And then—he turned.
Without hesitation, without a second glance, he strode from the chamber, his silhouette swallowed by the shadows.
Leaving me behind.
Leaving me with the echo of his words, the weight of his arrogance pressing against my skin like a brand.
My breath trembled, but I did not break.
I would not break.
I stood there, surrounded by the stench of blood, by the sounds of suffering, and felt something hardening inside me.
Steel in my chest.Fire in my veins.
My lips parted, my voice a whisper of vengeance in the darkness.
“I will try with all my power to kill Lord Winston.This society.My father.And…”
The final name burned on my tongue, too bitter to swallow.
My voice broke.
I could not say it.
Amir.
Because even now—as I swore to end them all—his touch still lingered on my skin.
And I hated that I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to kill him…
Or save him.
ChapterTwelve
AMIR
The harpsichord dominated my music room, its grand, wing-shaped body polished to a deep golden hue under the flickering glow of candlelight.The legs, carved with exquisite detail, bore gilded accents that swirled along them like creeping vines, as if alive with some unseen magic.
My fingers trailed over the delicate floral patterns adorning its case, marveling at the artistry.When I lifted the lid, my breath caught.
Beneath it lay a pastoral scene, painted with such detail that I could almost hear the wind rustling through the rolling hills and whispering trees.Though faded with time, the colors still carried the vibrancy of an imagined world—a place untouched by this one’s cruelty.
I sat upon the gilded bench, my hands hovering over the keys.Ivory was cold, smooth, and flawless beneath my fingertips.Gold leaf inlays shimmered faintly in the dim light, each an intricate masterpiece in its own right.
I played.
The first note unfurled into the air, silken, slow, a serpent uncoiling, poised to strike.
The only melody I knew seemed simple—a lullaby of deception, a masquerade of elegance.But beneath its charm lay something far more dangerous.Its magic thrummed through the air, sinking into the bones of those who heard it, ensnaring their senses, lulling them into surrender.
And when they succumbed—when the spell took hold, weaving euphoria through their veins—that was the moment I would take their life.
That was the moment I would feast upon their soul.
My fingers danced over the keys, each note wrapping the space around me in an intoxicating, suffocating pull.But my thoughts drifted, tangled in something else.Someone else.
Elizabeth.
