Chapter 98

Emily’s POV

I barely slept. Every time closed my eyes, Silas was there. I could still see his red eyes and feel his hands on me.

By morning, my body felt heavy and sore.

Rain tapped against the tower windows, a steady, rhythmic sound that hadn’t stopped since the night before. I › ulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders, trying to hide from the cold.

The door clicked and swung open without a knock. Cindy walked in.

“ Rise and shine, ” she said.

I looked at the gray sky outside. “ Have you seen the weather, Cindy?

“ It’s always like this here. Most of the time, anyway, ” she said, walking toward me. “ You better learn to find the

right side or make one up – if you want to survive. ”

She sat on the edge of my bed.

“ Are you here just to check on me, or is there a reason? ” I asked.

“ Always a reason, ” she said. “ Declan is waiting for you for breakfast. ”

“ This is becoming a tradition, ” I muttered. I noticed Cindy didn’t look happy about it.

I watched her for a moment before leaning in. “ Cindy, can I trust you? ”

She let out a short, dry laugh. “ Emily, of course not. Don’t even let those thoughts into your head. ”

She stood up, her fingers absently brushing a silk ribbon tied around her neck. I’d seen those ribbons on other

irls in the castle too.

“ Cindy, what are those for? The ribbons? ”

Her expression went flat. “ My lips are sealed, Emily. ” That was all she said.

She walked toward the door and paused. “ You have twenty minutes. Dress quickly, unless you want to show up in

‘ our nightie. He’s waiting. ”

There was something in her eyes I couldn’t read – pity, maybe, or a warning. Then the door shut.

The same two rogue guards escorted me to Declan’s wing. I realized I should probably learn their names, specially since they were the ones who let me slip away last time.

When I entered Declan’s room, he looked worse than last night.

A dark strip of cloth was wrapped clumsily around his shoulder, but blood had already soaked through the fabric. Deep bruises were blooming across his ribs.

5:03 pm

His cyes tracked over me immediately. He was checking. Making sure I was still whole. Still here.

“ You should be in bed, ” the words spilled out before I could stop them.

His eyebrow lifted. “ Good morning to you, too. ”

I frowned, stepping closer. “ Your shoulder is bleeding again. ”

“ I noticed. ”

He walked to the table and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, taking a long pull straight from it. He winced as he wallowed, the movement pulling on his torn muscles.

“ Sit down, ” I said.

Declan looked genuinely annoyed. “ Emily- ”

“ Sit. Down. ”

We stared at each other for a long beat. I didn’t back down. To my surprise, a quiet laugh escaped him. It wasn’t

nocking or mean.

“ You’re bossy for a prisoner, ” he murmured.

“ And you’re stubborn for someone half – dead. ”

He laughed again, a small, tired sound, before slowly lowering himself into a chair near the fire. I grabbed a fresh loth and some water, moving to unwrap the blood – soaked bandage.

“ Don’t you have healers here? ” I asked quietly.

“ We do. ”

“ Then why aren’t they helping you? ”

Declan leaned his head back against the chair, closing his eyes. “ Because weakness gets noticed in this castle. And

oticed usually means finished. ”

This place was a cage of predators, even for the Rogue King’s son.

I cleaned the wound with steady hands. He stayed still this time, though his skin twitched under my touch every

ew seconds.

“ You almost killed him, ” I whispered, the memory of the fight flashing in my mind.

Declan’s eyes opened slowly, burning with a dark, unreadable fire.

“ And now you know, ” he rasped, “ why I didn’t. ”

“ For one second, ” I continued quietly, my hands steady as I cleaned the blood, “ you had his throat. ”

6:03 pm

His expression darkened. The firelight caught the sharp angles of his face.

“ For one second, ” he repeated flatly. “ And that was my mistake. ”

I frowned, looking up at him. “ Why did you stop? What did Silas say to you in the link? ”

The only sound in the room was the crackle of the wood in the fireplace. Declan didn’t look at me. He stared into the flames, his eyes distant and cold.

“ He reminded me something I forget, ” he said.

A chill ran through me. What was that?

I studied his face. “ How long have you been trapped here? ”

“ My whole life. ”

The answer came so fast it sounded like a reflex.

Outside, thunder rolled across the sky, shaking the castle. I dipped the cloth back into the water. It turned pink mmediately.

“ This place is insane, ” I whispered.

Declan watched me, his gaze heavy. “ You still don’t understand rogues. ”

“ Then explain it to me. ”

I thought he would stay quiet, but then he spoke.

“ Most rogues weren’t born monsters, ” he said, his voice low. “ Some were thrown out by their packs. Some were Danished. Some lost control and killed someone they loved. ” He paused, his eyes turning darker. “ Some were by orce took here. After enough years surviving like animals … people become animals. ”

I swallowed hard, my heart thumping against my ribs. “ And Silas? ”

A dry, empty smile touched Declan’s mouth. “ He enjoys it. He’s lived many lives here. Nobody knows exactly how › ld he really is. ”

“ Cindy said he’s over four hundred years old, ” I noted, watching his reaction.

Declan let out a dry, humorless sound. “ Cindy doesn’t know half of it. And you shouldn’t be talking to her so nuch. ”

“ Why? ” I challenged. “ Jealous? ”

“ I just don’t want you getting too close to her, ” he said. “ It’s a bad habit in this place. ”

“ Don’t worry, ” I said, remembering her words from this morning. “ She already told me herself – I shouldn’t trust

5:03 pm

“ Well, ” he muttered, pushing himself up from the chair with a wince. “ She’s right about one thing, at least. ”

He stood over me, his presence suddenly heavy and overwhelming. “ Are you ready for the third trial? ”

The words hit me like an electric shock. I had completely forgotten – the third phase of the moon was tonight.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the door slammed against the wall. Tessa marched in, her face twisted with fury.

“ You! ” she screamed, pointing a finger at Declan. “ Why are you sitting here being cozy? Father is looking for you verywhere. ”

Declan leaned back against the table, crossing his arms. A mocking smirk touched his lips. “ What’s the matter, Tessa? Did someone ruin your mood? ”

“ He ruined it! ” she hissed, throwing a hateful look my way. “ Nathan found the tunnels. He’s clearing the rubble— e’s on our trail. ”

The air in the room shifted instantly. Hope flared in my chest, hot and bright. Nathan. He was coming for me. He vas close.

But Declan’s expression didn’t soften. His eyes bled into a pitch black.

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Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.