Chapter 76: The Witch’s Wrath

The palace halls were silent in the dead of night. A thick mist curled along the stone floors, creeping under doors and filling the air with an eerie stillness. Seraphina stirred in her chambers, her body sore from exhaustion. The last few weeks had been draining—gaining Cassian’s trust, navigating the whispers of the court, and battling the ever-growing weight of her own emotions.

She lay curled on the grand bed, its silk sheets soft against her skin, but sleep had not come easy. Something felt… wrong. The air was thick with tension, as if the very walls of the palace were holding their breath.

Then it happened.

The doors to her chambers burst open with a thunderous crash.

A flood of armed guards poured inside, torches casting flickering shadows on the walls. Their armor clanked as they moved in unison, forming a semi-circle around her bed.

Seraphina sat up instantly, heart hammering.

“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, her voice laced with confusion.

A tall, broad-shouldered guard stepped forward, his expression stony. He carried a scroll in his hand, unrolling it before her eyes.

“Seraphina, by the order of the Royal Council and the Queen Dowager, you are hereby charged with treason, witchcraft, and deception against the crown. You are to be taken into custody immediately.”

Seraphina’s breath caught in her throat. “Treason? Witchcraft? What nonsense is this?”

Before she could move, two guards lunged forward, seizing her arms in an iron grip. She struggled against them, her magic sparking beneath her fingertips, but before she could summon any power, cold metal shackles snapped around her wrists, burning against her skin.

Iron.

A witch’s weakness.

A sharp pain shot through her veins as her magic recoiled from the metal, leaving her weak. Her legs buckled, and the guards dragged her forward.

“Let me go!” she snarled, twisting in their grip. “Where is Cassian? He won’t allow this—”

“King Cassian has been informed,” the head guard interrupted. “He has no say in the council’s ruling.”

A lie. It had to be.

Seraphina thrashed, her heart racing. “This is a mistake! Someone framed me!”

But the guards did not falter. They hauled her through the corridors, her bare feet scraping against the cold stone. Servants peeked from behind doorways, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and pity.

Outside, the night air bit into her skin as she was dragged into the palace courtyard.

A crowd had already gathered.

Villagers. Nobles. Servants. All staring at her with a mix of horror and satisfaction.

At the center of the square, a tall wooden post stood, ropes dangling from its sides. The realization of what was happening hit her like a punch to the gut.

She was to be punished. Publicly.

The guards forced her onto her knees before tying her wrists to the post. The iron cuffs were removed, but her arms were immediately bound with thick rope, pulling her body taut.

The murmurs began.

“She’s a witch.”

“She bewitched our king!”

“She must be banished!”

Seraphina’s breathing grew ragged. She turned her head frantically, searching for Cassian. He had to be here. He had to stop this.

And then she saw him.

Standing at the palace steps, flanked by his council and—

Queen Dowager Lysandra.

The older woman’s gaze was cold as ice, lips curled in satisfaction. Cassian, on the other hand, looked furious. His hands were clenched into fists, his body tense with barely restrained rage.

“Cassian!” Seraphina shouted, desperation creeping into her voice. “Stop this madness!”

Cassian took a step forward, but Lysandra placed a hand on his arm, holding him back.

“The council has ruled, my son,” she said smoothly. “You must not interfere.”

Cassian’s jaw tightened.

The head of the council stepped forward, raising a parchment. “Seraphina has been found guilty of her crimes. As punishment, she shall receive one hundred lashes and remain tied before the palace for all to see. Let this be a warning to those who would bring ruin to Ravaryn.”

The crowd roared in approval.

Seraphina’s breath hitched. One hundred strokes. She would not survive that.

The first lash came.

A white-hot pain ripped through her back, the whip slicing through her thin dress and into her skin.

She gasped but refused to scream.

The second stroke landed.

The third.

The agony was unbearable. Each lash sent searing pain through her spine, blood seeping into the dirt beneath her. The guards showed no mercy, their movements precise and brutal.

By the fiftieth lash, her body was trembling.

By the seventieth, she could barely keep her head up.

Cassian had had enough.

“STOP THIS NOW!” he bellowed, his voice echoing across the courtyard. He broke free from his guards, but before he could reach her—

Lightning split the sky.

A thunderous roar shook the ground beneath them.

The heavens answered.

Dark clouds gathered, swirling like an angry beast. The wind howled through the streets, and then—

The rain came.

Not a gentle drizzle.

A flood.

Water crashed down like an unrelenting wave, drowning the torches, filling the square in seconds. People screamed, scrambling for cover as the floodwaters rose to their ankles.

Seraphina’s body trembled, her skin glowing faintly as raw, untamed power surged through her veins.

Her head tilted upward, eyes burning with a storm of emotions.

The ropes binding her snapped.

The iron shackles melted away.

A pulse of magic exploded from her chest, sending a shockwave that knocked the guards back. The ground cracked beneath her as her body convulsed from the sheer force of the unleashed energy.

“She’s a witch!”

“She’s summoning a flood! Kill her before she destroys us all!”

Seraphina gasped, her vision spinning. The power was too much, overwhelming and uncontrollable. Her limbs gave out, and she collapsed onto the wet stone.

The last thing she saw was Cassian rushing toward her, his eyes filled with desperation.

“Seraphina!”

Her world faded to black.

###

When she awoke, she was no longer in the courtyard.

She was in Cassian’s arms.

Rainwater dripped from his hair, his breath ragged as he held her close. His clothes were soaked, his heart pounding beneath her cheek.

“You’re safe,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ve got you.”

A presence loomed behind them.

Queen Lysandra.

“You cannot take her back inside, Cassian,” she said coldly. “She is a danger to the kingdom. You saw what she just did.”

Cassian’s grip on Seraphina tightened. “She was tortured,” he spat. “What did you expect? She defended herself.”

“She flooded the village!” a nobleman shouted.

“I do not care.” Cassian’s voice was low, filled with warning.

Lysandra stepped forward. “If you choose her over your people, you will lose the trust of this kingdom.”

Cassian turned his gaze on his mother.

And for the first time, there was no hesitation in his voice.

“Then so be it.”

Without another word, he carried Seraphina inside, leaving the stunned court behind.

“Send for the best healer in Ravaryn,” he ordered, his voice ringing through the palace. “NOW.”