His hand froze in midair before slowly lowering. His eyes darkened briefly, though his smile never faltered.
"You belong to power, Ember," he said calmly. "And power belongs with ."
The Greater Evil let out a soft snort. "Careful, Lucas. You sound like you’re falling in love."
He straightened abruptly, shooting her a sharp warning look. "Do not confuse purpose with love."
She laughed quietly, clearly entertained. "Whatever helps you sleep."
Lucas turned his attention back to . "You’re going to sire an heir," he said bluntly. "One born of your bloodline. A child who carries your ancient power and my strength. Together, we would reshape this world."
My breath ca out shaky despite my efforts. "You are insane."
His smile widened. "Visionary," he corrected again.
"You think Damon will let you go?" I asked quietly, watching him closely. "Do you know what happened to the person who touched the last ti... he was ripped into pieces. He will shred you apart, rember what he did to your Beta. I hope you like the gift."
Sothing flickered in his eyes then, very fast and ugly. His eyes burned with jealousy and hatred. He lifted his hand as if he wanted to hit .
I flinched, bracing myself for the impact, but it never ca.
"That wolf is nothing," Lucas said sharply. "He is just a temporary obstacle."
"He is everything," I shot back, my voice trembling with fury. "And he will co for ."
The Greater Evil waved her hand dismissively. "He is busy trying to survive on the battlefield."
My heart clenched painfully at her words, fear and rage tangling tightly in my chest, but I forced myself to lift my chin.
"He will surely win the war... you’ll lose and that’s a fact," I said staring straight into his eyes.
He scoffed. "Too bad, a bullet had been prepared just for him." He said, his eyes were gleaming with joy.
"The silver bullet was vigorously prepared by being imrsed in wolfbane and left to simr for three months. Not to talk about all the spells that had been perford on it. This ti Alpha Damon doesn’t really have a chance to escape death." He let out a throaty laugh.
Tears stung my eyes, as my heart read in fear. ’I can’t let anything happen to Damom, I won’t let anything happen to him.’ I said in my mind like a broken tape.
The Greater Evil clicked her tongue softly, clearly growing impatient with the tension between them. She stepped closer to Lucas, her long dark robes sweeping against the floor as if the shadows themselves were clinging to her.
"We are wasting ti," she said calmly. "I need the golden energy first. After that, you can do whatever you want with her."
Lucas frowned imdiately, his brows pulling together as his gaze flickered to and then back to her. "And you expect to believe that will not affect our future child," he asked sharply. "Her power is the bloodline. If you take it, what will be left of her?"
The Greater Evil rolled her eyes slowly, clearly unimpressed. "You overestimate sentint and underestimate magic," she replied. "The child will still carry her blood. Power is not erased, Lucas, it is redistributed. Your heir will live just fine."
"I will not risk it," Lucas snapped, his voice rising. "I did not co this far to end up with a weak offspring."
She stepped closer to him, her presence pressing down on the room like a suffocating fog. "Listen carefully," she said, her tone dropping into sothing far more dangerous.
"The golden energy is what anchors her to fate. If I do not extract it, everything you want will be aningless. The prophecy will still claim her life, and your precious heir will never even draw a breath."
They argued back and forth as if I was nothing more than furniture in the room, their voices overlapping, cold and calculating, discussing my body and my future like they were negotiating a land or livestock. I clenched my jaw, my heart racing violently in my chest.
All I could think about was Damon.
’Was he still alive? Was he hurt? Was he fighting through hell thinking I was dead or had abandoned him again?’
The thought of him facing this war without tore at sothing deep inside my chest. My hand twitched weakly against the chains as another thought struck , sharper and more terrifying than the rest.
’My child.’ They could not know about him.
If they truly understood what was growing inside , they would never let him live. He would be seen as a threat, a complication, and sothing to erase. Fear wrapped tightly around my heart, making it harder to breathe.
The argunt ended abruptly.
The Greater Evil turned toward slowly, her eyes lighting up with cruel anticipation. "Enough," she said softly. "It is ti."
She lifted her hand, her fingers moved in practiced movent as dark magic swirled around her palm. The air shifted violently, pressing against .
"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible, rendered useless and unable to fight.
Her magic reached into my chest, deep and invasive, searching for the core of my magic. I scread as pain exploded through my body, so intense it felt like my soul was being ripped apart piece by piece.
It was not physical pain alone. It was sothing far worse. It was like losing myself, like being torn away from everything that made who I was.
My head snapped back as golden light burst from my chest, swirling violently in the air between us. The glow illuminated the entire room, casting warped shadows across the walls.
A sharp burning sensation spread across my forehead, and I scread again as a mark burned brightly on my forehead, glowing brightly for a brief mont before fading away completely.
My soul felt empty, and everything beca distorted. Should I be glad that I might escape my fate of dying? No... sacrificing myself for the world was better than this outco.
"Yes," the Greater Evil shouted in pure delight, her voice filled with triumph. She laughed as the golden energy condensed into a glowing orb in her grasp, pulsing like a living heart.
She did not notice the faint tremor that ran through the magic, or the subtle instability beneath the surface. She was too consud by victory to realize she had missed sothing crucial.
My body went limp against the chair, my breathing shallow and uneven. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision as exhaustion and pain overwheld . I could barely keep my eyes open.
The Greater Evil turned toward Lucas, holding the golden orb close to her chest. "It is done," she said smugly. "She is yours now."
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