When The Moon Hides Her Crown (Seraphina) by Pooja novel Chapter 290

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

Just as Ryker had said, Donna’s death was only the beginning. As the days passed, Petal watched three more of her people be found dead. The head warrior was found hanging outside the territory, the healer drowned in the river, and the trainer; each death was pitiful, each one more senseless than the last, each occurring when they ventured beyond the borders.

Uproar spread throughout Elysium Haven, reaching the protectors in the temple, who stood watching from the shadows of the trees as she-wolves buried the trainer.

Amid the quiet mourning, Petal could hear Ryker’s mocking laughter in her mind from last night. “Cry, my love. Cry and call for your Alpha. Call for me.”

Her fists clenched at her sides, her eyes red and fixed on the graves.

Silas, watching from the other side, whispered under his breath, “She’s losing herself…”

Theo, panic clear in his eyes, turned to Silas. “How do we stop this?”

Silas clenched his fists, his face darkening. “The prophecy is never wrong…” He looked up at the sky, murmuring, “She challenged fate by falling in love with Dread Lord.” His gaze shifted back to Petal, his voice barely audible. “I no longer know what happens next…”

One by one the mourners left, but Petal remained standing, her eyes never leaving the graves of those she had loved. Every time she woke from the nightmares with Ryker, she found a new body outside territory.

She sank to her knees on the ground, closed her eyes to control the emotions surging through her. If I had only woken up earlier, she thought. I could’ve stopped this murder.

In the nightmares, Ryker always gave her a choice: choose him, or choose the life of someone close to her. His voice would whisper the name of the person next he intended to kill. And every time, she would rush to stop him, to break the nightmare and save them. But Ryker always followed, furious, his grip tightening on her mind.

In that cursed place, her powers didn’t work. She was a soul, trapped in his world, unable to change a thing, except to feel his touch as he manipulated her. Everything was under his control.

Petal realized it was dark magic, Ryker’s dark magic. Donna had been his first target, since then he’d gone after those close to her, only the she-wolves of Elysium Haven. Since Donna or everyone else from Elysium Haven were unaware of the temple’s protectors they remained untouched. Ryker’s magic was focused on her, on her realm.

She couldn’t let this continue. She couldn’t let him take anymore of her people. They were dying because of her, and if she didn’t find a way to stop him, more would follow.

She rose to her feet, her red eyes locked on the mist ahead into the unknown, her eyes speaking.

Percy, standing by Ryker, tensed as he saw the message in Petal’s eyes. She wasn’t just going to kill, she was going to make it painful.

Unlike Percy, Ryker leaned back on his stone throne, his lips curling into a smirk as he bit his bottom lip. “I adore the rage and defiance in her beautiful eyes,” he murmured, his gaze never leaving her. “I had hoped to see her tears, to hear her beg after the third nail started its work. But I’ve come to love this little game between us. Still…” His eyes flickered to the two remaining nails in his hand before he looked back at her, a mix of bloodlust and lust crossing his features. “I’m growing impatient and becoming angry—”

Rising from his throne, he walked closer to the mist, reaching out as if trying to touch her, though he couldn’t quite break through the veil. His expression twisted into one of dark hunger. “You love running from me, don’t you? Well, with this next nail, you’ll realize just how much time I’ve given you to choose. Very soon, my little flower, you’ll be in my arms.”

With that, he dropped the fourth nail into Percy’s hand, the sound of metal against metal echoing ominously in the silence.

In the lycan kingdom, Dread returned to his bedroom at lightning speed since it was the night Petal was coming to meet him; however all he found was the letter on his bed, a simple note from Petal informing him she wouldn't be able to make it but would meet him soon.

Felix knocked on the door repeating, “The Queen came to see me.”

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