Seraphine's POV
I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that woman's face—the one who looked like me but wasn't me. The one who said she'd finish what she started.
Who was she? And why did she want to hurt me?
Before dawn broke, rough hands yanked me from my blanket. "Get up," a guard barked. "Lord Viktor wants everyone in the main hall. Now."
My body ached from yesterday's beating, but I forced myself to stand. The burn on my cheek throbbed with every step. Around me, other servants whispered nervously as we were herded through the dark hallways.
Something bad was coming. I could feel it in my bones.
The main hall was already packed with every servant in the manor—kitchen workers, stable boys, cleaners, everyone. Lord Viktor stood on the raised platform where he usually sat during fancy dinners, looking way too happy for this early in the morning.
Lady Ashford stood beside him, smirking. When her eyes found mine in the crowd, her smile grew meaner.
My stomach dropped.
"Gather close," Lord Viktor announced, his voice booming. "I have wonderful news to share."
Wonderful for him usually meant terrible for us.
"As you all know, I am a man of significant importance in this kingdom." He puffed out his chest. "My business dealings are vast and complex."
Someone next to me muttered, "His gambling debts are vast, more like."
Lord Viktor's smile twitched, but he continued. "Recently, I had the extraordinary honor of engaging in a financial arrangement with Duke Cassian Nightborne himself."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. I didn't understand why everyone looked so scared.
"Who's Duke Nightborne?" I whispered to the girl next to me.
She stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "You don't know? He's the Death Knight! The cursed duke who's going to die in six months!"
My blood turned cold. That name. Lord Viktor had said that name last night.
"The Duke required something to settle our agreement," Lord Viktor went on, his eyes scanning the crowd. Then they locked on me. "And I have generously offered him a servant from my own household."
Every head turned to look at me. The crowd parted like water, leaving me standing alone.
No. No, no, no.
"Seraphine," Lord Viktor called, gesturing for me to come forward. "Step up here."
My legs wouldn't move. This couldn't be happening. Not again. I couldn't be sold again.
The guards grabbed my arms and dragged me to the platform. I tried to pull away, but they were too strong.
"Please," I begged Lord Viktor. "Please don't do this."
"Don't be dramatic," Lady Ashford snapped. "You should be grateful. The Duke could have any servant, and my husband chose you."
"But I—"
"The Duke's representative will arrive within the hour," Lord Viktor interrupted. "You have exactly that long to prepare yourself." He looked me up and down with disgust. "Though there's not much to prepare. You own nothing worth taking."
The servants around me whispered furiously.
"I heard the Duke killed his last three servants."
"He's cursed. Everyone near him dies."
"They say he's so cold, flowers freeze when he walks past."
"Six months until the curse kills him. Why would he want a servant now?"
Each word was like a knife to my chest. I was being sent to die. Lord Viktor was trading me to a cursed, dying man, and I had no choice.
"My lord, please," I tried again, my voice breaking. "I'll work twice as hard. I'll never complain. Just don't send me away."
Why was I begging to stay in a place where I was beaten daily? Because at least here, I knew what to expect. At least here, I was still alive.
Lord Viktor's face hardened. "You dare argue with me? You're property. I can do whatever I want with you." He leaned closer, his breath hot on my face. "And honestly, I'm happy to be rid of you. Those freaky silver eyes give me nightmares."
Lady Ashford laughed. "Maybe the Duke will finally have someone as cursed as he is. A perfect match."
The servants laughed too. Not because it was funny, but because they were relieved it wasn't them.
I looked around at all these people I'd lived with for five years. Not one of them met my eyes. Not one of them stood up for me.
I was completely alone.
"Take her to prepare," Lord Viktor ordered. "Make sure she's at least somewhat presentable. I don't want the Duke's representative thinking I keep my servants in squalor."
But that's exactly what he did.
The guards dragged me to a washing room and threw a bucket of cold water over me. They gave me a rough cloth to dry off and a plain gray dress that was only slightly less ragged than my old one.
"One hour," the guard said. "Then you're the Duke's problem."
