“Because you’re bonded to Astrafel,” Octavia says, her voice dropping as she shoves another piece of clothing at me. “When Kian orchestrated that hybrid attack, when you died, that’s when the bond snapped into place fully. He degraded your essence deliberately, hoping to trigger something. And it worked.”
The room tilts and my stomach rebels as the memory crashes in: that night, the fire in my blood, the darkness that wasn’t empty. It hadn’t been only death I’d felt, but something else watching. And now that presence shifts inside me, sharper, more distinct, as if naming it has severed it from my own churning emotions.
“What are you—”
“We don’t have time for the full story,” Octavia cuts me off, pulling something from her dress pocket. “Everything you know about blood magic is a lie. The history. The doctrine. All rewritten. Blood magic was a curse, but not out of malice. It was a restraint. Astrafel imposed a blood cost so humanity would remember the weight of power. Every spell came with a consequence. Because without it, we destroy ourselves.”
I shove the dark shirt over my head and drag on a pair of black jeans, the fabric a little worn at the knees. My breath comes unsteady, my mind reeling with revelations that feel impossible and yet undeniably true, pieces of a puzzle I hadn’t realized I was solving suddenly clicking into place.
Octavia presses a folded photograph into my hand. Her voice lowers.
“Your mother knew. She was born in the Wastes. Her bloodline was meant to preserve balance, but she betrayed that duty. She made a deal with Kian, offered you as the key.” Her eyes soften slightly. “She didn’t love you the way she should have. But before she died, she changed sides and came to me. Apex was only the beginning. They needed Astrafel. That was always the goal.”
“The explosion,” my voice breaks. “It wasn’t an accident.”
“No. And Kian wasn’t in the car that day.”
I freeze. “You were?”
“Yes.” Her voice is steady. “Your mother believed that destroying the lab, the research, would end it. She tried to erase the blueprint and made me promise to protect you. To pull you out, if everything fell apart.” Octavia steps back, gaze locked on mine. “You don’t deserve to die for her mistakes.”
“My father, did he know?”
“No.” Octavia’s voice turns sharp. “He was brilliant, ambitious, a man hungry to rise above his station. But he never learned the truth. Your mother couldn’t tell him. The binding contract Kian forced on her . . . ” She pauses, a shadow crossing her face. “I was there when she signed it. My husband wanted me to witness, to keep an eye on her. What he didn’t foresee was that it would be his mistake, giving her a person she could actually speak to. The terms barred her from warning anyone else, especially you. That’s why, all those years, through every moment she might have told you what was coming, she was physically unable to speak the words.”
Margaux appears at my side, shoving a packed bag into my arms and two gleaming vials. “Glamour potion,” she explains quickly. “They’ll last maybe three hours each. Clothes, food, water, everything you need for a few days.”
“Apex was never about evolution,” Octavia continues urgently. “It’s a smokescreen. They don’t seek to control magic—they intend to rip it from Astrafel himself. To bring back the old world, but make sure they rule it this time. And you, with this bond active, are their map straight to him.”
“I still don’t understand—”
“You need to get to the sanctuary,” Octavia says. “It’s the only place they can’t touch you. Every region in Veldrith signed theaccord, making it neutral territory. Kian wouldn’t be foolish enough to march in there, not even with that marriage contract he’s been holding over your head.” Her lips curve into a knowing smirk. “Though I’m sure he conveniently forgot to mention it’s not binding until the actual ceremony. You’re not tied to him yet. He just needed you to believe you were.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Because I was born in Vairen,” she says. “But my family fled to the Wastes during the purges. These are my parents.” She hands me a folded photograph. “If they’re alive, they’ll help. If not, Vairen still remembers. They kept the old truths while Eclipsera rewrote history.”
I can’t process the layers of what she’s saying fast enough. The woman I’ve only known as Kian’s perfectly poised wife, suddenly unraveling into someone with depths I never imagined. A traitor. A guardian. Both.
“We’ve wasted enough time,” Margaux cuts in, checking the ornate timepiece for the third time. “Kane’s waiting outside. He knows the Lower Rings the way he knows which cards to palm at poker, and more importantly—” A rare genuine smile crosses her face. “You can actually trust him. Shocking, I know, finding honor among thieves.”
“You’re part of this?” I ask, still staring. “You?”
“Oh, please. You think I only excel at couture and blackmail?” She tosses her hair. “We’ll have a proper debrief with wine and knives next time I see you.”
“But Dom—” My voice catches on his name, guilt and fear tangling in my throat. “What will happen to him?”
“Despite what you might think, I’m not letting my only brother die.” Margaux’s voice sharpens. “Daddy dearest has a soft spot for me, and while he’s busy hunting you, I’ll get Dom out. Don’t worry about him. Focus on staying alive, we need you breathing for any of this to work.”
“The bond,” I turn back to Octavia, clutching her arm. “How do I control this?”
“You can’t.” Her reply is immediate. “Bonds of this kind aren’t studied or understood. Especially not one this ancient. From what your mother told me, Astrafel wasn’t even watching the incomplete connection. It was as if he were sleeping, ignoring it entirely.” Octavia’s voice drops, carrying the weight of something older than either of us. “But now? He’s awake. And when a bond activates without consent, the dominant force will always assert itself. The weaker host doesn’t realize they’re being overtaken until it’s already happening.”
“Unbelievable,” I breathe. Rage flashes hot behind my eyes. “So this thing can hijack my thoughts, override my will, and I’m just supposed to accept it?”
Margaux steers me toward the door, her grip gentle but insistent. I dig my heels in for a moment, the weight of what I’m about to do hitting me full force.
“Tell Dom,” I start, then stop, because what could I possibly say? That I’m sorry? That I love him, but I can’t stay? That the thought of leaving him here rips me in two? The words stick in my throat, inadequate and painful. “Just . . . don’t let Kian break him completely.”
