"Tilly, it doesn’t work that way in Elora,” Seraphina said softly. “Some bonds are written long before we are born. The brothers were not free to choose you, they were summoned to find you.” She stepped closer, her expression almost pitying.
“And now that they have, you must bind with one of them. That is the law of the Elysium Bloodline.”
“Let’s assume for a minute that I don’t think this is insane.” I did. “I believe it’s my destiny to choose one of the Elysium brothers. That still doesn’t tell me how I’m meant to make the decision and bind to them.”
“You’ll know the right decision in your heart, Tilly. You must trust yourself. But be careful. A wrong choice carries consequences for you, and for them.”
My head throbbed, not just from fatigue but from the weight of everything I wasn’t ready to handle.
"This is overwhelming," I said tiredly. I’m being asked to choose someone I don’t know for reasons I don’t understand, in a world that doesn’t feel real. "How would you feel if you were in my position?"
"But I do know how you feel," Seraphina replied with an understanding smile. "When I first came to Sternwacht Manor, this was my room. I was like you, young, beautiful, and veryfrightened. I know exactly what you’re feeling because I’ve stood where you stand."
Surprised, I looked carefully at her. She looked like she could be in her fifties yet moved and spoke like someone younger.
"How are you connected to the brothers? I don’t understand your relationship with them. Are you bound to them to?”
Seraphina sighed and gazed at me with searching eyes. "Some truths must come in their own time. You’re exhausted. You must rest now. You’ll learn more once you’ve settled here."
The door clicked shut as she left. Alone again. Just me, the shadows and the silence.
TEN
CAGED BENEATH STARS
Itossed and turned, haunted by phantom images of Donte and my family. They were so vivid I almost believed I could reach out and embrace them. Voices spoke, but I couldn't understand the words. I felt the fleeting touch of hands as I stumbled along a misty land of light and shadow.
I awoke among luxurious silken sheets and ruffled down covers that cloaked me in veils of white and gold. Cradled in a soft nest of pillows, I stared around in confusion. This wasn't my room. The memory of falling asleep eluded me. Had the night already passed?
Then it hit me—this was no dream. I was very much awake. Unlike a nightmare whose images faded, no amount of blinking would banish the walls of the room that rose solidly around me.
I remembered speaking to Seraphina, but everything else had faded into blankness. Gazing at the ethereal light filtering into the room, I watched golden motes dance in the air. A warm, fragrantbreeze wafted in from the French doors. Roses. Their perfume filled me with pangs of longing. Gurgling water accompanied the serenade of birdsong, and somewhere in the distance, wind chimes tinkled.
Memories of my abduction began to surface. I was in Seraphina's room, trapped in a situation from which I could see no escape. I tried to take comfort in her words, but taking comfort from someone who lived under the same roof as my captors felt dangerously naïve. According to Seraphina, my fate was to be no different from hers. What was I supposed to do? Choose someone I didn't know to become... what? What would happen if I refused to choose one of them? Would I die, or worse?
The world beyond these walls called to me. My thoughts turned to the Gatemen, stirring a fear far deeper than any I'd felt during my abduction. They had appeared out of nowhere in the forest, violent and otherworldly like the Elysium brothers and yet I wasn’t sure they were the worst threat of the two. I could only imagine who they were and the kind of world they called home. The Gatemen seemed to have appeared with the intention of helping me, but how could I be sure what they really wanted?
After all, Cillian and the others had warned me that the Gatemen weren't to be trusted but of course they would say that, wouldn't they? There was so much I didn't know and so many answers I didn't have. I knew only one thing for sure: I had to find a way to escape.
My temples throbbed. So many things ran through my mind, and despite myself, I couldn't stem my rising anxiety. Though Cillian and Seraphina claimed to protect me, their protection felt like captivity. A part of me knew this wasn't as reassuring as I wanted it to be. They may have been less cruel than the others, but they were still holding me here against my will, still demanding I make a decision that would have consequences I was unaware of.
The more I dwelled on it, the more I understood that I was a pawn in a game I didn't understand, and whichever choice I was forced to make would inevitably come at my surrender. With this realization, a fierce urge to escape ignited within me. A part of me was determined to get out of this, go home, and forget any of it ever happened.
Without waiting for my resolve to falter, I swung my legs off the bed and stood. The lovely white eyelet empire nightgown left out for me by Seraphina rustled softly against my skin. The message was clear: they controlled everything, even down to what I wore. Seeking something familiar, my fingers found the golden rose clasp in my hair, still firmly gripping my artfully twisted plait.
Slipping into white lace slippers, I hurried to the bathroom and faced my reflection. The girl staring back held herself differently—more regally, yet with a hint of defiance in her eyes. She looked like someone they had dressed for a ceremony, but I knew better.
I wasn’t their bride.
I was their prisoner.
As my hands traced the satin bow at the bodice of the gown, a thought struck me. I could take it off, reject their control completely. But then what? Parade around this place without a stitch on. That seemed like the least of my concerns right now, and admittedly, this was the most beautiful garment I'd ever worn.
Noticing a crystal perfume decanter topped with a rose stopper, I dabbed some of the fragrance on my wrists. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, letting the scent transport me back to my mother's garden, to days filled with her songs and the rustling of flowers. Tears welled up, but I forced them back. Today was not a day for self-pity. It was a day for seeking answers.
I left the bathroom quickly, before my tears could betray me. The way I was being dressed and pampered. This wasn't just about making me feel pretty. It was part of their manipulation, a way tokeep me docile. "No," I told myself firmly, shaking off the image that threatened to cage me as effectively as the walls around me.
Fearing what I might discover but needing to know, I approached the door with hesitant steps. The thought of finding it locked was terrifying—it threatened to break whatever spirit I had left. But I needed to confront this reality. I needed to know how far they’d go to keep me here. As my hand touched the knob, a part of me hoped desperately for it to turn, to open a path to freedom.
