Belinda repeatedly attempted to force her heavy eyelids open, but they seemed glued together. A hand moved across her cheekbone, creating sparks that sent soothing electricity through her veins, easing some of her pain.

When she finally managed to open her eyes, she pushed Fane away and sat up, grunting. Every movement sent shocks of pain throughout her body. Even the slightest movement of her fingers caused her immense agony.

"You need to feed."

"No. I'm... I'm fine."

"I thought blood bags would be enough, but I was mistaken." He bit his wrist, and she stared at the blood coating his skin for far too long before scurrying out of the bed, slamming against the wall.

"I... I won't feed from you."

"You need to--"

"Then find me someone else."

A prolonged silence hung between them. Belinda faced him, a smile creeping onto her lips as she noted his eyes were as dark as a moonless night, and his expression revealed the mere suggestion angered him.

"Find me someone to feed from—maybe an animal..." She held his gaze. "I won't feed from you ever again."

Dante warned her not to let him feed from her. If she succumbed to the blood thirst, she was certain it would lead to an exchange of bites. She coughed and clasped her hand over her lips. Her heart drummed in her ears as she stared at her hands coated with a black-tart substance.

"Something is wrong with me."

He approached her, and she retreated, shaking her head. "Stay away from me... Please." She raised her quivering hands. "I'm sick."

He observed her hands, bewilderment crossing his features. "Delilah examined you. There is nothing wrong with you. Once you feed, you will feel better." A gasp escaped her lips when he moved too fast for her eyes to follow and grasped her hands. "Whatever you see is not real."

A low sob escaped her lips as she pulled her hands out of his grasp. "Find me a blood donor."

He grasped her by the jaw and pulled her to him, black lines appearing around his eyes. "We are blood-bound, remember?"

She shoved him back, and as their eyes met, she forced herself to say, "Then find a way to break it. I won't feed from you ever again."

If her words affected him, she showed no sign of it. "Fine."

Then he was out the door.

Each step she took sent painful tremors up her legs. She crumbled to the floor just as she reached the bed, and let out a cry of frustration. Even if it tore her to pieces, she couldn't cave. Not when she had no idea what was causing havoc on her body that only she could see.

"What the hell--" Quinn rushed to her side and helped her stand. "Is everything alright?"

"Fane needs to break the blood bond between us--"

"You have grown mad. How can you ask that of him?"

"Quinn, please don't ask me why. Convince him to break it."

"In order for him to do so, he must blood bond with someone else."

Despite her heart shattering into pieces, she forced herself to stand straight and put on the best facade. "I don't care. I no longer wish to be bound to him."

Quinn checked her forehead. "You do not have a fever, but it is evident something is going on."

Belinda stepped back, losing her footing for a moment when the pain amplified. "Where are the babies?"

At that moment, Skylar and Aurora entered the bedroom, along with Leah and Charlotte. They were all laughing but stopped when they glanced at her.

"Is everything okay?" asked Skylar as she lay Grayson in his crib.

"Everything is fine," Belinda said, taking a seat at the foot of the bed.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Why did you just lie?"

Belinda averted her gaze. "I asked Fane to break our blood bond."

Pin-drop silence.

"Is your goal to push him further into madness?"

Belinda rose to her feet. "Of course not."

Charlotte slapped her across the face, sending her back down to the foot of the bed. Belinda stared wide-eyed as Zeref appeared out of thin air, seized Charlotte by the arm, and whirled her around to face him. Everyone stared at him in silence, astonishment written on their faces.

"Do not lay a hand on her again."

Charlotte jerked out of his hold. "Do you expect me to simply stand by as she continues to hurt my son? Am I supposed to let her drive him deeper into madness?" She inched closer. "I will no longer allow it."

"You both need to relax," Leah said, standing beside them. "Belinda is not chained to Fane. She can end things if she wishes to. Charlotte, you should know better than anyone that sometimes, we can fall out of love."

Charlotte met Leah's gaze before sneaking a glance over her shoulder at Belinda. "Fine. Bring the best witches to break their blood bond... and their marks."

Belinda stared at her in surprise.

