POV: Sera
"Let her go."
My voice didn't sound like mine. It was cold. Hard. The voice of someone who had nothing left to lose.
Morvana's smile widened. "Oh, I don't think so. Not until we come to an arrangement."
Luna's eyes met mine above the gag, and I saw her trying to shake her head. Trying to tell me not to do whatever Morvana wanted.
But she didn't understand. I'd already lost everything—my company, my family, my life. I wasn't losing Luna too.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Sera, no!" Kael grabbed my arm. "Don't negotiate with her. It's a—"
"Trap?" Morvana laughed. "Of course it's a trap, darling. But what choice does she have?" She pressed the knife closer to Luna's throat, and a thin line of blood appeared. "Here's my offer, Soulweaver. You come with me willingly. Let me study your power, teach you to use it properly. In exchange, I let your friend live. I even let you visit her occasionally, if you behave."
"Study my power?" I repeated. "You mean drain it from me."
"Semantics." Morvana shrugged. "You'll survive the process. Probably. Fifty-fifty chance, really."
Luna made a muffled sound behind the gag. Her eyes were furious now, not scared. That was so Luna—even with a knife to her throat, she was mad at the bad guy, not afraid.
"And if I refuse?" I asked.
"Then I kill your friend. Then I hunt down everyone else you've ever cared about. Your old neighbors. Your college professors. That nice barista who always remembered your coffee order." Morvana's eyes glittered. "I have a list, Sera. A very long list. And I have all the time in the world."
My hands clenched into fists. Violet light flickered around my fingers—that strange power I didn't know how to control.
"Don't," Kael whispered. "Your power is unstable. If you attack her, you might hit Luna by mistake."
He was right. I knew he was right. But watching Luna bleed while I did nothing was killing me.
"Ten seconds," Morvana said. "Then I start cutting. Ten... nine... eight..."
"Wait!" I stepped forward. "I'll do it. I'll come with you. Just let Luna go first."
"Sera, no!" Kael's grip on my arm tightened. "You can't trust her!"
"I don't have a choice!"
"Yes, you do." His amber eyes burned into mine. "Trust me. Let me handle this."
"Seven... six... five..."
"How?" I hissed. "She has a knife to Luna's throat! What can you possibly—"
Kael's expression shifted. Something cold and dangerous settled over his features—the emperor, not the man learning to feel.
"Four... three... two—"
"Morvana," Kael's voice cut through the room like ice. "You're making a mistake."
She paused. "Am I?"
"You think you're clever. Coming here. Threatening the mortal." He took a step forward, and his power filled the room—heavy, oppressive, ancient. "But you've forgotten something important."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"I'm the Undying Emperor." Another step. "I've ruled for three thousand years. Crushed rebellions. Destroyed armies. Made entire courts kneel with a word." His eyes glowed brighter. "Did you really think I'd let you waltz into my safe house without a plan?"
Morvana's smile faltered. "You're bluffing. This place has no defenses. I checked—"
The floor beneath her exploded with light.
Morvana screamed as silver chains—just like the ones that had bound Kael—shot up and wrapped around her legs. She dropped the knife, stumbling backward.
Luna dove forward, away from her captor.
Theron appeared from nowhere, catching Luna and pulling her to safety. "Got her!"
"How—" Morvana struggled against the chains. "This house was empty! I felt no magic!"
"Because I hid it." Kael's voice was cold as death. "The moment we arrived, I set traps throughout the building. I knew you'd come. You're predictable when you're desperate."
More chains erupted, wrapping around Morvana's arms and chest. She fought them, her own power flaring, but Kael's was stronger.
"You can't hold me forever!" she spat.
"I don't need forever. Just long enough." Kael turned to Theron. "Take the mortal girl somewhere safe. Heal her wounds."
Theron nodded, helping Luna stand. Her legs were shaking, and she was crying behind the gag, but she was alive.
I ran to her, pulling the gag from her mouth. "Luna! Are you okay?"
"Am I okay?" She laughed hysterically. "Sera, what the hell is happening? Who are these people? Where are we? Why does that guy have white hair and why is that psycho bitch wrapped in magic chains?"
"It's... complicated."