They left me alone in the small room. I stared at my reflection in the water bucket. Silver eyes stared back—the eyes that made everyone hate me.
My hands were shaking. In one hour, my whole life would change. I'd be taken to a cursed duke's castle. To serve a man everyone called the Death Knight.
What would he do to me? Would he be crueler than Lord Viktor? Would he hurt me worse than Lady Ashford?
Or would the curse kill me first?
I pressed my hand to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. That strange warmth flickered inside me again, like a tiny flame fighting not to go out.
"Please," I whispered to whoever might be listening—maybe the voice from my dreams, maybe nothing at all. "Please let me survive this. I don't want to die."
The door slammed open. A man in black armor strode in—not a guard from the manor. This man wore the crest of a wolf on his chest.
Duke Nightborne's crest.
"You're Seraphine?" he asked. His voice was rough but not unkind.
I nodded, unable to speak.
He looked me up and down, and something like pity crossed his face. "I'm Commander Theron Steele, second-in-command to Duke Nightborne. I'm here to escort you to Nightborne Manor."
"Is it true?" The words burst out before I could stop them. "Is the Duke really cursed to die?"
Commander Theron's jaw tightened. "The Duke's personal matters are none of your concern. Your job is to serve him, nothing more."
That wasn't a no.
"But why does he need a new servant if he's..." I couldn't say it. "If he's dying?"
Theron studied me for a long moment. "That's not for me to answer. Come. We leave now."
"Now? But Lord Viktor said—"
"Lord Viktor doesn't give orders anymore. Not where you're concerned." Theron's hand rested on his sword. "You belong to Duke Nightborne now."
Belong. Like I was a thing. A possession.
Theron led me outside where a black carriage waited. It was fancier than anything I'd ever seen, with horses that looked stronger and healthier than most people I knew.
As I climbed in, I looked back at the manor one last time. Lord Viktor and Lady Ashford watched from the window, looking relieved to see me go.
Nobody waved goodbye. Nobody cared.
The carriage lurched forward, and my old life disappeared behind me.
Inside, Theron sat across from me, watching. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "The Duke isn't what people say he is."
I looked up, surprised.
"He's harsh, yes. The curse has made him... difficult. But he's not evil." Theron's eyes were serious. "He specifically asked for you."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"Lord Viktor had other servants. Stronger ones. More experienced ones. But the Duke looked at the list and pointed to your name." Theron leaned forward. "He said, 'The girl with silver eyes. I want her.'"
The carriage suddenly felt too small. "But why? He doesn't even know me."
"I don't know. The Duke doesn't explain his decisions." Theron's expression darkened. "But I'll warn you now—something's happening at the manor. Strange things. Dark things. The Duke's curse is getting worse, and there are... others... taking interest in him."
"Others?"
"You'll see soon enough." He sat back. "All I can tell you is this: keep your head down, do your work, and whatever you do, don't let the Duke see you cry. He hates weakness."
The rest of the ride was silent. I watched the countryside roll past, getting darker and wilder. The trees grew thicker, the sky grayer.
Finally, the carriage stopped.
I looked out the window and my breath caught.
Nightborne Manor wasn't a manor at all. It was a castle. A massive, dark castle with towers that pierced the cloudy sky like black spears.
"Welcome home," Theron said, but it didn't sound welcoming at all.
As I stepped out of the carriage, the castle doors slowly opened.
A figure stood in the entrance, backlit so I couldn't see his face. But I could feel his presence—powerful, cold, overwhelming.
Duke Cassian Nightborne.
And the moment our eyes met, everything inside me exploded.
Golden light burst from my hands. The ground beneath my feet cracked. And in my head, a voice screamed: "HE'S HERE! THE BLOODLINE! AFTER THREE HUNDRED YEARS, I'VE FOUND YOU AGAIN!"
I collapsed to my knees, gasping, as power I didn't understand tore through my body.
The Duke walked forward, his ice-blue eyes wide with shock.
"Impossible," he whispered. "You're... you're her."
Then his curse mark—a black symbol on his neck—began to glow bright red.
And he collapsed right in front of me.