Elis
I sat alone in my chamber, staring at the flickering candle on my desk. The room was quiet, save for the occasional crackle of the fire in the hearth. But inside me, there was no stillness. The new anti-witch laws had been passed earlier today. They are stricter and harsher than before. Magic was now a crime unless sanctioned by the crown. Any unauthorized use of spells, even for healing, would be punishable by exile… or death.
My jaw clenched. The council had demanded it. The assassination attempt, the cursed Alpha who aged in death, the shadow that crept into my chambers…all of it had fueled their fear. And I had let it happen. I let them win. But I couldn't stop thinking about her. Lily. She had saved my life more times than I could count. She calmed the beast in me. She understood me when I barely understood myself. She was more than a bond, more than a love. She was magic.
I had always sensed it; when she expelled that creature from the woods, when she sensed danger before it struck, when she healed wounds that should have killed me. Her presence stilled something wild in me. My fingers curled into a fist. She's one of them.
I rose abruptly, crossing to the window, the moon casting a soft glow across the kingdom I was supposed to protect. My kingdom. A kingdom that had just declared war on her kind. Would she be safe now? Would the council turn on her if they found out? And what would I do if they did? The answer was already burning in my chest. I would burn the entire council to the ground before I let them lay a finger on her.
But I had to be careful. She might not even realize what she truly is…not yet. And I couldn't scare her. I couldn't lose her. My hands tightened on the window frame. Damn these laws. I just prayed they wouldn't cost me the only person who had ever truly mattered.
Lily's pov
I woke with a start, my breath shallow and slow, my skin still humming with the remnants of the vision. It hadn't faded like a dream. No…this was something else. The truth it carried was etched into me, unshakable.
I knew. I knew what had to be done. The next step wasn't just clear, it felt inevitable. As if it had always been waiting for me to catch up. I pressed my hand to my chest, grounding myself with the steady beat of my heart. No more fear. No more second-guessing. Everything in Miriam's diary, every suspicion I'd buried, had been confirmed. But the truth was heavier than I expected.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, the chill of the floor grounding me. The scent of herbs and soil drifted in from the garden. But there was something else now, too. Change. I stood, curling my hands into fists. I wasn't running anymore. I wasn't hiding. I was chosen.
A Week Later. I didn't realize how long I'd been inside until the ache in my stomach dragged me out of my thoughts and into the corridor. My steps felt light, but my mind was heavy with everything I'd uncovered.
The kitchen was quiet, the scent of roasted meat and fresh bread teasing my senses. I filled a tray, barely registering what I picked up, and turned to leave.
"Lily!"
I turned, surprised to see Sara hurrying toward me, her face lighting up with concern.
"You've been locked away so long, I thought you'd vanished into thin air." She tried to joke, but her voice carried something serious underneath. "Have you heard the latest rumors?"
I raised a brow. "Do I look like I've had time for rumors?"
She leaned closer, voice hushed. "It's not just gossip. It's law."
I stopped. "Law?"
Sara nodded, her expression dark. "The King passed new magic laws. Harsh ones. Anyone caught using magic, any kind, gets arrested. If they resist... they're executed."
My grip tightened on the tray. I kept my face calm. "I see."
Sara stared at me, expecting shock. Panic. Anything. But I didn't flinch. "You don't seem surprised."
I gave her a tired smile. "Why would I be? Marlick's always been wary of magic."
"But this is different," she said. "The council is scared. People are scared. And scared people do stupid things."
I started walking again. "That's what rulers do, Sara. They make decisions to keep their kingdoms safe."
She walked beside me in silence, then stopped outside my door. "Just... be careful, okay?"
I met her gaze. "I always am."
When she left, I shut the door behind me and set the tray down. I took a deep breath and let the silence wash over me before eating with deliberate calm. Once the last bite was gone, I stood and walked to the mirror. The laws weren't just about control. They were about me. I was what they feared.
I undressed slowly, letting the water from the bathtub wash over me. I didn't just feel clean—I felt forged anew. When I put on the deep pink dress, the fabric felt like armor. I stared at myself in the mirror. I knew exactly what I needed to do. And no law, no fear, not even Elis himself, was going to stop me.