angel_writes00

A story about a place that neither exists in maps or history books, this place was called Athame.

•••

"The root of every fear is the unknown, yet how can one fear what they cannot grasp? Tch... how misleading." His voice, deep and rough, sent an involuntary shiver through her as he closed the distance between them with deliberate steps, his presence suffocating in its intensity.

With a slow, predatory grace, his fingers brushed along her jaw, settling on a strand of her scarlet hair, his touch deceptively tender. "Knowing me will matter little," he whispered darkly, his breath warm against her skin. "For even in the shadows of uncertainty, you will come to fear... and desire me all the same."

•••

Aricia, born with extraordinary abilities in a world that fears anything out of the ordinary, was destined for a marriage alliance to secure peace between kingdoms. 

But on the day of her engagement, her entire family is slaughtered—by the very family she was meant to marry into. 

Grief-stricken and consumed by vengeance, Aricia swore to destroy those who betrayed her. She would wield the very power they had feared against them, seeking justice with no mercy. After years on the run, she found shelter within an elemental clan, hiding her abilities and keeping to the shadows.

But her carefully constructed peace shattered in a single moment. A burning touch, a chance encounter with his haunting gray eyes—an unknown force within her stirred, threatening to unravel her carefully guarded secrets and the fragile balance of magic, madness, and vengeance she had built....

Vengeance Through Passion

After Aricia's sobbing had quieted, she felt an eerie silence settle over her. Her heart still pounded, an erratic rhythm against her ribs, as she slowly disconnected herself from the moment. The heat of her own breath, warm against her trembling hands, reminded her that she had lost control, however briefly. Mortified, she wiped her tear-streaked face, willing the redness from her eyes as she took three counted steps backward, careful and precise, as though the distance could somehow erase what had just transpired. 


She stretched out her hand, fingers curling slightly, her mouth opening as if to offer some hurried explanation, but nothing came. Words failed her, slipping through her mind like grains of sand through her fingers. She was confused herself. How? Why? When? 


Wait—no. She didn’t even want to know. It didn’t matter. But for some reason, he hadn’t pushed her away either. And that... that was the real problem. 


Chapter 64| The Real Question