The roar of the helicopter faded into the howl of the ocean.
Evelyn pressed her palm against the glass, staring down at the endless black water, waves crashing like furious beasts. The sky was a bruised gray, lightning splitting the clouds like shattered glass. Ahead, rising from the storm like a phantom, was an island.
Not just an island.
A fortress.
Steel and glass rose from jagged cliffs, guarded by turrets and blinking lights. The air crackled with security systems and something older—something Evelyn could feel in her bones. Power. Magic.
Damien's voice broke through the silence. "You're safe here."
She turned, her throat tight. "Safe? From Lucien?"
His silver gaze locked with hers. "For now."
The helicopter dipped lower, slicing through sheets of rain, and Evelyn's stomach knotted tighter. Everything about this place screamed danger—the kind wrapped in velvet and steel.
When they landed, Damien didn't wait. He scooped her into his arms before she could protest, carrying her through a glass corridor lined with flickering runes. Guards bowed as he passed, their expressions carved from stone.
She stared up at him, rain dripping from his jaw, tracing the sharp line of his throat. "Damien, I can walk—"
"No." His grip tightened. "You're bleeding."
She looked down—and saw the crimson streaks soaking her sleeve, mixing with the faint golden glow of her runes. She'd almost forgotten the cut, the pain dulled by adrenaline and fear. Now it throbbed with every beat of her heart.
He carried her into a vast chamber bathed in warm light and shadows. A fireplace roared at one end, throwing golden flames across the black marble floor. A bed dominated the space, draped in silk the color of blood.
He laid her down gently, his hands lingering for a fraction of a second too long.
"Stay here," he said softly. "I'll get the med kit."
She caught his wrist. "Damien…"
He froze, muscles taut.
"Lucien said something," she whispered. "About the curse. About me choosing him."
His jaw tightened like steel. "Don't listen to him."
"But he sounded so certain." Her voice trembled. "Is it true? If I don't break this curse, I'll—"
His mouth crashed against hers before she could finish.
It wasn't gentle.
It was fire, consuming and ruthless, like he was trying to burn the question from her lips, to brand her with a promise he couldn't speak. Her hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer even as fear clawed at her chest.
When he tore his mouth away, his breath was harsh, his forehead pressed to hers. "You're mine," he rasped. "Do you understand? As long as I breathe, you will never belong to him."
Her heart thundered. "Damien…"
He kissed her again, softer this time—like a vow—before pulling away, his silver eyes dark and stormy.
"I need to heal you," he said hoarsely. "Before the magic eats through your veins."
She shivered. "What does that mean?"
He didn't answer. He just crossed the room, grabbed a sleek black case, and came back to her side. Inside was a vial filled with liquid gold.
Evelyn's breath caught. "What is that?"
"Bloodroot serum," he said, his voice low. "It'll stop the curse from spreading—for now."
He knelt by her, his fingers brushing her sleeve. "May I?"
She nodded, her pulse skittering like a trapped bird.
He rolled the fabric back, revealing the wound. It glowed faintly, the runes pulsing around it like veins of molten light. Damien's jaw clenched. He uncapped the vial, dipped a blade-thin needle, and pressed it to her skin.
The sting was sharp—but the rush that followed stole her breath. Warmth spread through her veins, flooding her body like liquid fire. Her vision blurred, her heartbeat slowing… shifting.
And then she saw it.
Not with her eyes.
With something deeper.
A memory—or a vision—flashed across her mind: a blood-red moon hanging over a battlefield, corpses burning, and a woman who looked like her screaming as chains of light dragged her to the ground.
Damien's voice broke through the haze, soft but fierce. "Stay with me."
Her eyes flew open, locking on his.
"What did you see?" he demanded.
She swallowed hard. "A woman. She looked like me. And chains—Damien, what does it mean?"
His silence told her everything.
Before she could push, the door burst open.
Damien was on his feet in a heartbeat, his body shielding hers as a man stepped inside.
Lucien's spy.
Except this wasn't Lucien.
It was a face Evelyn knew.
And trusted.
Her heart stopped.
"Adrian?" she whispered.
The man she'd once called a friend smiled slowly, his eyes glinting like a predator's. "Hello, Evelyn."
Evelyn's breath hitched as Adrian stepped fully into the room, the door hissing shut behind him. His once-boyish smile had sharpened into something predatory, his green eyes glittering with cruel amusement.
Damien didn't move an inch, his body a wall of steel between Evelyn and the intruder. "How the hell did you get in here?"
Adrian's gaze slid over Damien before landing on Evelyn like a caress. "You always underestimate me, Wolfe. That's your greatest weakness." His smile widened, revealing the cold edge beneath it. "And her greatest mistake."
