His Fake Tears, My Real Crown

Back at the manor, I went straight to the cellar.

It was where I kept every gift Liam had ever given me.

The first sandalwood box. Inside, the moonstone ring he'd carved for me, bearing his family crest.

I had worn it with such pride. Until I saw its twin hanging from a chain around Chloe’s neck.

She'd blushed and said, "Liam promised that whatever you have, I'll have too."

The second box. The magic raven I had fed with my own heart's blood was gone. All that remained was an empty cage. Liam had taken it, saying he loved how it looked perched on my shoulder. The next day, it was sitting on Chloe's windowsill.

I kept going.

The crystal necklace that wards off nightmares? Chloe had a matching one.

The enchanted photo album of our memories? He'd taken it "to show Chloe some vampire history."

The silver-dew perfume that could only be collected on a full moon? He said, "Chloe's health is poor, she needs this."

Every gift, every promise, he had given away so easily.

Thinking of how Liam doted on Chloe, how he always took her side, a bitter smile touched my lips. If this was what he wanted, then these relics belonged in the family crypt.

I packed every item into an ancient, sealed chest.

"In the name of the Thorne clan, I seal this past away."

A red light flashed, and the chest sank into the deepest part of the crypt below.

Then I took out a communication crystal and booked a trans-oceanic flight for the following evening.

Destination: The Evernight.

I needed to get away from here. Away from everything that reminded me of my own foolishness.

At two in the morning, my communication crystal shrieked, waking me from a hazy sleep. I groggily answered it, but the other end was silent. Just as I was about to disconnect, Liam's voice came through, heavy and low. "Isabella, I'm sorry."

My mind snapped awake. Is he finally going to confess?

But then he said, "Chloe is sick with fright. I can't leave her, so I have to postpone my transfer."

The tiny spark of hope died instantly, leaving me feeling like an idiot. I wanted to scream at him, to demand he account for the pain of his fake injuries and cruel lies.

He continued, oblivious. "You just need to apologize to her."

I was stunned. "What?"

His voice hardened, firm. "You have to apologize to Chloe. She's sick because of you."

"If you don't," his tone turned icy, "I will consider you in breach of our blood bond. And I will formally petition the Council to challenge the contract."

Challenge the bond. It was the most severe accusation of betrayal in the vampire world. If I lost, I would be stripped of my inheritance and cast out as a rogue.

He dared to threaten me with our sacred bond.

"Isabella, answer me," he commanded. "When are you going to apologize to Chloe? If you do, we can pretend none of this happened. I'll join you at the new academy in two months. Are you really going to throw away our hundred-year bond over something this small?"

His words were a sharp threat, but I felt no pain, no loss. Just annoyance.

I closed my hand around the crystal. And squeezed. It shattered into a thousand glittering shards, dust sifting through my fingers.

Enough. This was enough.

I couldn't wait to get on that plane.

The next evening, I stood at a private airfield in the Evernight.

The auroras over the City of Eternal Night were a breathtaking spectacle.

"Miss Isabella Thorne?"

A deep male voice came from behind me.

I turned and saw a tall figure. Dark hair, handsome, chiseled features, and eyes as deep as midnight.

It was Damon Vance, the man who, two years ago, had predicted Liam and I would fall apart.

He grinned. "Isabella. Long time no see."

I shook his hand, a genuine smile on my face. "It's good to see you, Damon."

Just then, the backup communication crystal in my bag rang. It was a call from one of Liam’s friends.

I answered it.

Liam’s voice was frantic, laced with a panic I'd never heard before. "Isabella, where the hell are you? I'm at the council hall. Your name isn't on the transfer list for Dusk!"