WAR BETWEEN THE BLOODLINES

PROLOGUE 

The night air was crisp, cool against Ziaani's flushed skin as she walked deeper into the woods. Every step felt heavier, her mind tangled in the weight of Nikita's words.

"Everything between us—every touch, every moment—was real. I didn't fall for the Chosen One. I fell for you."

Ziaani let out a breath, her fingers tightening into fists. She wanted to be angry. She was angry. But beneath that rage was something else—something terrifying. A longing she didn't want to admit.

Could Nikita truly love her beyond the prophecy? Beyond fate itself?

She ran a hand through her hair, frustration bubbling in her chest. Just days ago, she was trying to escape that castle. Now, the idea of leaving Nikita behind made her chest ache.

Ziaani exhaled sharply. Maybe she had been so focused on feeling betrayed that she didn't stop to see the truth. Maybe, just maybe...

A snap of a twig.

She froze.

The forest, once filled with the gentle rustling of leaves, had gone unnervingly silent. Her pulse quickened as she turned, scanning the trees.

"Nikita?" she called hesitantly, knowing she wouldn't be there but hoping anyway.

Nothing.

Then—

A blur of movement.

Too fast.

A sharp sting at the side of her neck.

Ziaani's hand shot up, fingers grazing something small embedded in her skin. Panic flared in her chest as her limbs suddenly felt heavy, her vision blurring.

"No—"

The word barely left her lips before the world tilted. Shadows swarmed her vision as her knees buckled. The last thing she registered was the sound of approaching footsteps, the scent of damp earth—

And the realization that she had made a terrible mistake.

Then, darkness.