Chapter 0765

Nina

I awoke with a start, gasping and clutching my chest. A cold sweat had caked my back, and as I sat up in bed, I noticed the ache in my limbs from tensing my muscles during my sleep. But my physical discomfort felt like nothing to the mental discomfort I felt.

Selena's words, even in my waking state, still echoed in my mind.

"You have to hurry," she had said. "You have to finish the ritual..."

I swallowed, confused. That was no dream; it was a vision, or maybe even a visit to another realm of sorts. And the words that selena had spoken hadn't been imagined. She really had spoken them.

But how? And what did it all mean?

"What ritual...?" I muttered to myself, rubbing my tired eyes.

As I sat there, though, it hit me: my gaze wandered over to the journal that was sitting on my desk, which now sat closed, its translation tucked neatly between the pages. I had plans to find a good hiding place for it, maybe to even bury it deep in the forest where no one could find it again.

But now, as it sat there, I knew.

Finding that dusty book on the back of the highest shelf in the sprawling library had been no accident; it had found me. And Selena wanted me to finish the ritual. She wanted me to... bind a spirit to my unborn baby.

Her spirit?

Frowning, I threw the covers off of myself and swung my legs over the side of the bed, standing. I slowly walked over to the book, which was illuminated by the warm golden light of the rising sun peeking in through the curtains. I swallowed and reached out, running my fingers along the soft leather.

The book just sat there, silent, like any normal book. There was no glow, no tingle, no sense of magic now that the moon had slipped below the horizon in the wake of dawn.

yet, I couldn't help but flinch back

dead twin sister's spirit, to my unborn child. I didn't know the consequences, or whether the

there, cradling my hand as if I had been burned by touching the

at stake if I didn't complete the

couldn't do it. No, I wouldn't do it. Surely Selena wouldn't trick me into doing such a thing.

to return at any minute now, and here I was, still locked in my room

the kitchen, even when I told them that I just wanted a sandwich. It was both humiliating

and put through unimaginable atrocities. But with the guards posted outside, the idea of escaping with

the essentials: a change of clothes, some money, a few necessary toiletries, as I didn't know how long we would be gone or where this next adventure would take

reason,

sort of... happened. I didn't even realize it until I was already slipping

paused, realizing now what I was doing, and stared down at the book in my

"Why..."

my breath catching in my throat,

met face-to-face with my

a bit and setting my jaw hard. I was still a bit angry with her for doing nothing and saying nothing when my father had essentially decided to keep

still on the doorknob. Behind her, I could see the two guards still standing there, two stoic sentries. And in her

I said,

sighed and turned to face the

guards looked at her and frowned in

us," she commanded. "I'd like some time alone with my daughter without

imagined they likely didn't go far. Once they were gone, my mother stepped into the

folding my arms across my chest, "I'm not

here to

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