Lyra’s POV
I spun around to face Elara.
She stood in my doorway like she owned the room—chin lifted, lips curled in that smug little smile that made my skin crawl.
“What do you want?” I snarled.
Her little pregnancy reveal didn’t shock me. Not anymore. After eleven years of watching Magnus betray me in new ways, I’d learned one rule: never assume you’ve seen the worst of him.
Or anyone tied to him.
Elara tilted her head, all fake sweetness. “I came to apologize.”
I let out a harsh laugh. “Save it. Your apology means nothing to me.”
Her eyes narrowed for a second, then she sighed dramatically. “But I was thinking…” she murmured. “What if people finally heard the truth? That you’ve been bullying me all this time?”
I snorted. “I don’t care enough about you to bully you. And I’m not interested in your little victim act.”
I bent down, grabbed my suitcase, and went back to packing. Shirts. Dresses. Anything I could shove inside fast.
But Elara wasn’t finished.
She glanced at my bedside table, then—without warning—picked up the lamp and slammed it onto the floor.
The glass shattered.
“What the hell are you doing?” I snapped, every instinct in me flaring.
Elara’s grin widened. “Just watch.”
Then she dropped down like a puppet with its strings cut and pressed both hands into the broken shards.
Blood welled instantly.
My stomach turned. “Are you insane?”
Elara threw her head back and screamed, loud enough for the entire floor to hear.
“I’m sorry, Lyra!” she sobbed. “It’s my fault, I swear! Hurt me if you have to, but please—please don’t leave the children!”
I stared at her, stunned.
“What is wrong with you?” I hissed.
The door flew open so hard it nearly hit the wall.
Magnus stormed in, the twins right behind him. His eyes went sharp and dangerous the moment he saw Elara on the floor, bleeding like a martyr.
His gaze snapped to me.
“How could you do this?” he growled. “She’s sick, Lyra. Have you lost every shred of decency?”
“I didn’t touch her,” I said, my voice steady.
Elara sobbed harder. “Magnus, don’t yell at her… it’s not her fault…”
The twins shoved forward, faces twisted with hate.
“How dare you hurt our new mommy!” Ian shouted.
Vale bared his teeth. “Haven’t we punished you enough? Why are you still here?”
Their words didn’t even sting anymore. They’d said worse. Done worse.
I didn’t look at any of them. I kept packing.
“I’m leaving,” I said coolly. “That’s what you all want, right?”
Magnus lunged before I could take another step. His hand clamped around my arm, iron-strong, and he dragged me out into the hall.
Then he shoved me into the cramped storage closet across from my room.
The door slammed.
“Stay in there until you learn your lesson!” he snarled.
“Magnus!” I screamed, slamming my fists against the door. “Let me out!”
The lock clicked.
And then his footsteps disappeared.
My breath caught in my throat.
He knew.
He knew I couldn’t stand tight spaces. He knew it made my skin crawl, made my lungs seize, made my mind spiral.
And he still did it.
Like I was an animal he could cage.
Tears slid down my cheeks before I could stop them. I wiped them away viciously.
No.
Crying wouldn’t help. None of them deserved my tears. None of them deserved my love.
I pressed my back to the wall and forced my heartbeat to slow.
The closet was small. Too small. Boxes stacked high. Old coats. Dust thick enough to taste. There was nothing inside that could help me pry the lock or force the door.
Hours crawled by.
Eventually, the house grew quieter. The music faded. Evening settled in.
Then a soft knock came from the other side of the door.
Hope surged through me so fast it hurt.
I scrambled up, gripping the handle. “Hello? Someone’s there—please! Open the door!”
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then Elara’s voice slid through the crack like poison.
“Oh, Lyra,” she cooed. “Locked up exactly where you belong.”
I shut my eyes, swallowing the rage burning my throat. “What do you want? Are you done with your performance?”
A giggle. Light. Cruel. “Not even close. I didn’t know Magnus loved me so much he’d lock you away… even though he knows it’s your biggest fear.”
My jaw clenched. I refused to give her the satisfaction of hearing me panic.
“If you have nothing real to say, leave,” I snapped.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she purred. “I’m just getting started. But for now… I’ll let you rot in there.”
Her heels clicked away, slow and satisfied.
I let out a shaky breath.
Darkness crept deeper into the closet. I reached up, fingers brushing my hair. The small pin was still there, holding it in place.
A hairpin.
“Better than nothing,” I muttered.
I dropped to my knees and started working it into the lock. My hands shook too badly at first, but I forced them steady.
Seconds passed.
Minutes.
Then—
Voices.
Outside.
Two familiar voices, low and gleeful.
“Let’s teach her a real lesson,” Ian hissed.
Vale snickered. “Yes. Let’s.”
My blood ran cold.
Before I could move, something scraped against the tiny back window of the closet.
Then the nightmare began.
A buzzing roar filled the air.
Bees.
A hive—shoved through the opening.
And with it came crawling shapes that made my skin crawl: spiders spilling across the floor, over the boxes, over my shoes.
I screamed.
Stings hit my arms, my neck, my cheek. Bites sank into my ankles.
Pain lit up everywhere at once.
“Stop!” I sobbed, pounding the door with both fists. “Somebody! Help me!”
No one came.
No footsteps.
No voices.
Only the twins’ laughter outside, sharp and delighted.
“Next time don’t mess with us!” Vale taunted.
My right eye started swelling shut, heat throbbing under the skin. I couldn’t breathe properly. I couldn’t see properly.
But I didn’t stop.
I forced my hands back to the lock, fingers moving faster, desperate.
The stings kept coming.
My skin burned.
My lungs felt tight.
Finally—
The latch shifted.
The door gave.
I shoved it open and stumbled out, gasping, half-blind, screaming as I ran.
I bolted into the courtyard, air cold against my skin.
The twins were waiting.
They stood under the courtyard lights like two small demons, eyes hard, faces blank with hate.
“You really don’t learn,” Vale snarled, his hands curled into fists.
Ian stepped forward. “You should never come back.”
Then they shoved me.
Hard.
I stumbled backward and fell into the pool.
The water swallowed me instantly, icy and deep.
Panic slammed into my chest.
“I can’t swim!” I choked, thrashing. “Stop! Please!”
But they didn’t stop.
They stood at the edge, watching.
Then I saw Ian reach into a bag.
My heart froze.
A pistol.
Vale pulled one out too.
My blood turned to ice all over again.
“Where did you get—” I started, voice shaking.
Ian’s face twisted with disgust. “You’re pathetic. You think running away will make us want you? You’re vile.”
Vale’s eyes were wild. “You should die here. It’s the only way to apologize to our real mother.”
Together, perfectly in sync, they raised their guns.
Aimed straight at my chest.
And fired.
The shots ripped through the night—bullets slicing the air, racing toward my heart.
