Chapter 78

Anthony paused for a moment at the doorway, catching the warm aroma of fresh bread rising from the oven. The cook, wiping her hands on her apron, turned toward him and greeted Anthony with a cheerful smile, her eyes bright with familiarity and kindness.

“Good evening, sir. What can I help you with?” said the cook.

Anthony nodded, his expression earnest. “Yes, my mate—she is hungry. Is there anything she can have?” he asked, looking hopeful.

The cook's smile widened as she considered his request. “I can make her something like Savory Salmon and Rice Bowls; it will help with her milk to come in more flow. Also, I will make her and you some beef soup. Don’t worry, I will make her some meal,” said the cook, her tone assuring and gentle.

“Thank you, she will love it,” said Anthony, relief evident in his voice as he offered a grateful nod. He lingered a moment, watching the cook bustle about the kitchen, comforted by her easy confidence and kindness.

After lingering in the kitchen for a few moments, Anthony made his way to the back door to check on the weather. Rain continued to fall steadily, and the sky was quickly growing darker with the approach of evening. As he gazed out into the backyard, Anthony squinted, suddenly unsure if his tired eyes were deceiving him—he thought he saw the faint silhouette of someone standing near the fence. He rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again, no one was there.

Exhaustion tugged at him, the events of the day weighing heavily on his mind. He hadn't slept yet, and once he finished his meal, Anthony resolved to take a much-needed nap, hoping to find some rest and peace amid the storm.

Unseen in the shadows beyond the window, Maria lingered in the nurse’s body, her spirit pressed tight against the seams of borrowed flesh. She watched Anthony through narrowed eyes as he paused at the back door, careful not to draw attention to herself. The vessel she inhabited was already showing signs of strain—heat prickled across her skin, warning her that soon, the body would no longer serve her purpose. Maria forced herself to remain perfectly still, knowing she could not reveal her presence just yet; only when the opportunity arose would she make her move and seek out a stronger host.

Maria’s thoughts spun with a singular focus: she needed a new body—and a way into the palace—now more than ever. She clenched her fist at her side, resentment boiling beneath her skin. Kathy had taken everything from her—her child, her mate, and the life she once knew. The urge for vengeance burned as fiercely as the fever threatening to consume her borrowed vessel.

She pressed herself flat against the wall, holding her breath as Anthony stood at the back door. He lingered for a moment longer, then finally drew the curtain closed. Maria seized her chance. She darted across the slick grass, barely making a sound, and rounded the corner toward the back of the palace. There, beneath the shelter of a gazebo, a servant huddled from the rain, oblivious to Maria’s silent approach. Careful not to draw attention, Maria moved closer, and as she raised her trembling hand, she began to whisper the spell once more—her voice was low and dangerous, hungry for a new host.

"Spiritus meus, transi ad carnem! Anima tua, nunc vinciatur! Corpus tuum, mea vox audiat! Voluntas mea, nunc dominatur! Exsurge, Vasa! Mea erit potestas!"

("My spirit, pass to the flesh! Your soul, now be bound! Your body, hear my voice! My will, now dominate! Arise, Vessel! Mine shall be the power!")

Maria's spirit had fled the nurse and taken refuge in the servant, leaving the nurse's body lifeless on the floor, and Maria understood the dire consequence of the nurse's soul not returning to its vessel.

As she completed the incantation and slipped into the servant’s body, Maria felt an immediate rush of stolen vigor, but also the familiar ache of impermanence. She knew from bitter experience that, just like with the nurse, the longer she remained inside this vessel, the more rapidly it would falter beneath her power. Already, fine tremors raced along the servant’s limbs, a sign that her presence sapped the body’s strength with every passing moment. Time was short, and Maria was painfully aware that she would have to find a stronger host soon or risk being stranded—weak and vulnerable—once again.

In the new book Maria enter into the palace without anyone stopping, she wipe herself trying to get some of the water off the clothes, as she look around the room, and slowly walked upstairs however someone else stop her for going upstairs.

“Um…excuse where are you going?” said older servant

Maria has to come up with a lie quickly before she gets expose and came back upstairs.

“Sorry I was looking for Anthony,” said Maria

Before Maria could respond, the older servant straightened, her tone suddenly sharp and authoritative. “It’s Alpha Anthony—learn your place; you must never call an Alpha by their first name. Anyway, come with me. You will help finish cleaning up.” The reprimand stung, and Maria forced herself to nod, masking her irritation with a practiced meekness as she followed the servant, eyes still lingering on the staircase where she sensed Kathy’s presence.

“Yes, ma’am,”

Maria cast a furtive glance over her shoulder toward the staircase, her resolve hardening as she sensed Kathy's presence above. The older servant, oblivious to Maria's true intentions, led the way down the hall, but Maria's mind raced through her options. Moving quietly, Maria waited for a moment when the servant's back was turned, then acted swiftly—her hand darting out to silence the woman before she could cry out Maria snap the servant's neck. Heart pounding and adrenaline surging, Maria dragged the servant's body behind a nearby screen, ensuring it was hidden from view. She straightened her clothes, steadied her breathing, and returned to her original plan, determined to make it upstairs without being noticed and reach Kathy before anyone else intervened.

Maria stays hidden as she hears someone coming upstairs as she looks from the spot she was in to see Anthony going upstairs toward the second floor as she starts to follow him. She heard someone coming once again, just stand in the darkness until everyone goes to sleep just waiting for the right time.