"Complicated? COMPLICATED?" Luna grabbed my shoulders. "I got dragged out of my apartment by monsters! Actual monsters with fangs and glowing eyes! They shoved me through a portal made of light! And now I'm in some weird purple-sky dimension and you're glowing and—" She stopped, staring at my hands. "Sera. Why are you glowing?"
I looked down. Violet light was pulsing from my palms, brighter than before.
"I can explain," I started.
"Sera!" Kael's urgent voice made me turn. "The chains won't hold her much longer. We need to leave. Now."
He was right. Morvana was already breaking through the silver bonds, her power cracking them one by one.
"This isn't over," she snarled at me. "I will have your power, Soulweaver. And when I do, I'll make you watch while I destroy everyone you love!"
"Get in line," I shot back. "Someone already beat you to it."
Kael grabbed my hand. Theron grabbed Luna. Finn appeared out of nowhere, looking excited.
"That was awesome!" Finn said. "Can we do it again?"
"Absolutely not," Theron muttered.
"Everyone hold on," Kael ordered.
Light exploded around us.
The world twisted and spun, and I felt Luna's hand grip mine so hard it hurt. When everything settled, we were somewhere completely different.
A massive hall with crystal pillars. Dozens of immortals staring at us. Whispers spreading like wildfire.
"The mortal..."
"He brought a mortal to court..."
"Two mortals now..."
"Is that the Soulweaver?"
Kael still held my hand, helping me steady myself. Luna looked around wildly, her mouth hanging open.
"Welcome to the Eternal Court," Kael said quietly. "My home. And, for now, yours."
An elegant woman stepped forward from the crowd. She was beautiful—sharp features, cold blue eyes, silver dress that looked like it cost more than my old apartment. She looked at me like I was dirt on her expensive shoes.
"Your Majesty," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You've returned. And with... guests. How unexpected."
"Lady Elara," Kael said neutrally. "These are my guests, yes. They're under my protection."
"Of course." Lady Elara's smile grew sharper. "Though I must say, bringing mortals to court is quite... unusual. Especially after the incident with Lady Morvana. The court is unsettled enough without adding more complications."
"The complications started with Morvana's betrayal," Kael replied coldly. "Not with my guests."
More whispers. I felt dozens of eyes on me, judging, calculating. Luna pressed closer to my side.
"Still," Lady Elara continued, "the court will have questions. A mortal in the Undying Emperor's chambers? A mortal he protects so fiercely that he's willing to start a war?" Her eyes gleamed with malice hidden behind false concern. "People might get the wrong idea."
"Let them." Kael's grip on my hand tightened. "Sera Winters is under my personal protection. Anyone who harms her answers to me."
The whispers got louder. Shocked. Scandalized.
"Your Majesty," an old man stepped forward, "with all respect, the court needs clarity. What is this mortal to you?"
Kael opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, a young voice called out.
"She's the one who broke his curse!"
Everyone turned. Finn stood on a balcony above, grinning like he'd just dropped the best gossip ever.
"That's right!" Finn continued. "The Undying Emperor can feel again! I saw him smile! He even laughed once! All because of her!" He pointed at me dramatically.
The hall erupted.
"Impossible!"
"The curse can't be broken!"
"Three thousand years and a mortal broke it?"
"What kind of mortal—"
"She's a Soulweaver," someone else shouted. "I heard Morvana say it!"
The whispers turned to shouts. Everyone talking at once. Some looked amazed. Others looked hungry. A few looked terrified.
Luna leaned close to me. "Sera? What's a Soulweaver? And why do these people look at you like you're either a miracle or a weapon?"
"Both," Kael answered grimly. "She's both."
Lady Elara's false smile dropped completely. "A Soulweaver. Here. In the Eternal Court." She turned to the crowd. "Do you understand what this means? She could manipulate any of us! Force us to do whatever she wants! She's dangerous!"
"She's under my protection," Kael repeated, his voice dangerous now.
"But Your Majesty, the risk—"
"The risk is mine to take."
"Is it?" Another voice joined the argument. A man with dark hair and darker eyes. "Or does it belong to all of us? If Morvana wants this girl's power, she won't stop attacking. She'll bring armies. Destroy courts. Kill thousands." He looked at me with cold calculation. "Perhaps it would be wiser to... remove the temptation."
My blood ran cold. Remove the temptation. He meant kill me.