Evelyn forced her voice through the lump in her throat. "Adrian… why? You—you worked for my family. You were my friend—"
"Friend?" His laugh was sharp, bitter. "You think this is about friendship?" His eyes burned as he stepped closer. "Your father destroyed my family. Everything I ever cared about—gone. Because of him. And now…" His gaze flicked to Damien. "Because of him."
Damien's voice was lethal calm. "Step away, Adrian. You're not walking out of here alive."
Adrian's grin didn't falter. "Maybe not. But neither is she."
The flash of silver was so fast Evelyn almost didn't see it. A blade, etched with glowing runes, appeared in Adrian's hand. Its edge shimmered like liquid fire, the curse singing through the air.
Damien moved in a blur.
Steel clashed against steel as Damien drew a hidden blade from his coat, their weapons colliding in a burst of sparks. The sound was deafening—metal ringing, boots scraping against the marble floor, the grunt of muscle meeting muscle.
Evelyn scrambled back against the bed, her pulse roaring in her ears. Every strike sent shockwaves through her bones, every blow a reminder that one slip could mean death.
"Stay down!" Damien barked, parrying a vicious slash aimed at his throat.
Adrian lunged low, spinning with deadly grace. "You can't protect her forever, Wolfe!" he snarled, his blade grazing Damien's ribs. Blood bloomed dark against Damien's shirt.
"Damien!" Evelyn cried.
He didn't flinch. He drove his fist into Adrian's jaw, the impact snapping the other man's head to the side. Adrian staggered—but only for a heartbeat. Then he laughed, spitting blood onto the floor.
"Strong," Adrian sneered. "But not strong enough."
And then—he vanished.
No warning. No sound. Just gone.
Damien froze, his blade up, eyes scanning the shadows.
Evelyn's heart stuttered. "Where—"
A whisper against her ear. "Hello, Eve."
She spun—but too late.
Adrian was behind her, his arm like iron around her throat, the cursed blade pressing against her collarbone. The runes on the steel pulsed, resonating with the marks on her skin, sending a burning jolt through her veins.
Damien's face turned to stone. "Let her go."
Adrian's grip tightened. "Or what? You'll kill me?" He dragged Evelyn back toward the door, the edge of the blade biting into her skin. "She's the key, Wolfe. The bloodline. The power you've been hiding from her."
Evelyn's head jerked toward Damien, her voice breaking. "What is he talking about?"
Damien's eyes—those silver eyes she had begun to trust—burned with something dark. Something dangerous. "Evelyn, don't—"
Adrian's laugh was low, cruel. "He didn't tell you?" His lips brushed her ear, poison-soft. "That the curse binding you—the one that will kill you in ninety days—was sealed by his family?"
Her world tilted. "No…"
Damien's jaw clenched. "Don't listen to him."
But Adrian's voice cut like glass. "He needs you to break it, Evelyn. Not because he loves you—because without you, his entire bloodline dies."
Her heart fractured.
Damien's voice cracked like thunder. "Enough!"
He lunged—but Adrian moved like smoke. The blade slashed—and Evelyn screamed as the cursed steel sliced across her shoulder. Fire tore through her body, the runes blazing like molten chains.
And then—everything exploded.
A shockwave of golden light burst from her skin, hurling Adrian across the room like a rag doll. He slammed into the wall with a sickening crack, blood trailing from his lips—but his smile never faded.
"Stronger than I thought," he rasped, pushing to his feet. "Good. Lucien will be pleased."
And before Damien could reach him—Adrian was gone.
The room fell silent except for Evelyn's ragged breathing.
She collapsed to her knees, clutching her glowing shoulder, her vision swimming. The runes burned like a living brand, crawling across her skin, up her neck, searing into her bones.
Damien was there in an instant, dropping to his knees, his hands cupping her face. "Evelyn. Look at me."
Tears blurred her eyes. "Is it true?" Her voice was a broken whisper. "Did your family do this to me?"
His throat worked, his jaw clenched so tight it might break.
"Damien," she begged, her voice raw. "Tell me the truth."
For a heartbeat, silence stretched like a blade between them.
And then—he said it.
"Yes."
The word shattered her world.
Her breath caught, a sob tearing from her throat as she ripped herself from his arms, stumbling back. "You… you used me."
"No!" His voice cracked, raw and fierce. "I never—Evelyn, listen to me. I swore to protect you. Everything I've done—everything—was to keep you alive."
"Alive for what?" Her scream echoed through the room, wild with grief and rage. "For your bloodline? For your curse?"
The power inside her surged, golden flames licking at her skin, crackling through the air. The glass walls trembled, the marble floor splitting beneath her feet.
"Evelyn—" Damien reached for her.
"Don't touch me!" she cried, the force of her magic blasting him back, slamming him into the wall. His breath left him in a harsh grunt, blood trailing down his jaw.
Her chest heaved, tears mingling with firelight as she stared at him—the man who had kissed her like she was his salvation, the man who had chained her with secrets.
And then—she turned.
And walked out.
Into the storm.