"My queen," Quinn began. "That is unheard of."

"Zeref and I located a descendant of the coven that started all of this. I am certain she will find a spell to break their marks. I will not continue to let my son's heart be toyed with. This relationship ends entirely." Without another word, she exited the bedroom, Leah following suit.

"Is it true?" Quinn inquired.

Zeref seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Yes... However, I am not sure if we should trust this witch. For all we know, she could cast a curse upon them."

"I'm sorry--"

"Do not apologize. No matter the reasons behind your decision, no one can force you to remain by Fane's side." He excused himself, kissed her forehead, and exited the bedroom.

"So, why the fuck did you ask Fane to break your blood bond?" Skylar asked.

Belinda stared at her fingers, which appeared as though she had dipped them in black ink. "I fear what will happen if he feeds from me."

"Why?" Quinn moved closer. "Is something wrong with your blood?"

Belinda raised her hand. "What do you see?"

"What am I supposed to see?"

Belinda tugged on her fingers at her lap. "I see some black liquid—I've been coughing and blood--"

Quinn crouched before her and held her hands in hers. "Whatever you see is not real."

Belinda bit back a cry. "How can I be certain if I feed from him... that this won't hurt him?"

"Bite me then." She offered her wrist to her.

"Maybe we should try an animal instead?" Aurora lay Bexley in the crib and turned to them. "I don't think it would be a good idea if she bit you. Can you imagine what your father would do if something were to happen to you?"

Quinn stood upright. "You are correct, but she cannot leave the premises of the palace until further notice."

"So, then we bring an animal to her."

"I will go find one." Before anyone could say anything else, she left the bedroom.

Skylar and Aurora stared in silence at Belinda.

"What?"

"You should've had this discussion with Fane, not us," Aurora said.

"I tried to--" Pain shot across her chest, causing her to cry out. They scrambled to her side as she fell from the foot of the bed to the floor, her body convulsing. It felt as though someone had torn open her ribcage and buried a dagger into her heart, pushing it deeper and deeper.

Then it all ceased.

Her breathing slowed down as her friends aided her back to her feet, concern etched on their faces.

"I don't think I'm making it out of this one."

Aurora's eyes glimmered with tears. "Don't say that."

"I feel like I'm being torn from the inside." She coughed and wiped the liquid from her quivering lips. She forced her legs to move, despite the agony it caused her, and stood near her children's cribs, her heart breaking to pieces. "Dante is alive—Somehow he teleported me out of the palace—I don't know where he took me, but I got sick and he brought me back. He said I couldn't let Fane feed from me..." At the silence, she turned and her eyes locked on silvery ones.

"Leave us."

Quinn stood at the opened doorway. "Fane, her blood could be poisoned. We should find an animal for her to feed from."

"I will not ask again, my friend."

Skylar and Aurora hugged Belinda before exiting the bedroom.

Quinn seized the doorknob and said, "Fane, if it is no illusion, you must break the bond. You need to feed." Without another word, she shut the door.

Fane approached her, their eyes meeting. "You saw Dante?"

"Yes."

"That is impossible. I watched him die."

When he came closer, she noticed his eyes were not fully silver, but with crimson flecks. "I don't know how he survived, but he is alive." She reached out and held his forearm, sighing. His skin didn't feel as icy as it had the past weeks. "When did you get your emotions back?"

He pulled out of her grasp. "What did Dante tell you?"

Her eyes narrowed at the darkness laced in his voice. "He didn't tell me much."

"You are a horrible liar, love."

She had assumed his eyes meant he had regained most of his humanity back, but clearly, she had been mistaken. "I can't feed you until we figure out what's wrong with me."

He bridged the distance between them, stopping when their lips were mere centimeters apart. "I should have known what I saw was nothing but one of his illusions." He moved, their lips almost touching, creating a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. "Why does he continue to pretend to be dead?"

Her eyes met his. "He remembers everything, Fane."

His brows furrowed as he stepped back.

"He isn't our enemy."

"How can you be so certain? He has plagued your mind--"

"He warned me I should reject you or bad things would happen, and he was correct. Everyone in my town is dead."

