Chapter 113 CHAPTER 113
” Celia?”
The call left Lisa’s mind before she could stop it, sharp and instinctive, like a hand reaching out in the dark. There was a heartbeat of silence - never long enough to be dangerous, but long enough to make her chest tighten anyway.
“For the thousandth time,” Celia replied, her voice warm and faintly amused, “I’m still here.”
Lisa let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Her shoulders eased only slightly, the relief fragile and temporary, like glass that might crack if she pressed too hard. She knew Celia was right. She knew she was still there. But knowing and feeling safe were two different things, and the night before had torn a hole straight through her certainty.
“I just needed to check,” Lisa murmured back.
“You’ve been checking since you woke up,” Celia said gently. “And since before that. I promise I’m fine.”
Lisa stared out the car window, watching the city slide past in soft morning light. Buildings blurred into one another, people moved with purpose, life continuing as if nothing inside her had changed. “I don’t trust silence anymore, she admitted. Not after yesterday.”
Celia’s presence shifted, closer somehow, like a hand resting over Lisa’s thoughts. “I understand. But you didn’t lose me. It was a small price to pay for your freedom from the bond – even if temporarily.”
Lisa swallowed. “I know but I didn’t know you were gone until you were,” she replied. “And for hours I couldn’t feel you at all. Do you know what that felt like?”
There was a pause then, not empty, but thoughtful. “I know it was scary,” Celia said quietly. “Like falling down and not knowing where you’ll land.”
Lisa’s fingers curled into the fabric of her skirt. “Exactly.”
The car slowed slightly as Liam adjusted to the traffic ahead, his attention fixed on the road even as his awareness stayed tuned to the quiet tension beside him. He had noticed it the moment Lisa had climbed into the passenger seat that morning - the way she’d been too still, too inward, her gaze unfocused as though she was listening to something no one else could hear.
“You’ve been quiet,” he said at last, keeping his voice light, careful not to startle her. “Are you still worried about last night?”
Lisa turned toward him, her eyes tired but honest. “I keep checking on her,” she said. “Celia, I mean. I know she’s there, but I can’t stop myself.”
Liam nodded slowly. He reached across the space between them and rested his hand over hers, grounding and warm. “I would do the same,” he said. “If Cain had ever disappeared on me like that, even for a moment, I don’t think I’d be able to breathe until I felt him again.”
Lisa’s fingers tightened around his. “It helps hearing that,” she said softly. “But it doesn’t make the fear go away.”
“It won’t,” Liam admitted. “Not right away.”
He glanced at her briefly, then back to the road. “Celestine, Jorah, Nolan – even Ethan, they’re still going through everything. Manuscripts, records, old rituals. They’re trying to understand what happened and whether it can happen again.”
Lisa’s mouth curved into a faint, tired smile. “That doesn’t reassure me as much as you think it should.”
“I figured,” Liam said, a hint of rueful humor in his tone. “That’s why I’ve been doing my own reading.”
She looked at him in surprise. “You?”
He shrugged. “I spent half the night in the Mooncrest archives. Bonds, ritual interference, realm displacement. Anything that even hinted at what you described.” He squeezed her hand gently. “I won’t stop. Not until I understand what happened to you. To Celia. To all of it.”
Something in Lisa’s chest loosened then, just a little. She lifted his hand and pressed a soft kiss to his knuckles, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. “I don’t know what I would do without you,” she said quietly. “With everything that’s gone wrong in my life… you’re the one thing I wouldn’t change. If I had to choose this life again, knowing everything I know now, I’d still choose you.”
Liam turned her hand over and returned the gesture, his lips warm against her skin. “You make me feel the same,” he said. “Whatever comes next, we face it together.”
The car eased into the school parking lot, gravel crunching beneath the tires. The ordinary sight of students gathering, laughing, complaining about classes felt surreal after everything that had happened. Liam stepped out first and moved around to open Lisa’s door, offering her his hand as she climbed out.
That was when she saw Sebastian.
He was walking toward them with easy confidence, books tucked under one arm, a wide smile already in place. For a moment, it was almost convincing, like the day before had never happened, like the weight of revelation hadn’t shifted the ground beneath all of them.
“Morning,” he said brightly, nodding at Liam.
Liam acknowledged him with a brief, wordless nod.
Sebastian stepped closer to Lisa and extended his hand. “Cindy....” He stopped short, the name catching in his throat. “Lisa,” he corrected quickly. “Looks like we started off on the wrong foot.”
Before Lisa could respond, Liam stepped forward, his presence calm but unmistakably firm. “You’re addressing the Princess,” he said. “You should show her the proper respect.”
Sebastian blinked, clearly thrown. “Oh. Right. My bad.” His apology was casual, almost careless. He turned back to Liam instead of Lisa. “You know, the Princess and I go way back. I don’t know if she told you, but she used to live…”
“Liam,” Lisa cut in gently, her voice steady despite the tightness in her chest. “I think I’m getting late for class. We should go.”
Liam inclined his head immediately. “As you wish, Your Highness.”
He fell into step beside her as she walked away, neither of them looking back. They kept their distance just enough to avoid attention, the unspoken agreement between them clear. At school, appearances mattered.
Behind them, Sebastian stood frozen for a moment, his smile fading as confusion gave way to irritation. He scratched the back of his head, watching them disappear into the building.
Ignoring him felt worse than any confrontation could have.
As he started after them, anger simmered beneath his skin, sharp and unwelcome. If she had shouted, if she had told him off, if she had even looked at him with open contempt, it would have been easier. Silence left too much room for imagination, and the fact that she chose it - chose to walk away - made his chest burn.
He followed them down the hallway, his steps heavy with frustration, unaware that the power he once held had already slipped through his fingers.