widened. "Th

rtal f

r Seraphina's hand

t," he said, "you d

s chest bloomed, pushin

trembled

al swallowe

Binding shatte

pressure. The kind that settled over a room whe

of power. Her breath was shallow, chest rising and falling as if he

ght she could see the tremor beneath his skin. The remnants of the magical blast danced like

one, fingers trembling. It was stil

was that?" she

he ruined room to her. His bare chest rose with each breath, the heat in

activation of your curse," he

y do I feel like I'm going to collap

, reverent. "Because you're awakening. And every inch of your blood is remembe

" she whispered. "I didn't a

Killian said. "Your body...

ose words made h

the walls, trying to stabilize. Her legs nearly gave out, and Killian c

uppress the curse," she rasped. "We d

knees, grounding her even as the magic

ld be ended," he said, voice low. "

his. "Are you sa

ted. Then, slo

en in blood magic has no dominion anymore." His gaze turned darker. "But the energy we

ly. "So we ended the cu

ross Killian's lips. "That's u

ling like a tide she wasn't prep

?" he asked, i

re not cursed to be enemies or bound b

blink. Did

ind her neck, slow and

it wasn't desperation-

no longer o

o longer afra

-

rs

retched deep

um of the city far below, and the warmth of Seraphin

in hand, listening to his security chief

theast quadrant-magic, unknown signature. Level 6 on the

the records. And if anyone else gets cur

, Al

hun

eraphina stir

houlder. Her silver eyes

"But now we fight i

om her bare shoulders. Her expression was un

rewrite fate

larbone-the mark there now a soft, dormant glow. No pain. No burn.

nger the witc

nger the monster

ned the scri

es, something mo

oi