Luna grabbed my arm. "Sera, these people are talking about murdering you like it's a board meeting vote!"
"I noticed," I whispered.
Kael's power exploded through the hall, making the crystal pillars shake. "NO ONE touches her. Is that clear?"
Silence fell. Heavy. Tense.
Then Lady Elara spoke again, her voice smooth as silk. "Of course, Your Majesty. We would never question your judgment." She looked at me. "Though I do wonder... what makes this particular mortal so special? Worth starting a war over?"
It was a trap. I could see it in her eyes. Whatever Kael answered would be used against us.
But before he could speak, someone else arrived.
The crowd parted like magic.
A woman walked through—tall, powerful, with silver hair that flowed like water and eyes that held the weight of ages. She wore armor made of starlight, and every immortal in the hall bowed their head as she passed.
Even Kael bowed slightly.
"Grandmother," he said quietly.
Grandmother? I looked between them. This woman looked maybe forty. How could she be—
Oh. Right. Immortals.
The woman stopped in front of me and studied my face with eyes that saw everything. Saw through me.
"So," she said, her voice like music and thunder combined. "You're the one who broke my grandson's curse."
I swallowed hard. "I... I didn't mean to. I just tried to help—"
"I know what you did." She reached out and touched my cheek with one finger. "I also know what you are. Soulweaver. Last of your line. Hunted. Afraid. Powerful beyond your understanding."
"I'm not powerful," I whispered. "I can't even control it."
"Not yet." Her smile was mysterious. "But you will. The question is—will you use that power to help my grandson? Or destroy him?"
"I would never—"
"Everyone destroys the ones they care about eventually." She pulled her hand back. "Some with betrayal. Some with love. Some with good intentions that lead to terrible consequences." Her eyes shifted to Kael. "Tell me, grandson. Why did you bring her here? The truth."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Because she saved my life. Because Morvana wants to use her. Because she has nowhere else safe to go."
"And?"
"And..." He looked at me, and his amber eyes were intense. "And because when I'm near her, I feel alive for the first time in three thousand years. She makes me feel."
The hall gasped. Even Kael's grandmother raised her eyebrows.
"I see," she said slowly. "This is more complicated than I thought."
She turned back to me. "You have a choice, child. Stay here and learn to control your power. Let Kael protect you. But know that by staying, you're choosing a side in a war you don't understand. You'll make enemies. Powerful ones. Your life will never be simple again."
"My life stopped being simple the moment my fiancé betrayed me," I said.
She smiled. "Good answer. I like you." She addressed the hall. "The Soulweaver stays. Under the protection of House Noctis. Anyone who harms her will answer to me personally."
The whispers started again, but quieter. More respectful. Whatever this woman was, she terrified even the other immortals.
She started to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Kael?"
"Yes, Grandmother?"
"Next time you want to bring a mortal to court, perhaps give me advance warning? Some of us like to prepare for these things." Her eyes twinkled. "Though I must admit, it's been centuries since court was this entertaining."
She disappeared in a flash of light.
Lady Elara looked furious. The dark-haired man looked calculating. Finn was grinning like this was the best day of his life.
Luna leaned close to me. "Sera? I have so many questions. Starting with—why does that terrifying old lady remind me of your mom?"
My heart stopped.
She was right. Something about Kael's grandmother—the way she looked at me, the way she smiled—reminded me exactly of my mother.
But that was impossible.
Wasn't it?
Before I could process that thought, Theron appeared at Kael's side, his expression urgent.
"Your Majesty," he said quietly. "We have a problem."
"What now?" Kael sighed.
"Morvana escaped the safe house. She's gathered her forces." Theron paused. "And she's not alone anymore. She's allied with someone from the mortal realm. Someone who wants Sera dead as much as she does."
My blood turned to ice. "Who?"
Theron pulled out a phone—an actual modern phone in this impossible realm—and showed me the screen.
It was a news article. From the mortal world. Posted one hour ago.
The headline read: "SERA WINTERS SPOTTED ALIVE—$500,000 REWARD FOR CAPTURE"
And the face in the photo, the one offering the reward?
Marcus.
My ex-fiancé had just put half a million dollars on my head.
And judging by Theron's expression, things were about to get much, much worse.