Chapter 67: Where Shadows kneel
The night seemed to stretch endlessly, thick with the weight of secrets and the faint smell of danger that clung to the wind.
Bianca’s heels clicked against the dirt road as though marking her descent into desperation.
Her heart raced, her breath shallow, and the shadows pressed closer with each step.
She retraced the path she had taken when she first ventured toward Garam City, every rock and tree etched in her memory like cruel reminders.
It has to be here... maybe it fell, maybe the book is waiting for me.
Her fingers dug into the torn strap of her bag, but deep inside she knew the truth, if the black book had left her hands once, it had done so by its own will.
The great black book was not a trinket to be misplaced. It chose, it abandoned, it devoured.
But Still, denial was a sweeter poison than admitting defeat.
The more she walked, the heavier her thoughts grew. Princess Elowen’s voice echoed in her memory, soft yet edged with forewarning.. Làpatasodará Valkà... the witch who walks between the living and the forgotten.
She trades not in gold or silver, but in the marrow of souls.
Bianca shivered. Perhaps Elowen’s tales were more than childhood stories.
Perhaps the witch was real and perhaps just perhaps she could twist fate to her side again.
Her lips curved into a bitter smile. "I will not lose, Not to Alessia, Not to Luca... Not to anyone Else."
The decision was sealed in her bones.
If she did not find the book on this cursed path, she would crawl to Valkà’s hut, bleed her pride dry, and beg for the witch’s help.
*****
In another corner of the city, Daisy sat curled on her bed, staring at the ceiling as guilt carved her apart. Romeo’s name burned on her tongue, the memory of his laughter, his warmth, his unspoken promises.
Selfish, a voice hissed in her head. You should have run with him when you had the chance.
But another voice rose, gentler, firmer... No, darling. You never loved him the way he loved you. Some people are meant to pass through us like storms. But others... others are anchors, and if you let go, you may never find them again.
Her heart throbbed painfully. Which voice was right? Had she let Romeo slip away forever, or had she only spared them both the cruelty of a love she couldn’t return fully?
Her phone buzzed, breaking the war inside her.
The screen glowed with a name that made her blood freeze.. It’s Seraphina.
With trembling hands, Daisy opened the message.
A picture appeared. Seraphina’s pale fingers curled around a chain, gleaming under dim light.
Daisy’s breath caught in her throat.
The chain, Romeo’s chain.
The one his parents had given him, the one he had shown Daisy with eyes alight, whispering that it was the only piece of them he had left.
Her stomach twisted.
The message followed, dripping with venom.
"His little sweetheart, if you don’t come and get this on behalf of your man, I will destroy it now".
Daisy’s palms grew clammy, her heart pounding in terror.
Seraphina had found a way to strike where it hurt most not at Daisy directly, but through the ghost of Romeo’s love.
"What if it’s a trap?" she whispered to herself, pacing the room. "If I go there, I might never come back. I could be captured... k*lled."
But then another thought, bright and reckless, bloomed in her mind.
What if I disguise myself? What if I wear their skin and walk among them?
The idea took hold like wildfire. She rushed to Romeo’s old apartment, her eyes burning with determination.
His scent still lingered faintly in the air, a cruel comfort that made her chest ache.
She dug through his wardrobe until she found what she needed. The dark clothing, heavy boots, the kind of attire Seraphina’s army wore.
Pulling the garments on, Daisy studied herself in the cracked mirror.
Her reflection stared back, unfamiliar, dangerous.
She had wrapped herself in deception, praying it would carry her past Seraphina’s watchful eyes.
"Romeo," she whispered, clutching the hem of his shirt. "For you, I will risk it, at least to tell my soul that I wasn’t selfish towards you after all."
****
The night bled into shadows as Daisy moved through the enemy’s territory.
Every step was measured, every glance calculated.
She walked with the confidence of someone who belonged, though inside her veins ran with fire and fear.
Guards passed her, some with suspicion, but none questioned. She had pulled Romeo’s hood low, her face half-concealed, her stride steady.
The closer she drew to Seraphina’s chambers, the louder her heart roared in her chest.
At last, she stood before the carved doors. The heavy scent of perfume and power seeped through the cracks. With one final breath, she pushed them open.
Inside, Seraphina lounged on a velvet chair, her presence dripping with the arrogance of a queen who ruled not by right but by fear.
She wore black silk that clung to her like sin, her eyes gleaming with cruel delight as she toyed with the chain dangling between her fingers.
"Ah," Seraphina purred without even looking up. "The little mouse dares to enter the lioness’s den."
