Chapter 117 Chapter 117 – Illusion

Chapter 117 Chapter 117 – Illusion
Lilly's POV

Gasps rippled through the temple as guests shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The air felt charged, every movement watched by a hundred wary eyes.

I moved slowly down the aisle, Hendrix and Adira flanking me, with Luke and the guards following behind. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we looked perfectly coordinated—a force to be reckoned with.

A chill ran down my spine. Every step I took echoed through the temple, mingling with the restless whispers. The flicker of torchlight seemed to dance in warning across the ancient stones.

“I will not let anyone take my place—or my life,” I announced, my voice ringing through the hushed temple. “Let go of my mate, or so help me, Goddess, I will rip you apart.”

Sade, small but defiant, forced Lex forward with a wicked smile. My gaze fell on the shining dagger in her hands, catching the candlelight in a way that sent a chill through me.

“It’s over, Sade,” I said, holding her gaze.

She laughed, the sound like shattered glass echoing off the stone.

“I’ll say when it’s over, you pathetic orphan girl,” she sneered.

“She’s not an orphan!” my father snarled from his seat. “She has a loving family—more than you’ll ever know!”

Sade looked at him with disgust. “It doesn’t matter what she has. I hold Lex’s life in my hands, and I’m getting mated to him—with or without your approval.”

“Fine,” I said, my words sending a ripple of whispers through the temple. I gestured to Luke, who brought Angelica forward and pushed her to her knees. “Kill her.”

Something flickered in Sade’s eyes—conflict, pain. But it vanished as quickly as it came.

Sade sneered, “You’re bluffing. This is the house of the Goddess. You’d never disrespect her like that—”

I stepped forward, a wide smile on my lips. “Like the way you disrespect the Goddess’s wishes in her temple, forcing Lex to mate with you?” I said, my voice steady. “The Goddess does not approve of this, and she’ll forgive any blood I spill in her house.”

The guests murmured, shifting uncomfortably. Their confusion and fear were exactly what I wanted.

“You wouldn’t,” Sade taunted. “You’re weak, too compassionate—”

I gave Luke the signal. He pulled a dagger from his belt and raised it high for all to see.

Sade gasped but didn’t move.

“Lilly is not joking; she will—” Angelica sobbed, her voice trembling.

“Really, Mother?” Sade snapped. “She’s bluffing. Everyone knows she has too much compassion.”

The crowd murmured, eyes darting around the room, uncertainty thickening the air. I could sense their indecision—torn between horror and the hope that someone might finally put an end to all this madness.

“Are you sure?” I asked, unyielding. “I’m not the same helpless girl I once was…”

For a moment Sade stared at me, tension pressing down on everyone.

“Nah,” she said. “You wouldn’t… I know the kind of person you are.”

“What are you doing, Lilly?” Lex’s voice broke through the mind link, as confused as the crowd.

“I’m showing her exactly what I’m capable of,” I replied, feeling power surge through my veins.

“I don’t understand,” he said, bewildered. “I don’t see anything. What is she looking at? Is she going crazy?”

A smile tugged at my lips.

Just before I entered, Adira had stopped me. “I have an idea,” she whispered, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“I’m listening.”

“Let me create an illusion—only Sade will see it.”

“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” Luke had asked. “She might know, or worse, attack Lilly.”

“We’ll keep her out of harm’s way,” Adira replied. “Lilly just needs to talk. The illusion will do the rest…”

Luke had agreed, though it was unorthodox.

I returned my focus to Lex.

“Adira is influencing her mind with a spell. Sade sees Angelica on her knees, with Luke holding a dagger to her throat.”

“Wait, what?” he asked, stunned. “Is she seeing an illusion?”

“She’s living it,” I corrected. Before Lex could say more, I signaled to Luke.

Luke didn’t hesitate; he mimed slitting Angelica’s throat.

Angelica gasped, clutching her throat, making horrible, choking sounds. Blood oozed from the imaginary wound, running down her hands and staining her clothing crimson.

Sade sucked in an audible breath. I looked at her—ashen-faced, eyes wide, horrified. She stared at the vision, then, as if something inside her snapped, she lunged at me, shifting mid-stride into her wolf form.

In seconds, Sade’s wolf sprang forward, claws outstretched to tear me apart. For a heartbeat, I wondered if this was how my story would end.

I signaled Adira to drop the spell, and she did.

Screams erupted through the temple as Sade’s wolf slashed violently at empty air.

Gasps and shrieks echoed against the stone. Guests scattered, desperate not to get caught in the chaos.

The sound of bone cracking beneath powerful jaws was gut-wrenching. Blood covered Sade’s wolf, her fur matted and red, her eyes wild and lost to rage.

A final, raw scream tore through the silence—then everything went still. Thick, suffocating silence lingered.

Sade’s wolf snarled, feral, before backing away, almost proud of her carnage. She shifted back and laughed hysterically.

“Told you all—she was just a pathetic wolf!” she sneered. “I am stronger. I am to be queen!”

“Are you done now?” I asked, my voice steady.

Sade froze, confusion finally flickering in her eyes.

I slowly stepped past Luke, every eye in the temple locked on what would happen next.