Clara fought against Selene's grip, her lungs burning for air. The bound spell kept her powers trapped inside her body. Just as her vision began to blur, a silver blur shot across the tower.
Lucien slammed into Selene, tearing her away from Clara. They crashed into the stone wall, teeth bared and eyes glowing.
"Run!" Lucien shouted to Clara.
But Clara didn't run. Instead, she focused all her energy on breaking the bond spell. The silver circle around her feet flickered, then shattered. Power rushed back into her body.
"Lucien, move!" she yelled.
As Lucien jumped away, Clara sent a blast of silver energy straight at Selene. The hunter screamed as the light hit her, then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
"Is she dead?" Clara asked, breathing hard.
"No," Lucien said sadly. "Just banished for now. She'll be back." He turned to Clara, his eyes full of worry. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Clara said. "How did you find me?"
"I'll always find you," Lucien said simply. "In every life, in every world."
Clara felt a strange flutter in her chest at his words. Despite everything she had learned, something about Lucien still pulled at her heart.
"We need to go," Lucien said, taking her hand. "It's not safe here."
"Where can we go that is safe?" Clara asked. "Dominic and Isolde want to control me. Erynn has her own plans. And now this hunter, Selene..."
"I know a place," Lucien said. "A sanctuary I created long ago. No one can find it but us."
He led her down a secret staircase in the tower. At the bottom was a small wooden door that seemed to lead nowhere.
"Close your eyes," Lucien commanded.
Clara paused, then closed her eyes. She felt Lucien's cool hand in hers, guiding her forward. A strange feeling washed over her, like walking through a waterfall.
"You can look now," Lucien said.
Clara opened her eyes and gasped. They stood in a beautiful yard filled with night-blooming flowers. A small stone cottage sat at the center, surrounded by trees with silver leaves like those in the holy grove.
"What is this place?" Clara asked in wonder.
"A pocket between worlds," Lucien stated. "I created it centuries ago, hoping one day we would find a way to break the curse and live here together."
Clara walked through the yard, touching the glowing flowers. "It's beautiful."
"Here, we can train without interruption," Lucien said. "You need to master your powers before tomorrow night, no matter what you decide to do."
Clara nodded. After seeing all her past lives, she knew the stakes better than ever. "Then let's begin."
For hours, they trained harder than before. Lucien taught her to protect her mind from mental attacks like Selene's. He stood before her, his silver eyes locked on hers.
"I'm going to try to see your thoughts," he said. "Block me out."
Clara felt his presence at the edge of her mind, like a gentle knock on a door. She automatically pushed back, building a wall of silver light between them.
Lucien pushed harder. The pressure in her head grew painful. Clara gritted her teeth, stiffening her mental shield.
"Good," Lucien urged. "Now, don't just block me. Push me out completely."
Clara gathered her power and thrust outward with her mind. To her surprise, she not only pushed Lucien out but followed the link back to his mind. Suddenly, she was seeing his thoughts—memories of her from past lives, his fear of losing her again, and something else... something warm and bright that made her heart race.
She pulled back, breaking the link. They both stumbled, breathing hard.
"Did you see...?" Lucien asked, looking shaken.
"Yes," Clara breathed. She had seen his love for her, unchanged across ages.
Lucien's expression relaxed. For the first time since she'd known him, he smiled—a real smile that changed his face from cold and distant to heartbreakingly handsome.
"You did well," he said. "Better than in any past life."
Clara felt her face warm. That smile made her heart beat faster in a way that had nothing to do with her skills. For the first time, she wondered if falling for him would be so bad, curse or no curse.
"Let's try something else," Lucien offered, perhaps sensing her confusion. "Combat training."
He taught her to turn her power into physical strength and speed. They sparred in the yard, Clara's silver energy clashing with Lucien's dark power. With each good block or attack, Clara grew more confident.
During a short break, they sat together on a stone bench. Lucien gave her a cup of water, their fingers brushing. The simple touch sent a tingle up Clara's arm.
"In all your past lives," Clara asked, "was I always drawn to you like this?"
Lucien looked at her with surprise. "Like what?"
Clara tried to find the words. "Like there's an invisible thread pulling us together, even when I should be running the other way."
"Yes," Lucien said softly. "Always."
"And did I always..." Clara paused, "...did I always love you?"
Lucien's eyes darkened with remembering. "You claimed to, in every life. Even when I tried to stay away to protect you."
"Is that why you kept your distance this time? Why you made me your servant instead of telling me the truth?"
"I thought if you hated me, you might survive," Lucien admitted. "The curse seems strongest when we..." He trailed off.
"When we love each other," Clara finished.
Their eyes met, and the air between them seemed to crackle with more than just magic. Slowly, hesitantly, Clara leaned toward him. Lucien stayed perfectly still, as if afraid any movement might shatter the moment.
Their lips were inches apart when a cold wind swept through the yard. The flowers closed their petals, and the silver leaves shook.
"Someone's coming," Lucien said, jumping to his feet.
A shimmer emerged in the air, and Erynn stepped through, her red hair wild around her face.
"There you are!" she cried. "Thank the moons I found you in time!"
"How did you find this place?" Lucien asked.
"No time to explain," Erynn said quickly. "Selene has captured Dominic. She's torturing him to reveal Clara's location."
"Why should we care?" Clara asked. "He was working with Isolde against us."
"Because," Erynn said grimly, "Dominic isn't just Lucien's sire. He's your ancestor, Clara. Your direct bloodline. If he dies before the ritual tomorrow night, your powers will fade and you'll be defenseless."
"What?" Clara gasped.
Lucien grabbed Erynn's arm. "How do you know this?"
"Because I've seen it happen before," Erynn said. "In a different timeline, a different world." She looked at Clara with desperate eyes. "There's something else I haven't told you. Something about who I really am."
"What?" Clara asked, fear filling her stomach.
Erynn took a deep breath. "I'm not from this time or this world. I'm from the future—a future where you failed." She pulled back her sleeve, showing a familiar birthmark on her wrist. "I'm your daughter, Clara. From a life you haven't lived yet."