Hot tears spilled down my cheeks, burning my skin as I crumbled to the floor. I sobbed uncontrollably, the pain in my chest so immense I could barely draw breath.
But amid the agony, something else stirred—something darker.
A simmering rage that twisted around my grief like thorns.
In that moment, I decided—dark, absolute, and merciless.
I would raise this child in my image. With my cunning. My wrath. My thirst for vengeance.
Together, we would conquer the world, bathe it in fear and chaos.
But I had no idea…how wrong I would be.
Chapter 36
Alina
My feet pounded against the pavement as I raced home, breath shallow, eyes darting over my shoulder. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching me. The test results burned in my pocket like a curse I couldn’t outrun.
I burst through the door into our cozy kitchen. Jack’s back was to me, sleeves rolled up, busy at the stove. The scent of sizzling meat and fresh herbs filled the air, grounding me for a moment—but not enough to steady my nerves.
I breathed, trying to gather the courage that kept slipping through my fingers.
“Jack,” I said, my voice shaking. “I have news. From the doctor.”
He turned instantly, concern etched into his features. “What is it?”
I hesitated. And then, like ripping off a bandage, I blurted, “I’m pregnant.”
For a heartbeat, the world stood still.
Then Jack’s face lit up. His whole body seemed to come alive with joy. “That’s incredible!” he said, rushing forward to hug me tightly. “Alina, this is—this is amazing!”
“I don’t want it,” I said flatly.
He pulled back just enough to see my face. “What? Are you serious? We can take a break from the dagger hunt. We can slow down, focus on the baby, on us?—”
“I’ll be a terrible mother,” I interrupted. “We don’t need a child to make us whole, Jack.”
I sank onto the sofa, every bone in my body heavy with dread.
He followed, sitting beside me, his voice quieter now. “I want this child,” he said. “I’ve been feeling so lost lately, and now… this feels like hope. Like something real. Something to hold onto.”
I looked away, unable to meet the warmth in his eyes. “But I don’t want a baby,” I whispered. “Please don’t make me do this.”
Maybe the baby would bring Jack happiness.
But what about mine?
A child would ruin everything I’d built, everything I’d buried. It would tie me down in a world I didn’t trust, surrounded by enemies I couldn’t defeat. Zara’s laughter echoed in my mind, a stinging reminder of the torment waiting for me if she or the Scholar ever learned the truth. Visions of punishment, of blood and agony, haunted me. And Balthazar—if he ever found out what I’d done to his lover…
My heart thundered in my chest, each beat laced with panic.
Still, in the end, my decision was not born of hope, but of survival.
I would keep the child.
Not for love.