Fane contemplated something. "If he remembers everything, then that would mean he is in love with you." His eyes locked onto hers. "Is the feeling mutual?"

"Of course not."

He moved forward, but before he could reach her, mist rose around them. Her eyes grew wide as Dante appeared before her. Fane halted, anguish morphing into fury. He grasped Dante by the neck and threads appeared, twisting and coiling around Dante.

"You should have never played fate, brother."

"Stop." Belinda seized Fane's forearm.

"I did everything to save you."

Fane let out a humorless chuckle. "Save me?"

Belinda let out a gasp as Dante's shadows thickened and enveloped him, along with Fane. The mist vanished, and so did they.

"Dante! Return him to me!" She whirled around, wisps of mist emanating from the air before they reappeared. Fane slammed him against the wall, the threads tightening around his limbs, creating minor cuts on his skin.

Belinda moved and grabbed Fane by the forearm and pulled him away. As she stood between them, she held her chin high. "Stop this madness. The children are in their cribs, sleeping."

That seemed to snap him out of it.

The threads released Dante, and as his feet touched the floor, the shadows thickened around him. "I am not your enemy, brother."

"You entered her mind--"

"To warn her."

Fane moved once again, and when Belinda attempted to stop him, threads wrapped around her wrists and ankles.

"Do you love her still?"

Dante held his brother's gaze. "Of course... She was my wife."

Fane grabbed him by the neck and drew him close with a hiss. "The clans who rose against me said another royal would take my place. Was that your goal in the end? To drive me into madness so you can claim the throne and her?"

Dante shook his head. "No."

"Your heart gives you away, brother." He shoved him back into the shadows and they swallowed him, vanishing.

Fane gave one step toward her and fell to his knees. The threads released her, and she hurried to his side, a whimper escaping her lips at the slight cuts that appeared on his forearms and below his cheekbones. His skin turned ice cold when she embraced him. "Please don't. Don't let the pain consume you."

"I should have known he was behind this madness. At a young age, he could enter peoples' minds and make them see whatever he wished, but I refused to accept it—I refused to believe my brother would turn against me for the throne."

"This makes no sense." She cradled his face. "Why hide and pretend to be dead?"

"He knows the future." He didn't meet her gaze. "He knew all along I would possess the ability of threads."

"My mother said I killed you in the future because I assumed that was what Dante wanted, but it wasn't. If Dante wanted you dead, he could have done something to you when you were children. Something doesn't add up."

"Perhaps in the end he realized he did not want me dead, but he still sought the throne--" He held a quivering hand over half his face, his human nails turning to razor-sharp talons, his eye darkening.

"Please, don't let it consume you." She leaned her forehead on his. "For our children. Let them be your anchor, as they're mine." 

A silence hung in the air and he let his hand fall at his side, his breathing slowing down. "Forgive me for losing my temper."

She held him tight in an embrace. When she pulled back, she was delighted to see his eyes were as she remembered when they first met. She leaned her forehead on his. "You really need to learn to control that temper of yours." He leaned closer, but before their lips could touch, she turned her head. "If this poison isn't an illusion, what could happen to you?"

He rose to his feet, his hand on her waist, prompting her to follow suit. "If this poison enters my system, I will meet the same fate my father did."

Her heart ached. "I thought that was a fae poison."

Fane seemed lost in his mind.

"Fane?"

A knock sounded at the door, and Fane opened it. Delilah stood there, accompanied by Quinn and Lucius.

"May we come in?" asked Delilah.

"Of course," Fane answered, stepping aside.

Lucius' eyebrows furrowed as his eyes met Fanes. "What is going on?"

Fane approached the children's cribs. "Everything is fine."

"Fane, we are allies. Are we not?"

Belinda listened when Delilah asked her to sit, but her focus was on the men.

"Why does it smell like ashes?" Quinn asked, brows knit together. "You don't possess shadow magic."

Belinda inhaled, but failed to detect the odor in the air.

"It is nothing."

Lucius glanced at Belinda. "Is it her?"

"I said it is nothing."

Quinn stared into the distance, her eyes glimmering in the light cast below by the chandelier. "Excuse me." She hurried out the door, and Fane followed her.

