Cassian's POV
The Divine Hunter's sword came down fast.
I grabbed Seraphine and rolled us both to the side. The blade struck where we'd been standing, cracking the stone floor like it was made of paper.
My curse screamed through my body—the sudden movement made every nerve feel like it was on fire. But I didn't care. This girl was mine to protect.
"Stay behind me," I ordered Seraphine, pushing her toward the wall.
The angel pulled her sword free and turned to face us. Her white wings spread wide, and her armor gleamed with holy light. I'd heard stories about Divine Hunters—angels sent from the Celestial Court to capture or kill targets. But I'd never seen one in person.
I'd never wanted to.
"Duke Cassian Nightborne," the angel said, her voice cold and emotionless. "Step aside. The fallen one belongs to the heavens. This is not your concern."
"Everything that happens in my castle is my concern." I moved to put myself between her and Seraphine again. "And this girl is under my protection."
The angel's eyes narrowed. "You don't understand what she is. What she could become. She's dangerous."
"She's a servant girl."
"She's a goddess!" The angel's wings flared. "Three hundred years ago, she was cast down for her crimes. Now she's awakening. If she regains her full power, she'll destroy everything."
Behind me, I felt Seraphine trembling. Not from fear—from something else. The air around her was getting warmer, like standing near a fire.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Seraphine said, her voice shaking. "I'm not a goddess. I'm nobody."
"Liar!" The angel lunged forward.
I threw myself at her, grabbing her sword arm even though it burned my hands. She was stronger than any human—way stronger than me in my cursed state—but I held on.
"Run!" I shouted to Seraphine. "Get out of here now!"
"I can't leave you—"
"That's an order!"
The angel yanked her arm free and backhanded me across the face. I flew backward, hitting the wall hard enough to crack it. Pain exploded through my skull. Blood filled my mouth.
Through blurry vision, I saw the angel advancing on Seraphine, who stood frozen, her silver eyes wide with terror.
"Come peacefully," the angel commanded, "or I'll drag you back in chains. Either way, Supreme Goddess Celestia will have you."
Celestia. The name sparked something in my memory. The stories my grandfather told me before he died. About the goddess who betrayed her own sister.
The angel grabbed Seraphine's arm.
And everything exploded.
Golden light burst from Seraphine's body, so bright I had to shield my eyes. The angel screamed and stumbled backward, her armor smoking.
"Don't touch her!" Seraphine's voice had changed—deeper, more powerful. When I looked at her through my fingers, she was glowing. Actually glowing, like she'd swallowed the sun.
The angel recovered and raised her sword again. "So you do remember. Good. That makes this easier."
"I don't remember anything!" Seraphine cried, and I heard the girl again, not the goddess. "I don't know what I am! Please, just leave me alone!"
"The Supreme Goddess gave her orders. You must return."
"No!"
The golden light pulsed again, and this time it slammed into the angel like a physical force. The Divine Hunter crashed through the already-broken window and disappeared into the night.
Silence fell.
Seraphine stood in the middle of my room, shaking, tears streaming down her face. The golden glow was fading, leaving her looking small and scared again.
"I didn't mean to," she whispered. "I didn't know I could do that. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
I forced myself to stand, ignoring the way my vision swam. "Don't apologize. You just saved both our lives."
"But I hurt someone. I—"
"You defended yourself. There's a difference." I took a step toward her, and she flinched. That small movement made my chest ache worse than the curse ever did. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Everyone hurts me," she said softly. "Why would you be different?"
Because when I look at you, I feel alive for the first time in ten years. Because your presence makes the curse stop screaming. Because something deep in my soul recognizes you.
But I couldn't say any of that.
"Because you're mine to protect now," I said instead. "You're part of my household. And I protect what's mine."
She looked up at me, those silver eyes full of confusion and hope. "But I almost got you killed."
"I was dying anyway. At least this way it would've been interesting." I tried to smile, but my split lip made it hurt. "Besides, you're more useful alive than dead."
The door burst open. Theron rushed in with six guards, all armed. He took one look at the destroyed room and cursed. "What happened?"
"Divine Hunter," I said simply. "Looking for her."
Theron's face went pale. "The Celestial Court knows she's here?"
"Apparently." I touched my curse mark, which was throbbing painfully. "And they're not happy about it."
"We need to contact the royal court. Get protection—"
"No." I cut him off. "This stays between us. If word gets out that Divine Hunters are attacking my castle, every enemy I have will know I'm weak."
