Elara's POV
Six hours earlier
"Stop fidgeting," Vivienne snapped, yanking my hair harder than necessary. "You'll ruin everything."
I winced but didn't pull away. My sister stood behind me, weaving tiny crystals into my dark curls for tonight's ceremony. Her fingers moved with practiced skill, but every touch felt sharp. Angry.
"I'm just excited," I said softly, trying to catch her eyes in the mirror. "Aren't you happy for me?"
Vivienne's reflection smiled, but it looked like a wolf baring its teeth. "Of course. It's not every day your older sister becomes the most powerful witch in the family."
Something bitter dripped from those words. I turned to face her, but she'd already stepped back, admiring her work.
"There. Perfect." She touched a crystal near my temple. "Just like you always are."
Before I could ask what she meant, the door burst open. Ash bounded in, his shadow-wolf form filling half the room. He pressed his nose against my hand, and warmth flooded through our familiar bond.
Careful tonight, his voice whispered in my mind. The estate smells wrong. Too many predators.
"It's just the guests arriving," I told him, scratching behind his ears. "Important magical families always feel a bit dangerous."
Not like this. Ash's golden eyes fixed on Vivienne. Not from inside the pack.
Vivienne laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Still talking to your pet, Elara? When you get your full powers tonight, maybe you'll finally get a real familiar. Not just some oversized dog."
Heat rushed to my cheeks, but Ash growled deep in his chest.
"Ash is perfect," I said firmly. "He's been with me since I was seven. That's more loyalty than most people show."
"Loyalty." Vivienne turned the word over like it tasted bad. "Yes, I suppose that's all some of us have to offer."
She swept out of the room before I could respond, leaving me confused and hurt.
I don't trust her, Ash said.
"She's just jealous," I murmured, though the words felt hollow. "Once tonight is over, things will get better."
Ash didn't answer, which somehow felt worse than arguing.
The ballroom glittered with magic and money. Hundreds of guests filled our home—the most powerful witches and wizards in the realm, all dressed in their finest, all here to witness my ascension.
I should have felt proud. Excited. Instead, my stomach churned like I'd swallowed rocks.
"There's my beautiful bride-to-be." Caspian appeared beside me, pressing a champagne glass into my hand. He looked perfect in his black suit, his dark hair swept back, his smile bright enough to light the room.
But his eyes... when had they become so cold?
"Caspian." I tried to smile back. "I was looking for you."
"I've been greeting guests. Important people." He kissed my forehead, but it felt mechanical. Like checking off a box. "Your father wants the ceremony to start soon. Are you ready?"
"I think so." I took a sip of champagne to steady my nerves. "It's just... do you ever feel like something's about to go wrong?"
His laugh came too quickly. "Pre-ceremony jitters. Completely normal."
"Right. Normal." But nothing felt normal. Not the way Vivienne kept watching us from across the room. Not the way Father avoided my eyes. Not the way Caspian's hand on my waist felt more like a cage than comfort.
Ash pressed against my leg, solid and real.
We can leave, he urged. Right now. Before—
"Elara!" My best friend Mira pushed through the crowd, her face flushed. "I need to talk to you. Alone."
Caspian's fingers tightened on my waist. "Whatever you need to say can wait until after the ceremony."
"No, it really can't—" Mira started.
"It's fine," I interrupted, not wanting to cause a scene. "We'll talk later, Mira. I promise."
Mira's eyes went wide with something like panic. "Elara, please. Just five minutes. It's about—"
"The ceremony is starting!" Father's voice boomed across the ballroom.
The crowd shifted, forming a path toward the raised platform. The ancient magic circle carved into its floor began to pulse with soft blue light.
Caspian guided me forward, his hand firm on my back. Too firm.
Don't go up there, Ash begged. Elara, please. I'm begging you.
But everyone was watching. Waiting. How could I back out now?
I climbed the steps, legs shaking. Father stood at the center of the circle, his face unreadable. Vivienne and Caspian took positions on either side of him.
"Why are they up here?" I whispered to Father.
"Family tradition," he said flatly. "Your mother stood here for my ceremony. Your betrothed and sister will stand for yours."
That didn't sound right. Mother had told me different stories. But before I could question it, Father raised his hands.
"Elara Thornwood," his voice rang out. "On this night, you will receive your birthright."
The magic circle blazed brighter. Power hummed in the air, making my teeth ache.
I closed my eyes and waited for my magic to bloom.
Father's hands landed on my shoulders. Heavy. Wrong.
Then Caspian grabbed my left wrist.
Vivienne seized my right arm.
And in that split second before pain exploded through my body, I saw it—the truth written in their faces. The carefully planned positions. The dark magic already glowing in their palms.
This wasn't a power ceremony.
It was a trap.
"No—" I gasped.
Dark energy slammed into me from three directions at once. The crowd's gasps sounded distant, muffled. Ash's roar of fury barely registered.
Because I could feel it happening. Feel them stealing me. Not just my magic—my future, my trust, my love. Everything.
Caspian leaned close, his breath hot against my ear.
"Did you really think," he whispered, "that I would marry you for love?"
And as my magic began tearing away from my soul, I finally understood.
I'd never been the bride.
I'd always been the sacrifice.