Back in the study of my manor, my fingers trembled as I unrolled the transfer scroll. The ink smudged as a tear hit the parchment.

If it were just a friend's betrayal, maybe I could have laughed it off. But our bond, once a burning fire in my chest, now felt like a thousand silver needles piercing my heart.

I remembered the night we decided to transfer.

Moonlight flooded the conservatory, bathing us in a silver glow that felt like a blessing. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the man I had loved for nearly a century. My heart was pounding, wild and out of control.

When he leaned down to kiss me, his hot breath on my skin, I didn't push him away.

He untied the ribbons of my dress, his cool fingers trailing down my spine, sending a shiver through me. Then, his fangs grazed my neck, my blood mixing with his. It was the first step of our bonding ritual—sacred, and irreversible. All that remained was the final vow in the chapel.

"This is the beginning of forever," I whispered in his arms.

"Yes," he said, kissing my forehead. "We'll have a blood-pact wedding in the old Gothic chapel. You'll wear white, and I'll place the family's ancestral blood-jade tiara on your head."

I thought that was our future.

Two days later, it was all ash.

Now I understood. He was lying from the very beginning. For him, the bond was just insurance, a guarantee I would never betray him. For me, it was a chain on my soul.

I am a pure-blood heir of the Thorne clan. He is just an unrecognized bastard of the Vances. This bond was never equal.

But he didn't know that a simple bond couldn't hold me. Not with my power.

I looked at the tear-stained scroll in my hand. It didn't matter. I would write a new one.

A Thorne always has a backup plan.

I filled out a new scroll, pausing at the destination academy. Then I sent a psychic message to my mother. "Mother, what was the name of that top-tier academy you mentioned? Yes. I'll be going alone."

A wind chime rang, its clear, sweet sound like a cheer.

I closed my eyes, and for the first time in a century, Liam's face wasn't the first thing I saw.

In his place was another man, one who looked vaguely like him. But this man was more handsome, his features sharper, with a cocky smirk on his face, just as he'd had two years ago. "Mark my words, Isabella. Sooner or later, you'll sever that blood bond for me."

Back then, I thought he was joking. I'd laughed at his arrogance.

Now, Liam and I were over. And that felt less like a joke and more like a prophecy.

I finished the scroll and let out a long breath. My heart was finally calm.

Just as I was collecting my thoughts, the manor's bell rang. The sound made me jump. I lived here alone. Besides me, only one other person knew the blood-ward incantation to enter.

I opened the door. Liam was standing there, his voice as warm as ever. "You didn't come to say goodbye to everyone. I was worried."

"I was tired," I said flatly. "Decided to stay in."

As I moved to close the door, I saw a figure behind him. The small, fragile form of Chloe, who flinched when our eyes met.

Suddenly, Chloe stumbled back, one hand clutching her chest, the other grabbing Liam's sleeve. "I… I feel like I can't breathe."

Her voice was frail, her eyes welling with tears.

Liam immediately steadied her, his expression turning tense.

"Isabella, can you tone it down?" He looked at me, his eyes full of blame. "Chloe is delicate. You're scaring her. You should be more considerate. Not everyone has a bloodline like yours."

Considerate?

I had been considerate for an entire month. I protected him, fought for him, and was ready to leave my entire world behind for him. Now he wanted me to be considerate of another woman? A woman faking weakness, who claimed my very presence was suffocating her?

My expression turned to ice. "I told you. I don't want strangers on my land."

Liam frowned. "Chloe is a friend. She was worried about you, that's all."

Before I could answer, Chloe's eyes filled with tears. "Isabella, I'm sorry. I know you've always looked down on me for my mixed blood, but I swear I purify myself with Moon-blessed Water every day."

She sobbed, looking utterly pitiful. "I won't dirty your manor."

Liam glared at me. "She can't help where she came from. You're being cruel. I'm so disappointed in you."

Chloe tugged his sleeve, playing the part of the bigger person. "It's okay, Liam. Don't fight with her because of me." She forced a watery smile. "She told me you two are fated mates," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "A bond not seen in a millennium. How could someone like me ever hope to compare?"

"Don't say that," Liam murmured, gently cupping her face. "You're one of a kind."

Then he turned back to me, his face a cold mask. "Chloe is upset. I'm taking her home. You need to think about what you've done. And don't forget to get your seal at the council."

He was right about one thing. I did need to think. About how blind I had been.

I strode to the blood pool in the heart of the manor. Without a moment's hesitation, I rewrote the blood-ward.

From now on, no unwelcome creature would ever step foot in here again without my express permission.

The weight on my chest lifted, as if I’d finally exhaled a breath I’d been holding for a hundred years.

The next morning, I took my new transfer scroll to the Grand Council of Elders. As the Elder stamped it with his blood signet, a wave of emptiness washed over me.

I stared blankly at the crimson seal until someone blocked my path.

"Isabella!"

The familiar voice came from behind me. I turned to see Liam striding toward me, his face dark.

"You changed the manor's blood-ward?" he demanded. "I tried to get in last night. It threw me back."

"Yes," I said, my voice perfectly calm.

"Why?" Anger flashed in his eyes. "I need the new incantation. I need to be able to get in to protect you."

Protect me? Like he "protected" me yesterday?

"You don't," I said coolly. "I'll be leaving after the transfer."

"Leaving?" Liam froze, his eyes finally landing on the scroll in my hand. "Right, the transfer... Don't worry, I'll go get my seal tomorrow."

We walked out of the council hall side-by-side. In the brief silence, I thought of all the times we'd walked like this before. He'd tell me about funny things at the Academy, complain about a strict professor, or stop to pick a moonpetal flower for me from the side of the path.

