84."THE MAN WHO THINKS HE'S PROTECTING YOU?"

I spin around, startled, until my gaze meets Zion standing before me. His face displays a mix of emotions that I can't immediately decipher. His eyes are loaded with an intensity that makes me swallow hard.

"I've missed you, Nyra," Zion pulls me back by the wrist with restrained strength, his voice cold yet contrasting with the intensity of his words. "Seeing you with Alaric, knowing that you slept with him last night, it made me..."

"Zion, this... it shouldn't have happened between us. It was a mistake." I stop, facing him, my heart beating in a complicated way.

I try to be honest in my words, but they betray the confusion I feel at the moment. I know what I feel for Alaric, and even more so what I feel for Zion; each moment I spend with one is different from the other. It's hard to imagine my life without either of them right now.

"A mistake?" He releases my wrist abruptly, the mask of coldness failing for a moment to reveal the pain behind his icy blue eyes. "To me, it wasn't a mistake, Nyra. I'm not used to exposing my feelings, but with you, everything seems different. Every moment with you felt more real than anything I've ever experienced."

His words echo deeply within me, stirring the feelings I struggle to keep under control. I search for something to say, something that might explain the chaos in my heart, but words escape me.

"I can't," I start, my voice trembling, trying to put a distance between us that my heart can't sustain. "We aren't..." He interrupts, stepping closer, his presence invading my personal space.

"I know you're with him, I know you're confused," Zion says, his voice now low and intense. "But I had to tell you how I feel. I needed you to know."

I feel the weight of his words, but I can't ignore what I have with Alaric, which was built slowly, and running away from him only made me want to be closer to him. Anna told me this could become more intense, and now that I've drunk even more of his blood, it feels like he's a part of me.

"I need to go," I say finally, taking a step back, each movement costing more than it should. "I have something important to do with Anna."

"I'll be here, Nyra. If you need me, for anything, I'll be here." Zion watches me, his expression controlled again, but his eyes still burn with something I don't understand.

I continue on my way, feeling Zion's gaze on my back, the tension between us unresolved, merely postponed. My mind whirls with possibilities, with the conflicting feelings for Alaric and now for Zion, each step taking me deeper into a maze of emotions I don't know how to navigate.

I open the door to my room and head straight for where I keep my jewelry. I put the necklace there, I'm sure of it. My heart races, but I try to calm myself to prevent panic from taking over. I need the necklace, it's crucial for understanding everything that's happening.

But when I look at the place where it should be, nothing. The necklace is gone. I rummage through everything, lifting bracelets and rings, hoping it might have slipped underneath or something. But it's really not here. A gust of cold air makes me shudder. "No," I whisper, feeling the weight of the situation. It's not just a piece of jewelry. This necklace is much more than that.

I pause for a second, taking a deep breath. Who else knew about the necklace? Could it have been Elijah? Or someone working for him? It sends chills down my spine just thinking that someone entered here and took the necklace. But I can't just stand here; I need to do something.

I leave my room, my mind spinning with possibilities of who could have taken the necklace. My heart races as I head towards the corridor of the other wing, each step increasing my anxiety. A shiver runs through me as I reach the stair hall, a strange feeling that something is out of place.

Before I can figure out the cause of my discomfort, I hear a familiar voice behind me.

"Looking for this, dear?" Elijah is there, with the necklace delicately swinging on the tips of his fingers. He smiles, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

I swallow hard, surprised and irritated at the same time. How did he manage to take my necklace? It must have been last night while I was with Alaric.

"How did you get this?" my voice comes out firmer than I feel. Elijah shrugs, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Oh, you know, dear, a castle like this has its secrets, and I have my methods. I thought you might like to have it back," he says, still swaying the necklace provocatively.

"This doesn't belong to you. What do you want with it?" I advance towards him, anger growing within me. He stops swaying the necklace and holds it firmly, looking straight into my eyes.

"Me? Nothing, really. I know exactly why it was given to your mother. But I thought we might make a trade. Information for this little trinket. You must be dying of curiosity about certain things, aren’t you?"

His words hit the mark. Of course, I'm desperate for answers, especially about the visions and the strange occurrences around me. But to trust Elijah? That's another story.

"What kind of information?" I ask, cautious.

Elijah takes a step forward, closing the distance between us.

"Oh, about many things... Perhaps even about your true father or how certain ancient secrets can change your destiny."

Elijah is trying to manipulate me, and that becomes more and more apparent. I look around for any sign of Alaric or Zion, but find none.

"Looking for your beloved Alaric? Or your little fling?" Elijah insinuates, walking slowly towards me, the sound of his shoes echoing through the space.

His words disturb me, leaving me restless, anger taking hold of me, my teeth clenched, my hands balled into fists.

"It's none of your business," I reply, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Oh, but it is, dear, it really is," he says, coming too close, his cold breath against my face. "You see, everything that happens in this castle is my business. And I wonder... with whom does your heart truly lie? With the man who thinks he can protect you, or with the one who truly sets you ablaze?"

"You know nothing about what I feel." I feel my face heat up with his insinuation, the anger bubbling inside me.

Elijah smiles, a daring smile that sends shivers down my spine.

"Don't I? Perhaps I know more than you think. Perhaps I know that neither of them can offer you what you really need. And maybe I could introduce you to the best of the world to which we belong."

The provocation is blatant, and I know he's playing with me, trying to destabilize me.

"What do you want, Elijah?" I ask, my patience quickly fading.

He lifts the necklace, letting it dangle between us. "A trade, as I said. Information for this trinket. Information that could change everything for you, Nyra. About your family, about your destiny... and about what Alaric and Zion really mean in your life."

Each word is calculated, each pause measured to leave an impact. I take a deep breath, trying not to show how much he's affecting me.

"I need answers, especially about the baby my mother was carrying when she fled from you." I release the words that catch him off guard, his eyes darken, his hand tightens around the necklace, pulling it into his trouser pocket.

He quickly recomposes himself, nodding, satisfied for the moment.

"Don't take too long. Time has a funny way of running out when we least expect it." Elijah says as he walks away as quickly as my eyes can follow. As I try to assimilate everything, Anna appears in the hall, her expression of concern obvious.

"Why did you take so long?" she asks, looking around, clearly confused by my expression, as puzzled as hers. I pull Anna to a more secluded corner, ensuring no one can overhear our conversation.

"Elijah took the necklace," I confess quickly, watching her reaction. "I don't know what to do. He said the necklace is the only way I can continue having the visions."

Anna frowns, thoughtful. "No, Nyra, that's not true," she says firmly. "There are other ways. Do you remember our mother’s diary? She wrote about other ways to access these visions and knowledge, not just through magical objects."

My tension eases slightly with this information. "Do you think we can use her diary to figure out how to access the visions without the necklace?"

"Yes, I'm sure of it," Anna responds, her tone full of determination. "Let's go back to our room. I'll show you the diary. Mother had many secrets, maybe it's exactly the right time for you to know."

I hold firmly onto Anna's hand, finding her support my only pillar at the moment. I need to understand the real reason mother fled from Elijah, something tells me it wasn't just that.