"It seems he has regained his humanity." Lucius didn't sound pleased.

Delilah handed Belinda a cup filled with a greenish liquid that made her hesitate to drink it as she requested. "Despite what you believe, Fane's humanity doesn't make him weak."

"His heart is what can lead him into madness."

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Belinda inquired after taking a mouthful of the drink.

"His emotions can become too much for him to endure."

Belinda spat out the liquid, letting out an anguished scream. Lucius caught her as she fell forward. She held on to him, the pain amplifying, making her body quiver against her will. Her vision blurred, air struggled to reach her lungs.

"What the hell is happening?" Lucius asked. "Delilah--"

"I created a potion to break the illusion. If there was one..."

Belinda pushed Lucius away and fell on all fours, coughing. Black liquid poured from her mouth and onto the floor. Thread-like lines sprouted on her fingernails and coiled around her forearms, giving the appearance of tree roots.

"Wait--"

Belinda lifted her head and met Fane's eyes as Lucius restrained him.

Quinn stood at the door, hand clasped over her lips. "Fae poison..."

A soft, warm light pulsed from Belinda's body as a shudder wracked her body. The marks faded, resembling scars, and her agony ceased. Belinda sat back on her legs, her breathing returning to normal.

"Delilah, what was in that?" asked Quinn.

"That wasn't the potion. Her body ejected the poison... Only those with..."

"Only those with incredible healing abilities can do such a thing," Lucius chimed in when Delilah didn't dare to finish her sentence. "Fane, were you aware?"

Fane seized her forearm and hauled her to her feet. "Yes."

"Whoever did this will know she can heal at incredible speed. If rumors spread, you will have powerful vampires seeking her blood. If I were you--"

"No."

"That thread of yours cannot stop everyone, Fane."

Fane released her hand, eyes swirling to obsidian. "I will kill anyone who dares come close to her."

Aurora and Skylar hurried into the bedroom, panic etched on their faces.

"It's Denarius--"

"Delilah, please watch the babies." Belinda scurried out of the bedroom and followed her friends out of the palace. They guided her into the garden, where Denarius and Harper were arguing. Belinda moved to his side and pulled him away. He stumbled, and bat-like wings tore through his shirt, extending to their full length.

"No—No—No." When she spotted Lucius heading toward them, she shouted, "Stay back! I won't let you harm him."

Denarius met her gaze, his eyes glowing a soft golden hue. "How can anyone ask that I forget what happened to everyone we know? Those beasts tore them apart—and they were led there by their clan leaders. I can't—I won't forgive them."

"I had nothing to do with that," Harper said, Quinn holding her back, tears glinting in her eyes. "I love you."

Denarius moved one step, but Belinda used her strength to force him to a halt. "I could never love you."

Harper stopped struggling against Quinn. "Fine, then I accept your rejection and break you free from our bond. You and I are no more."

A soft glow emanated from beneath Harper's shirt, and as she raised it, the mark's glow dissolved, leaving a scar behind.

Denarius's bat-like wings vanished into his back and, as he stood upright, his brows furrowed as he met Harper's gaze. Harper jerked out of Quinn's hold and vanished as an act of magic.

A long silence hung in the air.

"Are you satisfied now?" Lucius said. "The bond is gone, yet the feelings in your heart have not changed." Lucius approached Denarius. "You have much to learn from our race. That bond, the feelings you feel, they are not created by some coven's spell."

"You know nothing--"

"Fane should have killed you the moment you were bitten. A slayer should never become one of us."

All this time, he had known the truth.

"Why do you look so surprised?" He shot her a smile. "Despite being turned into a vampire, his slayer magic is still as potent as ever. Besides, I should know who Denarius is."

"Well, I doubt he is the only Denarius in the world," Quinn said. "You live in other lands. I never thought his fame had reached that far."

"I prioritize ensuring all my clan members know the names of slayers worldwide." He started heading toward the palace, but paused. "Come. We have much to discuss." Quinn glanced at Fane before they followed him inside.

Belinda embraced Denarius. "I never imagined a mark could be really erased."