Daisy’s stomach twisted, but she kept her head bowed, imitating the posture of Seraphina’s soldiers.
Before she could respond, Seraphina’s phone buzzed on the table.
She pressed it to speaker, her lips curling into a smile.
"Bianca," she said silkily. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The room shifted, Daisy’s breath halting as the familiar voice crackled through the speaker.
"Seraphina," Bianca’s voice was sharp, threaded with bitterness. "I want to pay for my betrayal. I want to erase the shame of it. What if... I give you the black book the Moranos have been dying for?"
The silence that followed was heavier than stone.
Daisy’s knees nearly buckled. Bianca? Offering the book?
Seraphina leaned forward, her lips curving into a wicked smile. "The black book?" she repeated slowly, savoring the words like a lover’s kiss. "You dare speak of it to me, Bianca?"
Bianca’s breath shuddered audibly through the line. "Yes. I know where it is. I can put it in your hands. But if I do, you must promise me safety. Protection. Power."
Seraphina laughed, low and cruel, the sound wrapping around Daisy like a serpent. "Oh, darling, you have finally learned the right language, Power, Betrayal, and Survival. You sound like one of us now."
Her fingers tightened around the chain, letting it clink softly against her nails. "But if you lie to me, Bianca... not even your shadow will survive my wrath."
Daisy’s lungs struggled to draw air.
The black book was already a curse that had twisted fate around Alessia and Luca.
If Seraphina got her hands on it, there would be no stopping the storm she could unleash.
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
She had come here for Romeo’s chain, but now she stood in the middle of a scheme that could destroy them all.
Seraphina rose slowly from her chair, her gaze sliding toward Daisy as though she could smell fear beneath the disguise. "Bring me wine," she commanded, eyes narrowing. "And do not spill a drop."
Daisy bowed quickly, hiding her face as she turned.
Her heart hammered violently, her mind screaming. She needed to act fast and get the chain then escape. Go and Warn Luca and Alessia.
But one wrong move, and Seraphina would carve her open before she could scream.
Behind her, Seraphina’s voice drifted like poison into the air.
"Bianca," she murmured into the phone. "If what you say is true, then perhaps tonight will mark the fall of the Moranos... and the rise of Seraphina."
Moments later , Daisy waited for Seraphina to step out so that she can steal the bracelet and immediately she did Daisy rushed on the table and as her trembling hand reached toward the table where the chain glistened, Seraphina’s sharp voice cut through the room, dripping with suspicion.
"Stop."...
The queen of shadows step into the room again, her eyes locking on Daisy’s hidden face.
"Lift your hood," Seraphina commanded, her smile turning razor-sharp. "Let me see who dares to breathe in my chambers...."
*****
In Virenkai the air thickened instantly, As Alessia’s breath hitched.
Luca stiffened beside her, his hands curling into fists.
The king continued, his voice steady. "We were born cursed. Our curse was that we must live in two separate worlds, apart. But fate... fate always finds a way to twist our paths together. Now, it seems fate wishes to make us enemies."
His eyes darkened, his words striking like arrows. "For my only daughter went in search of your brother Donato ... And the Moranos,,, you
kidnapped her."
Luca shot to his feet, rage flashing across his face. "Is this a joke?"
The king’s expression hardened. "No joke. Our family blood is powerful, our strength is in our DNA. So, I used a replica of your mother to lure you both here."
"Replica?" Alessia whispered, her pulse quickening.
And then Lauretta stepped forward.
She lifted a cup of water, dipped her fingers into it, and dragged them down her face.
The painted makeup melted away in streaks, revealing subtle differences, the slight mismatch of hair color, the sharper lines of her jaw.
It was not Lauretta Morano. It was an imitation.
Alessia gasped, her eyes wide.
The hall erupted in murmurs, guards exchanging uneasy glances.
Luca’s fury was uncontainable. "You dare use my mother’s face?" His voice shook the walls, dangerous, unforgiving.
Alessia could only stare, her heart thundering in her chest. Her wish... it was coming true. Every thread of deception was unraveling before her eyes. The truth was being revealed.
A slow, secret smile tugged at her lips.
She was the red moon blood child. This was proof.
Her eyes flicked to Luca, who caught the expression on her face. His brows furrowed, suspicion igniting in his gaze.
Why is she smiling? he thought. Is she mocking me? Is she part of this?
His chest tightened painfully, but then another thought crashed in.
No.... No, this is Alessia. My Alessia. She loves me. She would never mock me.
His fists tightened as he turned back to the king, forcing himself to focus.
But inside, the question burned like fire.
Why is my woman smiling when the worst is happening.?