Mated to the Alpha: Sold to the King novel Chapter 122

Chapter 122: 0122

Lorelei POV

At her words, my smile almost slipped.

Tonight?

She was actually serious?

I didn’t even know if I had a single outfit in my wardrobe that was suitable for a place like that. But then again, with my little secret hanging over my head, refusing wasn’t exactly an option.

So I smiled.

Or... at least I tried to.

Nala narrowed her eyes at me before leaning in just enough for me to catch the mischievous glint dancing in them.

"Tell me something, Ella." Her smile lingered. "Why didn’t you come to breakfast this morning?" she asked, and my heart skipped a beat.

"I was just tired," I replied, hoping that would be enough.

"How strange." She hummed thoughtfully before a soft laugh escaped her. "The Alpha King also claimed to be unwell this morning. He left the table and returned to his chambers."

A knowing smile curled across her lips.

"One might begin to wonder if the two of you share the very same illness."

The little smile I’d been forcing disappeared almost instantly.

I wasn’t stupid.

I knew exactly what she was trying to imply.

That Kaelen had shut himself away because I’d skipped breakfast.

The thought made my chest tighten, though I wasn’t entirely sure why. Still... if he was keeping to himself, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. At least I wouldn’t have to spend the entire day avoiding him.

Not wanting to give Nala the satisfaction of seeing me flustered, I looked past her instead to where the ritual preparations had already begun.

Right in the center of the pavilion, a massive circular sigil had been carefully drawn across the stone floor using a dark violet powder that shimmered faintly, almost as though tiny sparks of magic were trapped inside it.

Four heavy chalices sat around the circle, one at each cardinal point, each filled with a thick, smoking liquid that carried the sharp scent of crushed nightshade mixed with raw copper.

The two female N’zari attendants moved quietly around the sigil, chanting softly under their breath as they carefully placed smooth black obsidian stones along the intricate markings.

Their movements were perfectly synchronized, every step carrying an eerie kind of grace as they circled the sigil. The low chant spilling from their lips rose and fell in a steady rhythm, vibrating through the stone beneath my feet until I could almost feel it inside my chest.

The moment the last obsidian stone was set into place, the dark violet powder erupted with light.

A blinding glow spread across the entire sigil, throwing long, flickering shadows across the pavilion walls.

"Place your feet inside the heart of the sigil."

Prince Kalu’s voice rang through the pavilion, completely stripped of its usual playful warmth as he stepped up to the edge of the glowing circle.

I swallowed hard, my eyes fixed on the sigil while my heart pounded so violently it felt determined to break free from my chest.

This was it.

For a brief second, I found myself looking toward Darius.

He didn’t say anything. He simply met my gaze and gave me the smallest nod, silently reassuring me that everything would be okay.

I held onto that.

Taking one slow, steady breath, I slipped off my sandals before stepping barefoot into the center of the glowing sigil.

The instant both feet touched the stone, a violent surge of static shot through my entire body.

I gasped.

The air around me turned painfully cold, cold enough to sting my skin, while the thick liquid inside the four chalices began bubbling violently. Dense streams of gray vapor poured from each one, curling through the air until they completely surrounded me.

Somewhere beyond the mist, Kalu raised both hands.

His fingers twisted into strange, intricate patterns as another chant rolled from his lips. The language was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. Deep. Ancient. Every word seemed to shake the air itself.

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