"Harper meant her words," Aurora said. "You and Fane never did. You both continue to play games, knowing damn well you're deeply in love... Harper lost all hope."

"How do you feel?" Skylar asked.

Belinda noticed a group of men accompanying Silas as he headed in their direction.

"I feel fine."

"Don't you lie to us. We're your friends," Aurora said, her gaze shifting to the group approaching. "Ugh. The guards are here."

They embraced Belinda and Denarius.

"I wish we could stay longer, but Nico doesn't like us out too long. When we don't get back to the pack territory on time, he sends the warriors for us. I don't think we'll see each other in a bit. Please. Both of you behave." With one last hug, Skylar headed toward the group of men, who all looked terrifying.

Silas draped a hand over Aurora's shoulder. "Come on. We must return home."

Once they said their goodbyes, Belinda headed into the palace with Denarius. When they entered the bedroom, Delilah glanced at Denarius and arched an eyebrow. "I doubt Fane would be pleased for you to be alone with a man in your chambers."

"He's a friend, Delilah." Belinda picked up Grayson in her arms. "I know you have many things to do. Go. I'll be fine."

"Okay, but if you start to feel anything, don't hesitate to get me. I'll be downstairs." She exited the bedroom, leaving the door wide open. 

With a smile, Denarius shut it closed and turned to her. "I'm getting a feeling they don't trust me."

"Ignore them. I trust you. I know my children and I are safe with you."

He picked up Bexley, and a hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "She has your big cheeks."

"Hey--" She laughed. "I don't have big cheeks."

"Right."

She hit his shoulder playfully before her smile fell. "What do you truly feel for Harper?"

All playfulness left his face. "I refused to believe I would have feelings for one of them—Not after their people attacked our town and killed the most important person in my life. Now, I see I care about her, but that changes nothing."

"Denarius--"

"Let's not talk about this."

"Okay." She wasn't about to push the subject. Either way, no one could force his hand. "So, where are you staying now?"

"Fane is allowing me to stay in the house assigned to Nico during meetings."

"Alone?"

"Of course not. Delilah is there with me, and Quinn."

She sat down and held the baby close when he started crying. He stopped and fell asleep once more. "What are your plans after all this madness ends?"

"Against what everyone advises me, I plan to live alone in a city."

"But then, how would you feed? Are you planning on preying on humans?"

"Of course not. I will request a blood donor. What are your plans?"

Belinda observed her baby in her arms. "I want to stay with them."

"What exactly happened? I sensed someone else's presence earlier."

"Dante is alive. When my mother reset time, he kept his memories."

Denarius stared at her for a moment before saying, "Some pieces of the puzzle start to make sense."

"What do you mean?"

"Dante wants you alive. If not, he could have killed you the second that mark appeared on your face."

"There has to be more to it than him simply wanting me. He warned me to stay away..."

"Exactly. He got in your head and attempted to manipulate you to not get close to Fane. I don't know exactly what he seeks, but he clearly didn't want you to bond with Fane."

"He said he did what he did to save Fane. My mother said that I killed Fane, but now everything has changed. I thought my mother changed fate by escaping Jericho, but Dante did something that altered fate as well... and I think it's Mynx. My mother said she belonged to Jericho, but now she's with him."

"A shadow beast... Perhaps he ensured he got to her before Jericho did."

"But my mother said Jericho watched her from the shadows. In this present, Jericho had Mynx on his side. How is she with Dante?" She rose to her feet and stood beside the large window, the sunlight bathing her and Grayson. He opened his eyes, and they flickered deep crimson before glowing amber, then silver. "Dante can enter the palace whenever he wants, and that terrifies me." She met Denarius's gaze. "Even though part of me feels like he's not our enemy, I still don't trust him. I'm not the Belinda he knew. I feel nothing for him."

Denarius moved closer and rested his hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. "Relax. He can't force you to leave with him."

"You said it yourself. He entered my mind and showed me visions that weren't real—On multiple occasions, he almost convinced me to walk away from Fane... What guarantee do I have that he won't enter my mind again?"

If he desired it, he could twist her memories and make her hate Fane.