I used to think that was forever. But since Chloe arrived, those moments had all but vanished.

"Isabella," Liam started. "About yesterday..."

"Liam!"

A delicate voice cut him off. Chloe came running up, out of breath and clutching a heavy stack of ancient tomes.

"Did you forget our date?" she pouted. "You promised to teach me ancient vampire history today."

She set the books down and pulled one from the stack. "I saw the study plan you made for me. It's for two whole months," she said with a sweet smile. "Thank you for being so thoughtful."

A two-month plan.

I knew what she was saying. They would be spending that long time together. They had already planned a future that didn't include me.

Liam shot me a guilty look. When he saw my blank expression, his gaze darkened. I was a mask of indifference, but inside, bitterness was a slow-burning poison. I dug my nails into my palm to stay grounded. "Well, I won't keep you."

"Wait." Chloe stepped in front of me, her eyes red-rimmed. "Isabella, are you mad at me?"

"Move."

"Is it because I'm not a pure-blood?" her voice trembled. "I know I'm not worthy of standing with you, but I perform rites of purification with Moon-blessed Water every single day, just hoping it will be enough."

She started to cry, a picture of fragile beauty. "But bloodlines are..."

"Move," I repeated, my voice colder.

The ancient power of my bloodline pulsed in the air, an invisible pressure. Chloe trembled and took a few steps back. But she didn't leave. She just cried harder.

"I knew it! You look down on me! You don't think I'm good enough to be Liam's friend!"

"Enough!"

Liam exploded, grabbing my wrist. His hand was cold, his grip tight, his fingers trembling with rage.

"Isabella, apologize to Chloe. Now."

His tone was a command. Like he was speaking to a pet, not his blood-bond mate.

I looked down at the hand clamped around my wrist. A month ago, this hand had gently placed a moonstone ring on my finger. Two days ago, this hand had traced my spine and promised me forever.

Now, this hand was hurting me for another woman.

The last flicker of affection in my heart turned to ash.

I twisted my wrist, unleashing the power of my bloodline. A powerful shockwave blasted him backward, and he stumbled, nearly falling.

My voice was ice. "The only one who owes an apology here... is you. Not to her. To me."

Back at the manor, I went straight to the cellar.

It was where I kept every gift Liam had ever given me.

The first sandalwood box. Inside, the moonstone ring he'd carved for me, bearing his family crest.

I had worn it with such pride. Until I saw its twin hanging from a chain around Chloe’s neck.

She'd blushed and said, "Liam promised that whatever you have, I'll have too."

The second box. The magic raven I had fed with my own heart's blood was gone. All that remained was an empty cage. Liam had taken it, saying he loved how it looked perched on my shoulder. The next day, it was sitting on Chloe's windowsill.

I kept going.

The crystal necklace that wards off nightmares? Chloe had a matching one.

The enchanted photo album of our memories? He'd taken it "to show Chloe some vampire history."

The silver-dew perfume that could only be collected on a full moon? He said, "Chloe's health is poor, she needs this."

Every gift, every promise, he had given away so easily.

Thinking of how Liam doted on Chloe, how he always took her side, a bitter smile touched my lips. If this was what he wanted, then these relics belonged in the family crypt.

I packed every item into an ancient, sealed chest.

"In the name of the Thorne clan, I seal this past away."

A red light flashed, and the chest sank into the deepest part of the crypt below.

Then I took out a communication crystal and booked a trans-oceanic flight for the following evening.

Destination: The Evernight.

I needed to get away from here. Away from everything that reminded me of my own foolishness.

At two in the morning, my communication crystal shrieked, waking me from a hazy sleep. I groggily answered it, but the other end was silent. Just as I was about to disconnect, Liam's voice came through, heavy and low. "Isabella, I'm sorry."

My mind snapped awake. Is he finally going to confess?

But then he said, "Chloe is sick with fright. I can't leave her, so I have to postpone my transfer."

The tiny spark of hope died instantly, leaving me feeling like an idiot. I wanted to scream at him, to demand he account for the pain of his fake injuries and cruel lies.

He continued, oblivious. "You just need to apologize to her."

I was stunned. "What?"

His voice hardened, firm. "You have to apologize to Chloe. She's sick because of you."

"If you don't," his tone turned icy, "I will consider you in breach of our blood bond. And I will formally petition the Council to challenge the contract."

Challenge the bond. It was the most severe accusation of betrayal in the vampire world. If I lost, I would be stripped of my inheritance and cast out as a rogue.

He dared to threaten me with our sacred bond.

"Isabella, answer me," he commanded. "When are you going to apologize to Chloe? If you do, we can pretend none of this happened. I'll join you at the new academy in two months. Are you really going to throw away our hundred-year bond over something this small?"

His words were a sharp threat, but I felt no pain, no loss. Just annoyance.

I closed my hand around the crystal. And squeezed. It shattered into a thousand glittering shards, dust sifting through my fingers.

Enough. This was enough.

I couldn't wait to get on that plane.

The next evening, I stood at a private airfield in the Evernight.

The auroras over the City of Eternal Night were a breathtaking spectacle.

"Miss Isabella Thorne?"

A deep male voice came from behind me.

I turned and saw a tall figure. Dark hair, handsome, chiseled features, and eyes as deep as midnight.

It was Damon Vance, the man who, two years ago, had predicted Liam and I would fall apart.

He grinned. "Isabella. Long time no see."

I shook his hand, a genuine smile on my face. "It's good to see you, Damon."

Just then, the backup communication crystal in my bag rang. It was a call from one of Liam’s friends.

I answered it.

Liam’s voice was frantic, laced with a panic I'd never heard before. "Isabella, where the hell are you? I'm at the council hall. Your name isn't on the transfer list for Dusk!"