🔁 Previously…
On the third night, Kaethe came for Lynx with the dagger he'd once gifted her.
She claimed she wasn't there to kill — but to shatter the ghost he'd become.
Her attack ended when Thalia, the Sixth, appeared, shadows coiling in fury.
Kaethe's weapon was ripped from her hand, her intent laid bare to the harem.
Now, trust lies in pieces, and the camp is colder than ever.
🌒 The Weight of the Morning
No one spoke at dawn.
The fire had burned down to smoldering embers, the smell of ash clinging to everything.
Kaethe sat apart, her back to the group, the sunlight tracing the edges of her silhouette.
Her dagger — the dagger — lay on the ground beside her, untouched.
Cerys stayed near the horses, tending to them longer than necessary, her eyes cutting toward Kaethe every few minutes.
Rika avoided both women entirely, busying herself with packing, her jaw tight.
And Lynx?
He sat at the edge of camp, Nyxfang across his knees, the mask in his hand, staring into nothing. The events of the night replayed over and over, each memory twisting tighter around his chest.
🩸 Thalia's Claim
Thalia didn't sit. She didn't rest.
She moved around the camp with quiet ownership, her presence unmistakable — and unchallenged.
When she passed Kaethe, the healer flinched.
"Enjoy the sun while you can," Thalia murmured without stopping. "It's a fleeting warmth."
Kaethe's fingers curled into fists, but she didn't respond.
Thalia stopped behind Lynx, resting one cold hand on his shoulder.
"You should have let me deal with her last night," she said softly.
"And what would you have done?"
She leaned close, lips brushing the edge of his ear.
"Ended the problem."
⚔️ Division
That night, the harem didn't eat together.
Cerys and Rika sat on one side of the fire, talking in low voices. Kaethe stayed in the shadows, her eyes darting to Thalia every so often.
Thalia sat next to Lynx, her body angled toward him, every movement a quiet declaration that he was hers.
The Seer watched it all with that far-off, haunted gaze. She hadn't spoken since the betrayal.
When the fire died, the silence was so heavy it felt like a third presence in every tent.
🌑 The Seer Speaks Again
It was just before dawn when Lynx felt the cold. Not the night air — but something sharper.
The Seer was standing outside his tent.
Her voice was a whisper, but it carried like a blade.
"She will not stop.
Not until she has hollowed you and filled you with herself.
But she is not the only one who waits in the dark."
"Who else?" Lynx asked.
"The one you once trusted most.
Her hands will carry your heart… or crush it."
The Seer's eyes rolled back, her voice dropping lower.
"Choose quickly, Sovereign. The war within will burn hotter than the war without."
🌓 Marked
Later that day, while the others scouted ahead, Thalia cornered Lynx.
Her fingers brushed the inside of his wrist, leaving behind a faint, glowing sigil.
"What is that?" he asked.
"My mark," she said simply. "It means you cannot be taken from me."
He pulled his arm back. "You don't own me."
Her smile was slow and dangerous.
"We'll see."
🌘 Next Chapter — "The Seventh Sin"
The harem's rift deepens.
Kaethe seeks an ally.
Thalia's mark begins to change Lynx in ways he doesn't yet understand.
And in the shadows, a new player watches… waiting to strike.
❤️🔥 Still gripped by the tension?
Bookmark Chapter 12
Comment: Is Thalia protecting Lynx or claiming him?
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