Chapter 69 The hybrid
On the other hand, back in the temple,
Evyths had been staring at Raven, who was still unconscious. For a moment, she tried to understand what had just happened.
Though only fragments remained in her memory, she could still recall vividly how sharp and throbbing the pain in her stomach had been.
It hinted at something; she was either pregnant when Raven attempted to cast the spell, or it was simply the aftermath of the ritual.
Evyths thought deeply, her back leaning against the iron bars of the cage.
Her hand instinctively rested on her stomach, as if offering it comfort after the failed ritual.
“What if…”
Her fingers pressed lightly against her abdomen.
“…I’m pregnant?”
The voice in her head whispered as her eyes narrowed at Raven’s scattered altar.
Then again, her thoughts drifted to when Queen Elena spoke about a prophecy—Moonbound and Bloodbound, her veins carrying interwoven fates.
It sounded strange, but it could mean pregnancy, she told herself.
If that were the case, then Raven had been fully aware of her condition—and had tried to get rid of it.
The realization struck her. Her hand flew over her mouth.
Her breath hitched as she swallowed hard.
“No way this is true.” Her voice came out thinner than she had ever heard.
Suddenly, Raven’s eyes snapped open.
Her body was still weakened by the unfinished ritual—interrupted by Elena.
Her gaze swept across the temple as if seeing it for the first time.
Then realization dawned. Elena had escaped… and Evyths had survived the spell.
Her blood boiled, a quiet groan slipping past her lips.
Enraged.
But then she noticed something—something terrifying.
Evyths’ body was still glowing faintly.
Raven pushed herself up, her lips parting slightly.
It could only mean one thing—the Moonbound and Bloodbound power was still reacting.
“No…” Raven whispered. “It’s starting already.”
She struggled to rise, her limbs quivering.
“This cannot be happening…” her voice shook, her perplexed gaze darting at Evyths.
What she dreaded was real. Evyths was carrying a hybrid heir—one that could awaken an ancient power.
Raven turned away from the cage, staggering toward her altar as she hastily gathered her vials, wands, and ritual ingredients.
“This cannot be,” she muttered. “Evyths shouldn’t carry a hybrid…”
Her voice trembled.
“…that should have been me.”
Her fingers shivered as she rummaged through the broken vials scattered across the stone floor.
Raven was in disarray. She needed confirmation—proof that her fears were true.
If Evyths was carrying a hybrid child, it would make her irrelevant—to the throne, and to Valerio, if he had survived.
And she had longed—desperately—to unlock the gates of the ancient power that Evyths now seemed to possess so effortlessly.
It should have been her—the power, the child, the betrothed… the only queen of Ravencroft.
Her eyes darted to the cage, a thick frown settling in.
“You took everything that belonged to me.”
She rose, spreading her arms as a surge of power emanated from within her.
“But I… won’t let you…”
The words that followed were unfamiliar, ancient.
The stone she had erected began to glint.
While Evyths watched from a distance, too weak to stand, the glow in her veins pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Slow.
Weak.
Faint.
Raven persisted, summoning answers—desperate to prove her assumption.
The room dimmed.
One by one, the torches flickered—then died.
A furious rumble erupted beneath the ground.
The cage lurched violently, tilting to the side as Evyths crashed onto the stone floor.
“Unf—”
She whimpered painfully while Raven continued chanting in a strange, unearthly language.
Debris and sand rained down around her.
A faint whisper escaped her lips.
“Valerio…”
Just as Evyths thought the entire temple would collapse on her, everything stopped.
Abruptly.
No rumble. No falling debris.
The cage steadied. The torches flickered back to life.
Silence.
Except for Raven—who had frozen.
Her eyes locked onto the stone before her.
Symbols carved into its surface began to glow.
A crescent moon.
A drop of blood.
A sun.
The confirmation was undeniable.
Her fear was real.
Evyths was carrying a hybrid heir—bound to a fate that would shift the balance of everything.
Fury surged through her.
Raven hurled the stone across the chamber. It crashed violently against the wall.
“No!”
Her scream tore through the temple.
Her hands clutched both sides of her head as her body trembled uncontrollably.
Then suddenly, she moved.
Raven scurried toward the cage, her fingers wrapping tightly around the iron bars.
“I see what you’ve done…” she said, her voice low and menacing.
Evyths stared at her, confusion clouding her expression.
“You seduced the king. Made him your plaything. And now…” her voice thickened with rage, “you carry his child—knowing fully well this is forbidden.”
“I—I don’t know what you mean, Queen Raven—”
Raven laughed. Dark. Wicked.
Her grip tightened, the bars groaning under the pressure.
“Don’t play pretend, Evyths. I know your games. I see your games.”
A slow smile curved her lips.
“Well played.”
While Raven spoke, Evyths forced herself to stand taller, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress tightly.
Raven would try something again. Something fatal.
“I swear, I did nothing, Queen Raven. I didn’t—”
Raven tilted her head, her neck cracking sharply in the silence.
The sound echoed.
Evyths’ heart pounded violently against her chest.
Her stomach twisted with something she couldn’t control.
“Well… too late, little wolf.” Raven chuckled dryly, her gaze dropping to Evyths’ stomach.
“I won’t kill you anymore…”
Evyths must be used.
The thought formed clearly in Raven’s mind.
The prophecy could be her path to the throne—if she acted fast enough.
If she could claim the power before Evyths ever understood it.
With a sharp crack, the iron bars split apart.
Raven’s laughter echoed through the temple as Evyths’ legs writhed with fear while Raven stepped closer.
Each step was heavier than the last.
More dangerous.
Evyths grabbed the broken rods on either side, gripping them tightly as makeshift weapons.
Raven noticed.
And smiled.
She savored the fear in Evyths’ eyes—like a predator hovering over its prey.
Evyths had already decided.
The moment Raven came close enough—
She would strike.
Raven stopped just inches away from her.
Her breath was warm. Uneven.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
“Perhaps…”
She tilted her head slightly.
“…killing you would be a waste.”