******Harper's POV
The wedding chamber was unnervingly quiet.
No music. No servants. No ceremonial warmth that should have followed a union meant to bind two realms. Just the soft glow of enchanted candles and Kael—sitting across from me, unmoving, his gaze fixed on my face as though he were trying to peel me apart layer by layer.
I folded my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking.
Does he know?
The thought echoed in my mind like a bell struck too hard. The hairpin burned faintly against my scalp, a constant reminder that my memories were no longer fractured shadows. I remembered everything now—too much, perhaps. Ravenna's whispers had gone silent, but the knowledge she left behind was sharp and dangerous.
Kael said nothing.
He just stared.
I tried to read his expression, but Kael had always been good at masks. The same man who had once saved me, comforted me, promised me safety, was the same one who had chained me to a fate I never chose.
Finally, he moved.
Slowly, deliberately, he stood and walked toward me. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, every instinct screaming at me to prepare for the worst. But instead of drawing a weapon or casting a spell, he stopped a step away and extended his hand toward me.
"Dance with me," he said softly.
I blinked. "Again?"
A faint smile curved his lips. "Yes. Again."
Suspicion coiled tightly in my chest, but I forced myself to remain calm. Refusing him now would only raise questions I wasn't ready to answer. Whatever Kael was planning, I needed time—time to think, time to understand what had happened to Natalie, time to figure out how to survive this marriage.
I placed my hand in his.
His grip was warm, steady, almost gentle, as though none of the horrors beneath his calm surface existed. He drew me closer, guiding me into slow, measured steps across the chamber floor. The dance felt intimate in a way that made my skin prickle—not because it was tender, but because it felt like a test.
I kept my expression neutral, my thoughts racing.
If he knows I remember… this is a trap.
If he doesn't… then this is my chance.
Kael's eyes never left mine as we moved, his thumb brushing lightly over my knuckles, as though memorizing the feel of my hand.
And for the first time since the wedding, I realized something chilling.
This dance wasn't about affection.
It was about control.
******Author's POV
Deep beneath the demon castle, far from the laughter and celebration above, screams echoed through the underground dungeon.
Chains rattled.
Natalie's body was slumped against cold stone, her breaths shallow as Seraphina stood before her, cane in hand. Each strike landed with calculated cruelty—not hurried, not frenzied, but precise.
"You will do as I say," Seraphina murmured, her voice deceptively calm. "If you wish to continue living."
Natalie lifted her head weakly, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. "I won't, you can kill me, but I won't help you hurt her."
Seraphina's smile widened.
Another strike.
Still, Natalie refused.
At last, Seraphina leaned down, close enough to whisper into her ear—words spoken so softly they were swallowed by the dungeon walls.
Whatever she said made Natalie's eyes widen in pure terror.
Her defiance shattered.
"I—" Natalie swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "I'll do it."
Seraphina straightened, her laughter ringing through the dungeon, sharp and victorious.
"Good girl," she said sweetly.
*****Author's POV
The next morning, the witch's castle was heavy with unease.
Ellis paced the length of the grand hall, her footsteps sharp against the marble floor. Her magic flared and dimmed erratically, betraying the fear she refused to voice aloud.
Then the air shifted.
Zareth appeared without warning, his presence as overwhelming as ever.
Ellis rushed toward him. "What are we going to do?" she demanded. "Harper is trapped, Natalie is missing, and Kael—"
"I have to leave," Zareth interrupted quietly. "But I will return when you truly need me."
Ellis froze, then let out a bitter laugh.
"Leave?".
"Yes. I have to go". Zareth answered.
"What about the matter at hand. Won't you help with that?"
"It hasn't gotten out of hands yet. I'll be back soon".
"Don't be so heartless Zareth!". Ellis screamed.
"Ellis, please.....
She shook her head. "You always do that. Why are you running now, Zareth? Or are you finally afraid of Kael?"
That did it.
In a flash, Zareth's hand closed around her throat, lifting her off the ground. His eyes burned crimson with restrained fury.
"You don't know anything," he snarled.
Ellis laughed even as she struggled for breath. "So I was right."
His grip tightened for a heartbeat longer—then he dropped her.
Zareth turned away, his voice shaking with something dangerously close to pain. "I am not afraid of Kael," he said. "I am afraid of myself. I swore to my father I would never harm him… and I don't know what will happen if I break that promise."
Ellis pushed herself up, coughing. "And what about Harper? What about Natalie? They're your cousins. Are you going to watch them die?"
"No," Zareth said firmly. "I will find a solution to—"
He stopped.
Ellis frowned. "To what?"
Zareth said nothing. He turned to leave, then paused once more.
"Tell Harper this," he said quietly. "No matter what happens… she must never fall in love with Kael."
Ellis stared after him, confused and shaken, as he vanished into thin air. How does that even make sense?
The warning lingered in the air like a curse.