‘Where am I?’ Eloise woke up abruptly to find herself by a small pond, in the middle of a very large garden. The cool evening breeze blew wisps of her dark red hair into her face.
She looked down to find herself in a beautiful white gown. She slowly stood to her feet confused.
‘My wedding day?’ But that was two days from now. She quickly touched her stomach to find no stab wounds. She found no blood in her palms either. She swore they were filled with blood minutes ago
The scene of Cole stabbing her was so vivid now. 
She died......
Yes, she died. She would never mistake the fear she felt while, Cole pushed her off the balustrade. It was real. She knew what she felt. The sharp piercing pain from the cold iron knife, he stabbed her with. The satisfaction in his eyes while he stabbed her multiple times. The hate.
 Pure hate, she thought.
But why?
Why would the love of her life kill her? 
Most importantly, why wasn’t she dead yet? Yes, she was the Phoenix. She could rise from the ashes every time she died but not this time. She was sealed.
Yes, by that woman. She’d seen that tattoo on her hand before, but where? 
Oh, she remembered it all perfectly now. There was a witch circle, the seal of the condemned, a bright red moon and her blood.... 
 She fell from a three-story building, right to the bottom of the pool. She spent her last breath drowning because she couldn’t swim. 
What a terrible way to die, she thought. Or maybe not.... She was alive, wasn’t she?
Some terrible dream that was......

INTO THE FLAMES.

Cole walked into the drawing room to find Elvira standing quietly by the fireplace. She abruptly turned around, suddenly trembling with fear. 


“Where is Miles?” she looked over at Thorne urgently. 


“He is being held up at the moment, but he asked me to stay if that would be okay with....” 


“Yes, yes please stay,” she said urgently. 


“Stay back, please...” She snapped when Cole took a step closer to her. 


“Alright,” Cole raised both his hands in surrender, as a sign he meant no harm. His gentle reproach did nothing to quell the terror that coursed through her veins. 


“You look well…. I wanted to see you before I left?” 


“Left? To where?” Elvira asked hesitantly. 


“Hildegarde. I will be journeying to Hildegarde at dawn for a diplomatic assignment,” 


“I have no idea. For as long as Lord Fraizen wants me there…. Look, I wanted to apologize for everything….” 


Chapter 55(Clads of Forgiveness)