Chapter 2

I was walking near the High Council chambers, my steps still a little unsteady.

I wanted to see Orion, to thank him again.

Then I heard voices.

Orion. And Grand Master Valerius.

I stopped, hidden by a tapestry.

"Your devotion to her is... noticeable, Orion," Valerius said, his voice smooth like poisoned honey. "Restoring her, fighting for her birthright. Commendable, after her clan' s disgrace."

My heart swelled. See? Valerius saw it too.

Then Orion spoke.

His voice was cold, flat. Unfamiliar.

"Livia wanted the Heartstone. It was a trifle for her to take. The Lumina were convenient scapegoats. Their execution solidified the Order's resolve, and Livia was protected."

My breath caught. No.

"And Selene?" Valerius pressed.

"Her restored birthright?" Orion chuckled, a dry, rasping sound. "A gift. For Livia. For her upcoming Ascension Anniversary. Selene' s Lumina power, fresh and potent, will elevate Livia to new heights."

The world tilted.

My clan. My suffering. My thousand years of torment.

All for Livia. Orchestrated by Orion.

My husband.

The man I loved.

"She might uncover the truth, Orion. She is Lumina, after all. They have... insights," Valerius warned, a hint of something unreadable in his tone.

Orion sounded utterly confident. Smug.

"I wove a Devotion Charm into her restored form when I brought her back. Subtle. Unbreakable. She will obey. She will be compliant. Unless, of course, she wishes to destroy her physical body again. And who would choose that, after such a recovery?"

He was talking about me like I was a thing. A tool.

I stumbled back, away from the door, my mind reeling.

My legs carried me to my quarters, though I don' t remember the journey.

My hand, trembling, knocked something from a table.

A Memory Crystal. Orion' s.

It shattered on the stone floor.

Images flickered from the shards.

Orion, his face soft, laughing with Livia.

His arm around her.

Livia, her eyes gleaming, asking, "Orion, darling, if I made a terrible mistake, a really huge one, would you still protect me?"

Orion' s voice, thick with adoration, "Always, Livia. Anything for you."

Tears streamed down my face. Hot. Bitter.

The door opened.

Orion.

He saw the shattered crystal. He saw my face.

For a fleeting second, panic flashed in his eyes.

Then it was gone, replaced by that careful mask of concern.

"Selene, my love, what' s wrong? Are you hurt?"

His voice, so full of false tenderness, was like acid on my raw nerves.