Ella stood in the study, her arms wrapped around herself as the bond pulsed erratically, echoing the brothers’ unease. She could feel the storm brewing within each of them—their fears, their buried anguish—all brought to the surface by Eloise’s dark influence.
Adrian was the first to break. He had been pacing near the fireplace, his icy-blue eyes fixed on the flickering flames as though they held answers. Suddenly, he froze, his body stiffening as his gaze became unfocused.
Ella felt the bond snap taut, a jarring sensation that made her gasp. Through it, she felt Adrian’s emotions—searing guilt and a sorrow so profound it nearly brought her to her knees.
“No,” Adrian whispered, his voice cracking. “Not her. Not again.”
Before Ella could react, Adrian’s surroundings shifted. She saw through the bond a memory so vivid it felt real. Adrian stood in a shadowed forest, his hand clenched around the hilt of a sword.
Before him knelt a woman with tear-streaked cheeks, her auburn hair disheveled and her dress torn. Her eyes pleaded with him, shimmering with betrayal and despair.
“Adrian, please,” she begged, her voice trembling. “You do not have to do this. We can run. Together.”
But Adrian’s expression was a mask of anguish. “I have no choice,” he said, his voice hollow. “The witch hunters are closing in. If they find you, they will find all of us. This is the only way.”
The woman’s sobs echoed in Ella’s ears as Adrian stepped back, letting the shadows consume the woman as figures with torches emerged from the forest. Through the bond, Ella felt his torment—the pain of sacrificing someone he loved to protect the family.
Adrian collapsed to his knees, his breathing ragged. “I had no choice,” he whispered again, as though trying to convince himself.
Ella knelt beside him, her hand trembling as she touched his shoulder. Before she could say something, another wave of anguish surged through the bond.
This time, it was Vincent.
Vincent stood near the doorway, his normally steady presence fractured. His hands clenched into fists at his sides as his dark eyes glazed over, lost in a memory that played out with brutal clarity. Ella staggered under the weight of his sorrow, the bond amplifying his emotions until she felt as though they were her own.
The scene shifted. Vincent was in a dimly lit chamber, the scent of blood heavy in the air. A young woman lay sprawled on the floor, her pale skin marred with dark veins. Her lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling, a stark contrast to the warmth they once held.
“Victoria,” Vincent choked out, dropping to his knees beside her. He cradled her body, his hands trembling as he pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry. I should have been faster. I should have protected you.”
The sound of his voice broke Ella’s heart. She could feel his guilt, his crushing sense of failure, and the lingering echo of his love for the woman he couldn’t save. The bond throbbed with his despair, and Ella clutched her chest, gasping for air as the memory ended.
Vincent’s eyes snapped back to the present, but his gaze was unfocused, his breaths shallow. Ella reached for him, her fingers brushing his arm. “Vincent, it wasn’t your fault,” she said, echoing the words she’d told Adrian, though they felt just as hollow.
“I hesitated,” Vincent murmured, his voice barely audible. “And it cost her everything.”
A sharp laugh, bitter and filled with pain, drew Ella’s attention. Sebastian leaned against a bookshelf, his golden eyes dark with something Ella hadn’t seen before: unguarded anguish. His usual charm was stripped away, leaving only raw vulnerability. The bond pulsed again, and Ella braced herself as his memory unfolded.
Sebastian stood in an opulent ballroom, his hand clasping that of a young woman who gazed at him with adoration. Her laughter rang out like music as he spun her across the floor, their movements effortless and full of joy. But as the dance ended, Sebastian’s expression shifted, his charm hardening into calculation.
“You will help me, won’t you?” he said, his voice smooth but edged with manipulation.
The woman’s smile faltered, confusion flickering in her eyes. “Of course, Sebastian. Anything for you.”
The scene shifted abruptly. The woman was alone, her face streaked with tears as she clutched a letter in her trembling hands. Her sobs filled the room, echoing with heartbreak. Then, the vision darkened, and Ella saw her lifeless body hanging from a balcony, the letter crumpled at her feet.
Sebastian’s charm fractured completely as he staggered back, his breath hitching. “I did not think… I did not realize what it would do to her,” he said, his voice cracking. “I thought it was harmless. I thought she… she would move on.”
Ella’s heart ached as she felt his regret and self-loathing seep through the bond. She moved toward him, her hand reaching out, but he stepped back, shaking his head.
“Do not,” he said, his voice sharp. “You do not want to carry this. You should not.”
The bond pulsed violently, their collective pain twisting and contorting into something almost unbearable. Ella fell to her knees, clutching her chest as tears streamed down her face. Through the bond, she felt Eloise’s dark presence, her laughter cold and triumphant.
“You are breaking,” Eloise’s voice whispered, curling around Ella’s mind like smoke. “The bond is fragile, so easily torn apart. And when it shatters, you will all fall with it.”
Ella forced herself to her feet, her legs trembling. “No,” she said, her voice shaking but resolute. “We won’t let you win.”