Chapter 57

Iris

Time slows. The room, the table, the rotting feast—all of it vanishes into a dull blur.

The only thing I see is the silver blade trembling at my throat. Lucien’s hand is steady, but his eyes are more blank than a white, empty paper. There’s no emotion. No recognition of who I am. The bond between us? Silent.

Empty.

My breath stutters in my chest. So this is how it ends. Not with a scream, not