"You are weak," Theron said bluntly. "Your curse is killing you. You can barely stand. And now you've made an enemy of the heavens themselves by protecting this girl."
"Then I guess I'll die with enemies above and below." I looked at Seraphine. "Take her to the secure quarters. Post guards. No one gets in or out without my permission."
"Your Grace—" Seraphine started.
"That's not a request." I softened my tone slightly. "You'll be safe there. The walls are reinforced. Even Divine Hunters would have trouble breaking through."
Theron grabbed her arm—gently, I noticed—and started to lead her away. But she pulled free and ran back to me.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "For protecting me. Even though you don't know me."
Something in my chest tightened. "I know enough."
She left with Theron, and I finally let myself collapse into a chair. My hands were shaking. The curse was getting worse—the angel's attack had accelerated it somehow.
I had days left. Maybe a week if I was lucky.
And yet, for the first time since the curse began, I wanted to fight. I wanted to live.
Because that girl—goddess, servant, whatever she was—made me feel something other than pain.
Lyra appeared in the doorway, her eyes wide. "Your Grace, are you—"
"I'm fine. Get the healers." I touched my curse mark again, feeling how hot it was. "And bring me every book we have about the Goddess of Dawn. I need to know what we're dealing with."
Lyra hesitated. "The servants are talking. They say she's dangerous. That she brought the angels down on us."
"The servants can talk all they want. She stays." I met Lyra's eyes. "That's an order."
After she left, I sat alone in my destroyed room, thinking about silver eyes and golden light and a warmth I hadn't felt in a decade.
My grandfather's words came back to me: "Our family is cursed because we loved a goddess. But she was worth it, Cassian. She was worth everything."
I was starting to understand what he meant.
A knock interrupted my thoughts. "Enter."
An old woman shuffled in—not one of my servants. She wore a cloak covered in strange symbols, and her eyes were clouded with age. But when she looked at me, I felt like she could see straight through to my soul.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"I am the Oracle of Twilight." Her voice was ancient and creaky. "I've come to give you a warning, Duke Nightborne."
"I don't believe in prophecies."
"You will after this one." She moved closer. "The girl you're protecting—she is exactly who the Divine Hunter said she is. Astraea, Goddess of Dawn, cast down three hundred years ago. Your ancestor died trying to save her."
My heart pounded. "How do you know this?"
"Because I was there." The Oracle's eyes cleared for a moment, and I saw they were the same silver as Seraphine's. "I am her priestess, bound to serve her across all lifetimes. And I've been searching for her for three centuries."
"Then take her. Keep her safe from—"
"No." The Oracle shook her head. "You don't understand. She needs you as much as you need her. Your curse and her banishment are connected. They were designed to destroy you both."
Ice filled my veins. "What do you mean?"
"Your ancestor loved the goddess. Her sister, Celestia, was jealous. So she cursed your bloodline to suffer for generations." The Oracle touched my curse mark, and pain shot through me. "This curse? It's not random. It's specifically designed to activate when the goddess awakens. When she remembers who she is and tries to love again, you'll die."
No. No, that couldn't be true.
"So if she—if Seraphine—ever..." I couldn't finish the sentence.
"If she ever loves you, yes. The curse will consume you instantly." The Oracle's expression was sad. "Celestia made sure that the goddess would lose everything she cared about. Again."
I sat down heavily, my mind racing. So that was it. The warmth I felt around Seraphine, the way the curse pain faded—it wasn't healing. It was the calm before the storm.
"Then I'll keep my distance," I said firmly. "I won't let her—"
"Too late." The Oracle smiled sadly. "The bond has already started forming. Every moment you're near each other, it grows stronger. You can fight it, but fate has a way of winning."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"That's up to you." The Oracle moved toward the door. "But know this: in three days, the Celestial Court will send more hunters. Stronger ones. And they won't stop until they drag her back to face execution."
She vanished like smoke, leaving me alone with the worst news possible.
I was falling for a girl whose love would kill me.
And in three days, an army of angels would come to take her away.
I touched my curse mark and felt it burning hotter than ever.
Three days to figure out how to save a goddess.
Starting to think dying in six months would've been easier.
But as I remembered those silver eyes looking at me with trust—with hope—I knew I'd fight anyway.
Even if it killed me.
Especially if it killed me.
Because for the first time in ten years, I had something worth dying for.